As the firm’s Regional Managing Partner for Continental Europe, Burkhart Goebel helps clients navigate the challenging seas of complex cross-border and multiple jurisdiction IP litigation. In his 20 years of experience, he has pleaded or acted as instructing counsel before senior courts in almost every jurisdiction in Europe, handling some of the largest multiple jurisdiction disputes in the history of IP litigation. He constantly draws on the experience and insights gained from these different jurisdictions to make each case a success. He knows how to avoid surprises – he’s seen where the pitfalls lie and guides clients around them. Rare among IP litigators, Burkhart has particular expertise in IP-related public international law. Working closely with offices from Spain to Russia adds to his deep understanding of a wide range of legal issues and jurisdictions. 

Burkhart has represented clients in preliminary rulings before the Court of Justice of the European Union arising from jurisdictions that include Austria, Finland, Germany, and the UK. 

Burkhart argued the lead case before the European Court of Human Rights establishing that both trademarks and trademark applications are protected through the property guarantees of the European Convention of Human Rights. He defended intellectual property before the WTO, and has litigated against the enforcement of several multilateral and bilateral treaties. 

World Trademark Review (WTR) says that clients call Burkhart “...a phenomenal lawyer, strategist and litigator; he has a great demeanour, and is the most sophisticated lawyer we have ever worked with.”