Alexandra Fottner (admitted as German Attorney-at-Law since 1996) studied Law at the University of Passau, Germany and at the University Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, France.
She has extensive knowledge and experience in clearing, establishing and protecting worldwide trademarks and has represented clients in many trademark infringement litigations before the German Courts and the European General Court in Luxembourg (among them Federal Court of Justice, Judgement of November 24, 2005 – I ZR 28/05 – GALILEO; General Court, Judgement of June 16, 2008 –T-112/06 IKEA ./. idea; T-13/10 – atarax/ARANTAX). Furthermore, she is well experienced in the field of domain name infringement matters as well as in alternative dispute resolution matters for well-known trademarks (e.g. WIPO UDRP proceedings). In addition, she handles trademark matters regarding successful registration of trademarks and opposition proceedings at the EUIPO, the German Patent and Trademark Office and the German Federal Patent Court.
Alexandra has been mentioned several times, inter alia, in the German lawyer’s directory of „kanzleimonitor.de 2023/2024“ as a recommended IP lawyer the results of which are based on a survey among Corporate Lawyers’ recommendations.
Languages
German, English, French and Spanish
Specialist Fields
- Trademarks prosecution (counseling, clearing, filing, maintenance), representation in opposition procedures
- Strategic trademark portfolio management
- Industrial design prosecution
- Litigation matters in all fields of Intellectual Property rights in particular trademarks and tradenames, and in the field of unfair competition law and anti-counterfeiting
- Domain name litigation and domain name ADR and UDRP proceedings at WIPO
- Intellectual Property Due Diligence with regard to trademarks, tradenames and designs
- Contractual work, especially in licensing matters in all fields of Intellectual Property law
Private Life
When Alexandra is not in the office, you may find her skiing, mountain biking or hiking in the mountains with her family. Being a Slow Food member, she loves cooking and is interested in oenology as well as in art and design.
Curriculum vitae
- 2004
Founding partner of MÜLLER FOTTNER STEINECKE - 2000
Partner of Knauthe Eggers law firm and establishment of the Munich office of Knauthe Eggers - 1996–1999
Practice as an associate in the field of Intellectual Property law as Rechtsanwalt (Attorney at Law) with a large Intellectual Property firm near Munich with specific emphasis on trademark law, unfair competition law, licensing and copyright law - 1994–1996
Trainee lawyer with the District Court of Munich, the Department of Public Prosecution of the District Court of Munich and a four months training at a commercial law firm in Paris, France - 1990–1994
Studies of law at the University of Passau with emphasis on private international law and European law - 1988–1989
Studies of law, linguistics and communications at the Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III, University of Paris, France
Publications
- “The shape of a product or of its packaging as an indication of origin under German Law” by Alexandra Fottner (ECTA Bulletin October 2018)
- “La forme du produit ou de son contenant comme identificateur de source en droit allemand: L’interface entre les marques, les dessins et modèles et le droit d’auteur; les stratégies pour en favoriser la protection” by Alexandra Fottner (Revue Francophone de la Propriété Intellectuelle, n. 5, Dec. 2017, p. 53-60).
- “EU-Marken im Zeichen der EU-Osterweiterung” (“Impact of the Expansion of EU upon Community Trademarks”) by Alexandra Fottner
- Design rules go European – Countdown for the New Community Design by Alexandra Fottner
- “Marken anmelden – eine Guideline – Nichts ist unmöglich” (“Filing trademark applications – a guideline – Nothing is impossible”) by Alexandra Fottner and Markus Müller
- “Markenrecht – Werbeslogans als Marke anmelden” (“Trademark Law – Filing publicity slogans as trademarks”) by Alexandra Fottner
- “Außergerichtliches Konfliktlösungsverfahren” (“Out of court settlement proceedings”) – “ICANNs Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy bei Domainpiraterie? by Alexandra Fottner