Michael Horak, LL.M.

Attorney-at-law · Engineer
Certified Intellectual Property Law Specialist
Certified Copyright and Media Law Specialist[/su_column]

“We complement each other and we have one goal: Your Success.

 

Biography

Born in 1967; studied law and electrical engineering in Stuttgart, Erlangen and Hannover; 1994 graduated in electrical engineering (main focus on computer science and message processing, seminar paper regarding “analysis and modeling of integrated circuits for image processing“; work of thesis entitled „construction techniques for integrated systems“); from 1995 to 1998 associate at the patent law office; 1996 first state legal examination; 1997/1998 associate at international law offices as Freshfields (Hamburg), Gleiss Lutz (Stuttgart) and Clifford Chance (London); 1997 to 1998 second state legal examination (internationally recognized as a degree in law);1998 to 2002 associate at Ritter, Gross & Partner; 1999 LL.M. (Master of Laws); specialization: “European Management and Employment Law” at the University of Leicester (England); 1998/2003 publications: “Environmental protection and competition”, in EUDUR, Prof. Rengeling, ed.); 2000 advising engineer of the Chamber of Engineers in Lower Saxony; 2003 partner at the Law Firm Horak Attorneys at Law; sworn interpreter/translator for courts and notaries in Hannover district (English). Admitted to Local Court and Regional Court of Hannover, also admitted to the Regional Appeal Court of Celle, licensed to practice in German local and regional courts, with the exception of matters for a civil court. Representative of the German patent and trademark department, of the Federal Patent Court, European office for Harmonization for trademarks, such as the International Bureau of WIPO, Domain-name arbitration court and numerous other offices and courts. Certified specialist for intellectual property law since 07/2006. President of the Preliminary Examination Committee for certified specialist Lawyers in the main areas of legal protection of bar associations in Braunschweig, Oldeburg, and Cell, from the implementation of lawyers for industrial property rights protection, in 2006. Certified specialist for copyright and media law since 2012. University lecturer for higher education institutions (two colleges and one university) in industrial property rights protection and IT-rights. Numerous technical publications in trade journals regarding commercial property rights protection, author and media rights, IT-rights, competition and antitrust law.

Registered in the list of consulting engineers of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Engineers since 2000.

Sworn interpreter/translator for courts and notaries of the district court of Hanover (English).

Attorney since 1998 in various law firms. (Founding) partner of the law firm horak . Attorneys since 2003.

Admitted to the Celle Bar Association. Authorised to represent clients before all German courts (local, regional and higher regional courts) with the exception of the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) in civil matters.

Representation before the German Patent and Trademark Office, the Federal Patent Court, the European Office for Harmonization as well as the International Office (WIPO), domain name arbitration courts and numerous other offices and courts.

Specialised lawyer for industrial property protection since its introduction in 07/ 2006.

Chairman of the Preliminary Examination Committee for the Specialist Lawyer for Industrial Property Protection of the Braunschweig Bar Association, the Oldenburg Bar Association and the Celle Bar Association since the introduction of the Specialist Lawyer for Industrial Property Protection in 2006.

Specialist attorney for copyright and media law since 2012.

University lecturer at high educational institutions, such as a university and two colleges in intellectual property law (inter alia “patent law for engineers” as well as “intellectual property law”) and IT law.

Numerous specialist publications in journals on intellectual property law, copyright and media law, IT law, competition and antitrust law.

 

Languages

flag-germany German
flag-united-kingdom-great-britain English
flag-france French
flag-japan Japanease

Memberships

Mitglied der International Bar Association; Deutsch-Britische Juristenvereinigung, Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristenvereinigung; Amerikanische Vereinigung zum gewerblichen Rechtsschutz (AIPLA); Arbeitsgemeinschaft Informationstechnologie des DAV; Gewerblicher Rechtschutz und Urheberrecht e.V. (GRUR); Deutsche Gesellschaft für Recht und Informatik e.V. (DGRI e.V.); Verband deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE); Vereinigung von Fachleuten des gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes (VPP e.V), Marques , International Trademark Association (INTA), European Community Trademark Association (ECTA), Licensing Executives Society (LES).

Since 01.07.2006 member and chairman of the expert committee for industrial property protection of the bar associations of Celle, Braunschweig and Oldenburg.

 

Legal Focus

  • Intellectual Property (Patent, trademark, copyright law, domains, etc.):
    • Patent law
    • Trademark law
    • Domain law, domain name law
    • Utility models law
    • Industrial design
    • License right

    Competition and anti-trust law

    • UWG-Right
    • Advertising law
    • Trademark law
    • GWB law
    • Merger control proceedings
    • Procurement law

    Technical rights (including IT, internet, energy and telecommunication)

    • IT rights (Computer right, Software right, legal protection of data)
    • Energy law (In particular energy law and energy antitrust law)
    • Internet right, online right
    • Telecommunication law
    • Right of technical standard
    • Construction law, engineering law, architects’ law
    • Copyright law (moral rights, copyright of exploitation, copyright utilization rights and ancillary copyright) and Media Law
    • Music law
    • Publishing law
    • Artist contract law
    • Photo right
    • Film right
    • Event right

    Contractual law

    European Law

    Pharmaceutical and food law

    Taxes Law and Economic Criminal Law (with reference to the aforementioned legal areas)