As an Attorney at Law, Michael specialises in the fields of industrial property law, competition law and copyright law. He advises numerous international companies in relation to infringement, opposition and nullity proceedings before the courts and offices (German Patent and Trademark Office and European Union Intellectual Property Office) and advises clients on international filing and defence strategies for industrial property rights.

 

His work for clients is focussed in particular on litigation relating to patent, utility model and trademark infringements, as well as competition-related and copyright litigation. In addition, he also looks after clients in relation to infringement proceedings overseas.

 

Michael is the editor and (co-)author of numerous textbooks and specialist articles and regularly gives lectures and seminars on issues relating to industrial property, copyright and competition law. Since 2018, Michael also lectures about trademark and design law at the Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg.

 

He has been a partner since 2016, having joined Maucher Jenkins in 2010.

 

After being admitted to practice as an attorney at law in 2006, Michael initially worked for a renowned English law firm in the field of industrial property in Düsseldorf. There, he advised inter alia Deutsche Telekom AG on trademark law matters, in particular in relation to trademark infringement disputes.

 

Michael studied law at the University of Münster. During his studies, he successfully completed a one-year additional course in information, telecommunications and media law. After finishing his studies, he worked as a research assistant for the Institute for Information, Telecommunications and Media Law of Prof. Dr Thomas Hoeren in Münster and was awarded a doctorate by the University of Münster for a thesis on the subject of copyright law. During his legal traineeship, Michael worked inter alia for the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, University of London.

 

Michael was ranked by Managing Intellectual Property as an IP Star for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

 

  

 

Publications:

 

'Prozesskommentar zum Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz', 3rd extended Edition (co-author), 2022, edited by Cepl / Voß, published by Verlag C.H. Beck.

 

'Prozesskommentar zum Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz', 2nd Edition [Case commentaries on industrial property law] (co-author), 2017, edited by Cepl / Voß, published by Verlag C.H. Beck.

 

'Prozesskommentar zum Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz' [Case commentaries on industrial property law] (co-author), 2015, edited by Cepl / Voß, published by Verlag C.H. Beck.

 

'Handbuch Marken- und Designrecht' [Handbook of trademark and design law] (co-author), edited by Maximiliane Stöckel, 3rd edition, 2013, published by Erich Schmidt Verlag.

 

'Besonderheiten der digitalen Bildbearbeitung, in Fotorecht – Recht der Aufnahme, Gestaltung und Verwertung von Bildern' [Particular issues in digital image processing, in Photographic law – the right to take, edit and use pictures], 2011, edited by Oliver Castendyk, published by Erich-Schmidt-Verlag.

 

'Interessenausgleich in der Informationsgesellschaft – Die Anpassung der urheberrechtlichen Schrankenregelungen im digitalen Bereich' [Balancing of interests in the information society – adaptation of copyright-law exceptions in the digital sphere] (Dissertation), 2009, published by Peter Lang Verlag.

 

'Auftragsdatenverarbeitung durch Unternehmen im Nicht-EU-Ausland' [Contract data processing by companies in non-EU foreign countries], Michael Nielen/ Kai Thum, 2006, published in Kommunikation & Recht 2006, 171-176.

 

'Fotorecht – Recht der Aufnahme, Gestaltung und Verwertung von Bildern' [Photographic law – the right to take, edit and use pictures], edited by Thomas Hoeren/ Michael Nielen, 2004, published by Erich-Schmidt-Verlag.

 

'Digital Rights Management Systeme – Auswirkungen für die Wissenschaft' [Digital Rights Management Systems – Effects on Science], in Jan von Knop/ Wilhelm Haverkamp/ Eike Jessen (eds.), Security, E-Learning, E-Services, 2003, published by the Gesellschaft für Informatik.

 

'Grundlagen der Informationstechnologie' [Fundamentals of Information Technology] (co-author), edited by Walter F. Kugemann, 2002, published by FIM – Psychologie der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.

 

'Online-Auktionen, Eine Einführung in die wichtigsten rechtlichen Aspekte' [Online auctions, an introduction to the most important legal aspects], 2002, edited by Thomas Hoeren/ Andreas Müglich/ Michael Nielen, published by Erich-Schmidt-Verlag.