Ralph is a physicist and works in the field of intellectual property since 2001. He was one of the managing directors (partner) of one of the largest IP firms in Germany for several years. In 2014, he founded the law firm Qip Patentanwälte together with Andreas Sykora.

Ralph studied physics at the Universities of Saarbrücken and Konstanz (Germany), graduating (Dipl.-Phys.) in 1997. Between 1993 and 1994 he studied at the Université Joseph Fourrier in Grenoble (France) on a scholarship from the German academic exchange service (DAAD). In 2000 he obtained his PhD in the field of novel silicon solar cells under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. E. Bucher at the University of Konstanz. During his doctorate, Ralph spent five months at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (Australia), performing 3-dimensional computer simulations of novel silicon solar cells at the chair of Prof. Dr. Green.

Ralph has been working in the field of intellectual property since 2001. He passed the German patent bar examination in 2004 and qualified as a European patent attorney in 2005. He also practices as a European trademark and design attorney at the European Community Trademark Office (OHIM). Between 2006 and 2014, he worked at Maiwald Patentanwalts GmbH, where he was one of the managing partners from 2008 to 2014.

His main technical fields of expertise include physics, particularly mechanics, semiconductor physics and optics with special emphasis on alternative energies, vehicle manufacturing, semiconductor technology, lasers and optical data transmission.

Ralph’s areas of legal expertise include patent prosecution, oppositions, nullity and infringement cases and provision of freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity opinions in the field of physics/mechanics.

A particular concern of his is living an ecologically responsible life, both privately and professionally.

Ralph speaks German, English and French.

Privately, Ralph loves to spend time with his family, particularly with his little daughter. Furthermore, he likes doing various sports on and in water, liquid or frozen as well as listening and playing classical music.

Andreas works in the field of intellectual property since 2007 and is admitted as German and European patent and design attorney. In 2014, together with Ralph Kuehn, he founded the law firm Qip Patentanwälte.

Andreas studied physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, graduating in 2001 with a diploma. During his studies he worked as a freelance software developer in the field of project planning, monitoring and control. From 2002 to 2004 he worked as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich and received his doctorate in 2004 at the professorship Wess in mathematical physics.

He then worked until 2007 as an IT and process consultant at Softlab GmbH (now NTT Data Germany) and was entrusted with analyzing of business processes and designing of individual software. During this time he was mainly involved in projects in the development and marketing of a major car manufacturer.

After Andreas had begun training as a German and European patent attorney in a major law firm in Munich in 2007, he joined 2009 the Maiwald Patentanwalts GmbH, where he completed his training in 2011. In the European qualifying examination (EQE) at the European Patent Office he achieved one of the best results of the year. Andreas Sykora worked at Maiwald until 2014.

Andreas has extensive knowledge about the application procedure before the German and European Patent Office and has extensive experience with oppositions and appeals at these offices. Andreas Sykora has been engaged in numerous international procedures, particularly before the U.S., Japanese and Chinese patent offices.

Andreas has particular expertise in the areas of mechanics, electrical engineering, computer science, automotive and medical technology. Special areas of expertise are high power converters, high power semiconductors and computer-implemented control methods.

Andreas also has extensive specialist knowledge in the field of computer-implemented inventions and can draw on detailed knowledge in computer science, such as programming languages as C + +, Java, HTML, XML, and SQL or modeling techniques such as UML and ARIS.

In addition to his work as a patent attorney, Andreas was a member of the examination committee II (part C) for the European qualifying examination (EQE) of the European Patent Office.

Andreas speaks German and English.

Jan König, born in 1974, obtained his degree in physics from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. During his studies, he mainly focused on low temperature physics, semiconductor physics, astro-particle physics and automobile engineering. His diploma thesis dealt with the search for dark matter, in particular WIMP’s (Weakly Interactive Massive Particles) wherein during the work for his diploma thesis he built a neutron shield at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy and several detectors having semiconductor-multilayer structures by his own hands.

Prior to his studies, he successfully completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter, gaining comprehensive practical knowledge while working with the most different building materials and tools.

After finishing his education to become a patent attorney, Jan König worked as a freelancer in renowned law firms for several years before he joined an international law firm in 2011. Since 2021 Jan König works closely together with us.

Mr. König has comprehensive experience in drafting German, European and international patent applications as well as in prosecuting these applications up to grant. Further, he has experience in written and oral proceedings, e.g. opposition proceedings, in the field of prosecution and in drafting nullity suits, in particular with respectto infringement proceedings.

Mr. König is registered as a German and European Patent Attorney.