Soeren Alborn, LL.M.

As a counsel in our Intellectual Property Practice Group in Munich, I advise national and international clients on all aspects of soft IP, unfair competition on media law, with a particular focus on litigating infringement proceedings related to trademarks and designs.

With many years of experience, I have a deep proficiency in handling trademark prosecution matters and complex IP infringement cases (both in and outside of court) for a broad range of clients, many within the retail & consumer and media & entertainment sectors. My practice covers the development of prosecution and brand protection strategies and the whole range of national and cross-border IP litigation. I am regularly involved in IP-driven M&A transactions, carrying out due diligence work, especially for clients from the media and entertainment industry.

I also advise clients on all aspects of advertising and product labelling law, providing legal checks of all sorts of promotional content (digital / print / TV spots) and product packaging under German and EU unfair competition and labelling law. Here, my practice particularly focuses on matters related to highly regulated products such as drugs, cosmetics, food supplements, or biocides.

Within the entertainment and media industry, I have a special focus on advising gambling clients and clients whose businesses are inherently impacted by gambling regulations, such as game developers, payment service providers and publishers. I am regularly representing clients in administrative proceedings initiated by the German Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States ("Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder"), and advising clients on game compliance, licensing requirements, and gambling-related advertising.

• Handling trademark prosecution matters of a leading American multinational consumer goods corporation before the German PTO and the EUIPO on a regular basis, most of these cases involve some of the world's most reputed FMCG brands
• Advising a major German shoe manufacturer in all trademark-related matters, in particular on the protection of a reputed position mark in jurisdictions all across the globe
• Reviewing and clearing marketing material of a leading American multi-level marketing company under European and German unfair competition law, with a focus on promotions for highly regulated products such as food supplements and cosmetics
• Having advised a major multinational music company in a number of IP-driven M&A deals such as the acquisition of a stake in a German rap label and booking agency, and in a major rock and heavy metal label
• Advising numerous clients on gambling-related matters, including analyses of business models and gaming products under German gambling regulation, and advice on authorisation requirements and gambling-related advertising rules in Germany

• Represented a leading global manufacturer of medical beds in a high-profile product design imitation court case
• Acted for a major price comparison online portal in a lawsuit involving allegations of unfair trade practices
• Represented a leading European telecommunications company in a large-scale administrative fine proceeding initiated by the German Federal Network Agency ("Bundesnetzagentur") on the grounds of allegedly unlawful customer retention calls
• Represented a major American computer software company and an international music streaming service provider in consumer mass claim proceedings related to alleged data breaches
• Represented a payment service provider in gambling-related player refund mass litigation