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Partner

Dr.-Ing. Sophie Ertl

Partner

German Patent Attorney

European Patent Attorney

UPC Representative

Mechanical Engineer

Sophie provides counselling on patent portfolio strategies and portfolio management across a wide range of IP-related matters. In addition, she drafts patent applications and represents her clients in patent prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings. In addition, she regularly prepares legal opinions on technical and legal issues, including freedom-to-operate and validity analyses.

Furthermore, she has particular experience with legal disputes in the field of intellectual property and has successfully conducted numerous patent and utility model infringement proceedings, patent nullity proceedings and utility model cancellation proceedings. She uses this expertise profitably for the client in patent portfolio strategies and portfolio management.

Her technical expertise covers the fields of mechanical engineering, automotive, medical devices, materials engineering, and process technology.

Sophie is head of the Maiwald UPC taskforce and responsible for all UPC related topics at Maiwald.

Sophie regularly gives presentations on patent law topics in Germany and abroad, in particular in view of the UPC. She has special contacts and interests for clients and colleagues from Korea and Brazil.

since 2017
Partner, shareholder and managing director at Maiwald
since 2013
Mentor of the Technical University of Munich
since 2013
Patent attorney at Maiwald
2020 - 2023
Member of the Board of Directors of the German Patent Attorney Association
2017 - 2018
Member of the German Examination Commission for Patent Attorneys
2014 - 2016
Mentor for the training for the qualification as European Patent Attorney
2010 - 2013
Patent attorney at Bardehle Pagenberg
2006 - 2009
Patent attorney trainee at Bardehle Pagenberg
2003 - 2006
Development engineer at BMW AG

2023
Admitted to practice before the Unified Patent Court
2013
Admitted to practice as European patent attorney
2010
Admitted to practice as German patent attorney
2006 - 2009
Studied law for patent attorneys at the University of Hagen
2003 - 2006
Doctoral degree in the field of mechanical engineering and materials science from the RWTH Aachen University
1998 - 2003
Studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich

  • Patent prosecution and portfolio management
  • Filing strategies and drafting patent applications
  • Freedom-to-operate and validity analysis
  • Opposition and nullity proceedings
  • Patent litigation

  • Recommended as one of the world's leading intellectual property strategists by IAM Strategy 300 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Listed as "Leading" in the Patent Prosecution category and as "Excellent" in the Patent Litigation category in the Leaders League Rankings Germany 2024
  • Recommended in Handelsblatt | Best Lawyers "Germany's Best Lawyers" 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Recommended in MIP IP Stars 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Featured among Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP 2021, 2023, 2024
  • Recommended in Legal 500 EMEA 2023, 2024
  • Listed in Managing IP's EMEA shortlist "Practitioner of the Year" 2024
  • Recommended in Legal 500 Deutschland 2021, 2023, 2024
  • Listed in IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2023, 2024
  • Recommended in IAM Patent 1000 “World’s Leading Patent Professionals” 2023

  • Main agent for a worldwide known automobile company with particular expertise in the field of new mobility
  • Patentportfoliostrategies and Portfoliomanagement for wet processing solutions for the manufacturing of semiconductors
  • Defending patent portfolio in opposition and appeal proceedings before the EPO for a large US-client for container technology in the medical industry
  • Drafting patent applications in the area of mRNA technology
  • Portfoliomanagement in the field of 3D printing

  • FICPI
  • German Patent Attorney Association
  • epi
  • AIPPI
  • LES
  • VPP

  • German
  • English
  • French