Hendrik Wichmann has more than 20 years of experience in intellectual property, advising and representing global clients operating in biotech, chemistry and pharma industries as well as in the field of plant variety protection. He holds qualifications as both German and European patent attorney and has extensive expertise in all aspects of patent practice, including  drafting and prosecuting patent applications and large portfolios, and conducting numerous complex opposition and appeal proceedings before the EPO. Hendrik Wichmann has been actively involved in multinational patent litigation in the fields of food chemistry and pharmaceutical antibodies. In the context of strategic consultations, his team conducts comprehensive freedom-to-operate analyses and portfolio assessments.

He is listed on a regular basis in, e.g., Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine's "IAM Patent 1000", Who’s Who Legal Patents and JUVE, and has repeatedly been selected by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) as an IP Star.

In addition, he is the author of numerous publications, in particular on the subject of European patent law. As a frequent speaker at key industry events such as the BIO IPCC Conference, he is also recognized for his informative lectures and seminars on a national and international level. Together with a legal member of the boards of appeal of the EPO, he is holding an annual Master Class on EPO opposition and appeal proceedings..

He serves as the chairman of the committee for biotechnology of the Chartered Institute of German Patent Attorneys and is a member of the GRUR Expert Committee for the Protection of Plant Varieties.

He holds a doctorate from the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany after having studied biology with a focus on biochemistry at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne.


Publications / Seminars

• "Protection of plant innovations by patents and plant variety rights (PVRs) in Europe", keynote speech for the AGRO-IP DAY, 1st Israeli Meeting for Agriculture Innovation and Intellectual Property, 20 January 2020, Tel-Aviv, Israel
• "Masterclass: EPO Opposition & Appeal", together with T. Karamanli, legal member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, Forum Institut, 29-30 October 2015, 22-23 June 2017, 19-20 April 2018, 16-17 May 2019, and 25-26 June 2020, Amsterdam
• "Challenging granted Plant Variety Rights (PVRs) in the European Union and abroad", presentation at the 9th International Conference on Intellectual Property Protection for Plant Innovation 2019, 29 November 2019, Amsterdam
• "T-177/16 – Mema v. CPVO (Braeburn 78), Judgment of the General Court of the EU of 5 February 2019", presentation at the meeting of the GRUR Expert Committee for the Protection of Plant Varieties on 28 October 2018 in Berlin
• "Post-Grant Procedures at the USPTO – How to Coordinate Oppositions in the US and Europe", one-day practical course, co-speaker, Forum Institut, 9 June 2016, 22 March 2017, 21 March 2019, Munich
• "The proposed amendments to the Rules of the Boards of Appeal - Patentee’s Perspective", presentation, Bayerischer Patentanwaltsverein e.V., 13 November 2018, Munich
• "Decision A001/2017 of the Appeal Board of the CPVO in the cancellation case ‘Royal Braeburn’. Issues: burden of proof, suitability of examination offices/testing stations, discretion vs. ex officio examination", presentation at the meeting of the GRUR Expert Committee for the Protection of Plant Varieties on 26 October 2018 in Munich
• "Experimental data in the patent application? - How to best support patentability before the EPO", Live Webcast entitled "Protection of Biotechnological Inventions: Essential Updates and Trends", 12 July 2018, The Knowledge Group, US
• "The proposed amendments to the Rules of the Boards of Appeal - Patentee’s Perspective", presentation on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of EuPEX (European Patent Experts' Exchange), 15 June 2018, Neuhaus am Schliersee
• "The IP dimension of genome editing", presentation together with Prof Jacob Sherkow, New York Law School, 8th International Conference on Intellectual Property Protection for Plant Innovation 2017, 30 November 2017, Amsterdam
• "EPO Boards of Appeal – and relevant case law", one-day course together with T. Karamanli, legal member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, Norwegian Industrial Property Office, 22 April 2016, Oslo
• "Best Practices in Opposition and Appeal Proceedings before the EPO";1.5-day seminar together with T. Karamanli, Legal Member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, Forum Institut, 14-15 June 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden, 6-7 December 2012 in Zurich, Switzerland, 7-8 November 2013 in Nice, France, and 16-17 October in Munich
• "Das Europäische Patent II" [The European Patent, Part II], Forum-Institut; 2-day advanced intensive course on EPO procedures together with L. Zimmermann, EPO, as co-speaker, 28 February – 1 March 2013, Munich, and 19-20 February 2014, Munich.
• "'Poisonous Divisionals' – Konsequenzen für Patentanmelder" [‚Poisonous Divisionals‘– Consequences for Applicants], Presentation during Webinar „Harte Zeiten für Patentanmelder“ [Tough times for Applicants], Association of German Biotechnology Companies (Vereinigung Deutscher Biotechnologie-Unternehmen, VBU), 5 November 2013
• "Self-Collision by Divisionals – Consequences for EPO Practice", Conference Call Briefing on EPO Divisional Applications for BIO’s IPCC International IP Working Group, 26 September 2013
• "Post-Myriad Strategies for Claiming Biotech Inventions in the United States and Europe", Richard Gilly, Darla Graff, Roberto Pistolesi, and Hendrik Wichmann, FICPI Newsletter, 13 September 2013
• "Angemessener Schutz für Erfindungen aus der Biotechnologie", lecture at the 2. Karlsruher Dialog Technik und Recht „BioPatente – Motor oder Bremse des technischen Fortschritts?“ [Dialogue Technology and Law: BioPatents–Engine or Brake of Technical Progress?], Annual Conference on 18 October 2012, Karlsruhe, Germany
• "Auf effektive Weise von der Innovation zum Patent in EU, US und Asien" [From Innovation to Patents in EU, US and Asia in the most effective manner], lecture at the BioM Forum „Biotech Innovations- und Patentstrategien“ [Biotech Innovation and Patent Strategies], 26 July 2012, Martinsried/Munich
• "Die Einreichung einer Teilanmeldung und deren Fristberechnung in der Praxis" [The filing of a divisonal application and the calculation of the respective terms in daily practice], Naumann, K. und Wichmann, H., Mitteilungen der Patentanwälte [Newsletters for Patent Attorneys], Vol. 4/2012, pp. 168-173
• "Praxis des Einspruchs- und Beschwerdeverfahren vor dem europäischen Patentamt" [Best Practices in Opposition and Appeal Proceedings before the EPO]; 2-day seminar together with T. Karamanli, Legal Member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, Forum Institut, 6-7 March 2008, 29-30 January 2009, 18-19 May 2011, and 25-26 April 2012
• "Das europäische Patent – Chancen und Risiken für den Innovationsstandort Deutschland" [The European Patent – Opportunities and Risks for the innovation center Germany], lecture for the Export-Club Bayern, 28 March 2012, Munich
• "Echte Chance oder lästige Pflicht – Die Patentierung von Erfindungen aus der akademischen Forschung" [Golden chance or chore – Patenting of inventions from academia], lecture at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Göttingen, 13 February 2012, Göttingen, Germany
• "Das Europäische Verfahren" [The European Procedures], Forum Institut;1.5-day seminar as part of a training course for patent specialists, together with T. Karamanli, Legal Member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, 2010-2011, Munich and Cologne
• "Kooperationen Akademische Forschung – Pharma aus patentanwaltlicher Sicht", [Cooperations between Academia and Pharma – The perspective of a patent attorney], lecture at the Meeting of the Committee for Life Sciences of LES Germany, 26-27 May 2011, Munich
• "Vorraussetzungen des Schutzes technischer Erfindungen" [Prerequisites for the Protection of Technical Inventions], DeutscheAnwaltAkademie; all-day workshop for attorneys-at-Iaw as part of a course for the certification as specialist for IP law, 2006-2009, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Hamburg
• "EPA - Praktische Lehren aus den ersten Überprüfungsverfahren nach Art. 112a EPO" [EPO – Hands-on Experiences from the First Review Proceedings under Art. 112a EPC]; IPkompakt, June 2009, pp. 16-18
• "Patentschutz in Indien: Guidelines" [Patent Protection in India: Guidelines], online seminar (webinar), 27 May 2009 on behalf of the Association of German Biotechnology Companies (VBU) as part of the online cooperation platform on "Marktzugang: Life Sciences in Indien" [Market Access: Life Sciences in India] in the course of the Indo-German Life Sciences Network, 25-28 May 2009
• "EPA-Schulungskurs II", Forum Institut; 2-day advanced intensive course on EPO procedures together with J. Ellmaier (2003-2006) and L. Zimmermann (2006-2010), EPO, as co-speaker
• "EPÜ 2000: die wichtigsten Rechtsbehelfe" [EPC 2000: The Most Important Legal Remedies]; Wichmann, H. and Zimmermann, L., Mitteilungen der Patentanwälte [Newsletters for Patent Attorneys], Vol. 3/2009, pp. 105-109
• "Das Einspruchs-und Beschwerdeverfahren vor dem europäischen Patentamt" [Opposition and Appeal Proceedings before the EPO]; seminar together with T. Karamanli, Legal Member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, Forum Institut, 6-7 March 2008 and 29-30 January 2009
• "Vertiefende rechtliche Aspekte des Patentschutzes in der Biotechnologie" [In-depth legal aspects of patent protection in biotechnology]; lecture at the workshop "Patent Protection In Biotechnology", EuroConsult Research & Education, 15 January 2009, Bonn, Germany
• "Pitfalls and Opportunities in Biotech and Pharma Patenting"; Wichmann, H. and Lahrtz, F., Managing Intellectual Property, Vol. 4/2008, pp. 89-91
• "EPÜ 2000: Das neue Beschränkungs-und Widerrufsverfahren" [EPC 2000: The New Limitation and Revocation Proceedings]; Wichmann, H. and Naumann, K., Mitteilungen der Patentanwälte [Newsletters for Patent Attorneys], Vol. 1/2008, pp. 1-5
• "Neues Beschränkungs-und Widerrufsverfahren" [New Revocation and Limitation Proceedings]; lecture at the Master Class European Patent Convention, 9 November 2007
• "Meisterklasse EPÜ" [Master Class European Patent Convention]; chairman and moderator of the round-table seminar for IP experts, 8-9 November 2007, Forum Institut, Munich
• "Post-Grant Procedures before the European Patent Office"; lecture at the Bio Intellectual Property Counsels' Fall Conference, 1-3 October 2007, New York, USA
• "Gentechnologie und diagnostische Methoden" [Gene Technology and Diagnostic Methods]; workshop at the VIPS-VESPA Conference 2006, 27 October 2006, Basel, Switzerland
• "Das europäische Einspruchsverfahren" [The European Opposition Procedure], Forum Institut; all-day seminar with T. Karamanli, Legal Member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO, as co-speaker, 18 October 2006, Munich
• "Das Patentverfahren beim DPMA" [Patent procedures before the German PTO], Forum Institut; all-day intensive advanced course on patent procedures before the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) with G. Lehnert, DPMA, as co-speaker on 25 April 2005 and 12 May 2006, Munich
• "Strategic Options for Dealing with Infringement of European Patents", Conference on Intellectual Property Protection In Europe on 3 November 2004, Beijing, China
• "Optimizing Cooperation with Scientific Inventors"; lecture at the ASTP Annual Conference 2003, 22-23 May 2003, Copenhagen, Denmark
• "Protecting Biotechnology, Life Science and Pharma Inventions in Europe"; lecture at the BIO China 2002, Shenzhen, China
• "ASTP Workshop on Patenting"; all-day training seminar on 8 March 2002, Munich
• "Stem Cell Patent Revised to Exclude Embryonic Cells", interview, World Intellectual Property Report, Vol. 16, No. 9, p. 8, 2002
• "Aktuelle Aspekte der Patentierung von Biotechnologieerfindungen und Biochip-Daten" [Current Aspects of Patenting Biotechnology Inventions and Biochip Data]; lecture at the 2. Fresenius Conference, 25-26 October 2001, Munich
• "Verlängerung der Schutzdauer von Patenten für Arznei- und Pflanzenschutzmittel" [Extending the Term of Protection of Patents for Medicaments and Plant Protection Products]; lecture at the Marcus Evans Conference: Patent Protection and Licensing for Biotechnology, 12-13 September 2001, Munich
• "Challenging and Defending EPO Patents"; Managing Intellectual Property, Litigation Yearbook 2001, pp. 8-12.