Norton Rose Fulbright strengthens IP team with European Patent Attorney

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is strengthening from 1 January 2023 its IP team with the hire of European and German Patent Attorney Dipl.-Phys. Ronak Kalhor-Witzel as Counsel in Munich.

Ronak Kalhor-Witzel joins the Munich office from Infineon Technologies AG, a leading international semiconductor manufacturer. She has 15 years of experience in patent law. Before joining Infineon, she worked for many years as a patent attorney in a renowned European patent law firm.

She complements the existing Munich-based team led by partner Clemens Rübel, which specialises in patent litigation, with her experience in electrical and medical engineering. She will also lead the firm's new European patent prosecution practice.

Dr. Stefan Feuerriegel, Head of Germany, Norton Rose Fulbright commented, "We continue to invest in our German practice to ensure that we have the capabilities to help clients address their most complex challenges. Ronak Kalhor-Witzel combines extensive experience in all areas of patent law with knowledge of our key sectors, including technology and life sciences and healthcare. She will significantly enhance our offering, including in light of the new Unified Patent Court. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm."

Jamie Nowak, head of the German dispute resolution practice at Norton Rose Fulbright, added: "Due to the increasing importance of patents for companies, we want to offer our clients a comprehensive range of services in this area. Ronak Kalhor-Witzel has extensive experience in patent portfolio management and has worked on some major international patent infringement cases, particularly in telecommunications and medical technology. She will be a great asset to our team."

For Munich-based patent specialist Clemens Rübel, expanding the practice with a patent attorney in Munich is a logical step for a firm that is already strongly positioned in patent law internationally and especially in North America: "In both telecommunications and medical technology, patent litigation is becoming increasingly global. Europe will gain importance as a forum due to the new Unified Patent Court, with its seat in Munich, among other places. So it makes sense to strengthen the location with a proven expert in these technologies, especially since Munich is also home to the European and German Patent Offices, which play a crucial role in international patent portfolio management."

With more than 250 patent attorneys and attorneys-at-law worldwide, Norton Rose Fulbright has one of the largest patent teams known for international patent infringement litigation as well as providing a unified, coherent patent management service across all phases of the innovation cycle in multiple jurisdictions.