Finnegan Enhances Its German and European IP Practice with Björn Kalbfus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026

MUNICH, GERMANY—Finnegan is pleased to announce that Björn Kalbfus has joined the firm as a partner in the Munich office.

With more than 15 years of experience, Björn advises and represents clients from a wide range of industries on German and European trade mark, design, unfair competition law, and trade secrets. In addition, he provides strategic advice to his clients and drafts and negotiates complex intellectual property (IP) agreements.

Björn is a lecturer at the University of Passau and a member of several professional associations, including the German Association for Intellectual Property and Copyright (GRUR), the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), and the Licensing Executives Society (LES).

"We are thrilled to welcome Björn Kalbfus, a proven expert who will help take our German and European trade mark and unfair competition law practice to the next level," said Jochen Herr, Managing Partner in Munich.

"With a clear focus on IP protection and a strong global presence, Finnegan is one of top firms in the market,” said Björn. "I'm very excited to grow the trade mark, design, and unfair competition law practice as a partner on the Munich team." Clare Cornell, leader of Finnegan’s London trade mark group said, “We are pleased to welcome Björn to the firm. His strategic insight and commitment to client service will strengthen our ability to deliver thoughtful, forward‑looking solutions for our clients.”

With the addition of Björn Kalbfus, Finnegan now has 12 attorneys and patent attorneys in Munich, six of whom are partners. The firm’s highly specialized teams across three continents provide advice and litigation services across the entire spectrum of IP law. More specifically, the firm’s UK and European trade mark practice is comprised of trade mark professionals in our London and Munich offices with experience before the EU, German, and UK Intellectual Property Offices, as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We also have experience before the courts of England and Wales, and the German courts. Our European trade mark professionals bring a keen understanding of the diversity of laws and practice among the European national systems and are a valuable resource for coordinating U.S. and European portfolio strategies. We assist clients with their European IP portfolios, including trade mark, domain name, design, copyright, and advertising work, from prosecution to contentious matters, working closely with our U.S. colleagues to ensure global consistency in portfolio management, as well as enforcement.

Contacts
 
Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer
terra.liddell@finnegan.com

Angela Robinson, Director of Branding and Communications
angela.robinson@finnegan.com

About Finnegan
When your most valuable assets are ideas, innovation, and brand—you need the best to protect them. Finnegan, a premier intellectual property law firm, is trusted by global leaders to protect and advance what sets them apart. With 11 offices across the globe, we bring local insight and global reach to every IP challenge. From high-stakes litigation to cutting-edge patent strategy and innovative brand management, we deliver unmatched depth, agility, and results. If it’s IP, it’s Finnegan. Please visit us at www.finnegan.com or follow us on LinkedIn to see how we’re shaping the future of IP, one breakthrough at a time.