Martin Butzmann

Lawyer Partner

Patent attorney Markus Kreuzberg has more than 20 years of experience in patent and utility model law and extensive expertise in international intellectual property law. His other areas of expertise include employee invention law, trademark law, and design protection. He represents clients before the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the Federal Patent Court (BPatG), the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the World Intellectual ...

Wolf Zur Nieden is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Wolf practices law in Cologne, Germany Best Lawyers has recognized Wolf Zur Nieden since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Wolf Zur Nieden is held by other lawyers.

Sebastian von Lossow LL.M. is a lawyer and partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner. He has been working in the corporate law and M&A practice of Friedrich Graf von Westphalen’s Dusseldorf office since 2025. Sebastian von Lossow is a specialist in M&A, joint ventures and real estate transactions. His clients include entrepreneurs, family offices and mid-size companies (industrials, engineering as well as software-as-a-service) and real estate managers and investors...

Thomas Kerkhoff is partner in our Düsseldorf office. For many years he has been advising clients on intellectual property law. His work includes advice on trademarks, their protection and their realisation. In cooperation with accountants and business economists he is regularly involved in the taxational assessment of trademarks. His work also includes all aspects of copyright protection, designs and unfair trading. He also does litigation in cases of intellectual property infringements ...

Staffan Illert is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Staffan practices law in Düsseldorf, Germany Best Lawyers has recognized Staffan Illert since 2020. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Staffan Illert is held by other lawyers.

Born in 1969 Legal studies at Bielefeld University First Exam ("1. Staatsexamen") in 1995 Research associate under Prof. Dr. Gerhard Otte (Chair for Civil Law, Civil Procedure and Legal History) at Bielefeld University, 1995 - 1998 Legal clerkship ("Referendariat") at the Bielefeld District Court Second (Bar) Exam ("2. Staatsexamen") in 1997 Judge at the Güstrow Local Court, 1998 - 1999 Bar admission in 1999 and with the firm since then Doctor of Laws (Dr. jur.) 2002 Appointment as notar...

Dr Jan Joachim Dreyer’s work includes antitrust defence, in particular for companies with strong market positions, in sales and traditional antitrust matters, compliance issues in sales and in all forms of cooperation between competitors. His areas of expertise also include global and local merger control, including litigation over decisions by authorities reaching the German Federal Court of Justice and the European courts, claims for damages arising from antitrust violations, state ai...

Dr. Manuel Knebelsberger is Counsel at Hausfeld in Düsseldorf, specializing in competition law and competition litigation. Before joining Hausfeld, Manuel worked in the competition department of one of the biggest international law firms where he acquired a broad experience in all aspects of competition law, ranging from classic antitrust and merger control to procurement and state aid matters. In addition to advising clients on general competition law, Manuel regularly represents client...

Carsten Laschet is a lawyer and managing Partner of Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner. His practice focuses on liability and insurance law. He specialises in contract law, product liability law, directors' and officers' liability as well as Insurance Law. Carsten Laschet is a lecturer in teaching specialist insurance lawyers and a member of the Cologne Legal Association (Kölner Juristische Gesellschaft), the German Bar Association’s Working Group on Insurance Law (ARGE Ve...