Dr. M.Sc. (MIT), Dipl.-Ing., Dr.-Ing. Patrick P. Erk
German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Trademark and Design Attorney, Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Expertise
Patrick Erk leads the Berlin office of the law firm Grünecker, representing companies in disputes against competitors before patent offices and courts, particularly in mechanical engineering, optics, digital signal processing, and aerospace technology.
He counsels German-speaking medium-sized companies and major international corporations on the filing, defence, and enforcement of industrial property rights and on establishing and managing international property rights portfolios.
Additionally, he offers guidance on strategic and legal matters related to technology development and collaboration with other firms, often engaging directly with company leadership. He believes effective counsel in these areas requires a solid technical and legal background and a keen understanding of business objectives and market dynamics.
Patrick and his team bring extensive experience in drafting patent applications in both German and English, managing national and international examination proceedings, and handling litigation before the German and European Patent Offices and German courts.
He is a member of VDI, GRUR, LES, and FICPI, serving on FICPI’s Strategic Planning Commission and previously as President of FICPI’s Professional Excellence Commission from 2015 to 2021. Patrick has been a partner at Grünecker since 2003.
Outside of work and family, Patrick enjoys oiling up his old ’98 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the garage and hitting the trails on his mountain bike in remote, mountainous regions.
Areas
- Patent Law
- Patent Infringement
- Trademark Law
- Designs
- Licences & Technology Transfer
Technical fields
- Mechanical Engineering
- Optical Instruments
- Digital signal Processing
- Aerospace Technology
Vita
- Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990
- Diploma in Physical Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, 1991
- Visiting Scientist, Mechanical Engineering Department, Stanford University, 1992/1993
- Doctorate summa cum laude, Physical Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, 1997
- German Patent Attorney, 2000
- European Trademark and Design Attorney, 2000
- European Patent Attorney, 2001
- Internship at one of the leading US patent law firms, Alexandria, Virginia, 2001
- Partner at Grünecker, since 2003
- Representative before the European Patent Court (UPC), 2023
Publications & lectures
Author of the chapter “Patents and Industrial Property Rights” in: Pahl/Beitz, “Konstruktionslehre”
Springer Verlag, 2nd edition
Numerous lectures and moderator activities for FICPI and its national associations