Michael C. Maier – German Solicitor

Michael is a German attorney-at-law (“Rechtsanwalt”) and heading our Berlin office.

He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Law and has significant expertise in developing strategic initiatives addressing complex IP issues with a focus on trade mark law, design law, copyright and unfair competition.

Having worked in private practice as well as an in-house attorney, and with over 15 years’ experience in the field of IP, he advises brand owners from a wide range of sectors on all trade mark related matters with a particular focus on the beauty and fashion industry.

He is skilled in trademark litigation; managing worldwide trademark portfolios and handling prosecution; opposition and cancellation matters; including appeal procedures before the German Patent and Trademark Office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office. He regularly represents German and international clients in legal disputes before German courts as well as the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Before joining Boult Wade Tennant, Michael has practiced IP law for several years at various internationally renowned IP firms. Furthermore, in the role of an Associate General Counsel and General Manager, he led the trademark department of one the world’s largest beauty companies being responsible for all luxury trademark and design-related matters globally.

Being an acknowledged expert in the field of trademark law, Michael is regularly invited as a speaker by professional organizations. He is also an experienced lecturer, currently teaching trademark law at the Düsseldorf University and Erich Pommer Institute – but has also taught at Harvard Law School and San Francisco Law School as a guest lecturer in the past. Furthermore, he is regularly holding trademark law seminars across Germany and is co-author of a commentary on regulation (EU) 2017/1001 on the European Union trademark (“EUTMR”) released by C. H. Beck, a well-known publishing company in Germany.

A selection of his publications is listed below:

• Unionsmarkenverordnung: UMV (Hrsg. Hildebrandt / Sosnitza C. H. Beck Verlag), August 2021, Co-author (Article 7 EUTMR) – (“Commentary on European Trade Mark Regulation“)
• Markenrecht im Unternehmensalltag, MarkenR 11-12/2021, 401 (“Trade Mark law in everyday‘s business”)
• Eintragungsfähigkeit einer Lippenstiftform als dreidimensionale Marke, MarkenR 11-12/2021, 424 (“Registrability of the shape off a lipstick shape as a three-dimensional trademark”)
• Ernsthafte Benutzung einer Unionsmarke – Anmerkung zu EuG „Kneissl HoldinG“, MarkenR 1/2022, 11 (“Genuine of a European Union Trade Mark – Commentary on GC’s judgment “Kneissl Holding”)
• Ernsthafte Benutzung einer Unionsmarke – die Rechtsprechung des EuGH im Überblick, MarkenR 3/2022, 105 (“Genuine use of European Union Trade Mark – an overview of the case law of the CJEU”)
  Abgrenzung von Modellbezeichnungen und Zweitmarken im Bekleidungssektor, MarkenR 6/2022, 25 (“Differentiation between model names and trade marks in the clothing sector”)
• Die grundlegenden Entscheidungen des EUGH zur Beurteilung der Verwechslungsgefahr, Beck Akademie, e-Learning (“The fundamental decisions of the CJEU on assessing the likelihood of confusion“)
• Markenanmeldung – Strategien und ausgewählte Probleme, Beck Akademie, e-Learning (“Trade Mark prosectution – strategies and selected problems“)
• Techniken der Markenrecherche, Beck Akademie, e-Learning (“Trade mark clearing techniques“)

Who’s Who Legal (WWL) mentions Michael C. Maier as recommended attorney in the categories Global Leader 2021 and National Leader 2022 (Germany-Trademarks) und says about him: Michael Maier earns widespread plaudits for his significant experience representing brand owners across the gamut of trademark-related matters.

Best Lawyers mentions Michael C. Maier in the 14th edition as leading attorney for his work in Intellectual Property in Germany.

Michael is a native German and French speaker but also fluent in English and Spanish and is a member of numerous professional organizations such as INTA (Trademark Reporter Commitee) and MARQUES.