Dr. rer. nat. Johannes Gierlich

Dr. Johannes Gierlich is a German Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney with extensive experience in intellectual property law. His technical specialization lies in chemistry and related fields such as pharmacy, diagnostics, biochemistry, nanotechnology, process engineering, and medical technology.

He advises national and international clients in all types of proceedings before the European Patent Office and the German Patent and Trade Mark Office – including filing, examination, opposition, and nullity proceedings – and supports them in the enforcement of their IP rights. He is also active in strategic consulting on freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence, IP valuation, and portfolio development. His legal work additionally focuses on employee invention law and licensing law.

After studying chemistry at the Philipps University of Marburg with a focus on organic, theoretical, and bioorganic chemistry, he completed a study abroad program at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His doctorate in organic chemistry/biochemistry was supervised by Prof. Thomas Carell and awarded “summa cum laude” at the Philipps University of Marburg and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research was supported by a scholarship from the German Chemical Industry Fund and honored with the Römer Prize of the Dr. Klaus Römer Foundation.

Dr. Gierlich has been working in the field of intellectual property since 2007. He is a member of the examination committee for the European Qualifying Examination as well as of numerous professional organizations, including the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys, the EPI, GRUR, VPP, FICPI, and the German Chemical Society (GDCh). He is also involved in promoting technology transfer in life sciences and chemistry through the Science4Life initiative.