Her practice focuses on patent law. Her clients particularly value Anette’s experience with cross-border patent infringement proceedings and her ability to develop a tailored attack or defence strategy. She is one of the few attorneys who have already participated in CJEU reference proceedings and won a case before the UK Supreme Court. Anette also has experience in representing clients before the Unified Patent Court.
Furthermore, Anette Gärtner advises companies on non-contentious projects, such as licensing and cooperation agreements, as well as on issues of employee inventions law and know-how protection. She has many years of transactional experience.
Anette is the author of numerous articles on patent and employee inventions law. She is co-author of the "Research Handbook on Information Law and Governance" (2021) and the recently (2025) published second edition of the “Practitioner’s Handbook on Trade Secret Protection” (German original “Handbuch Geheimnisschutz”).
Since 2016, Anette has been a guest lecturer at the TU Dresden LL.M. program "International Studies in Intellectual Property Law".
She is recommended by industry publications and leading media as a leading IP expert (IAM Patent 1000, Legal 500).
Supported by the German National Academic Foundation, Anette Gärtner studied law and administrative sciences in Bonn, Edinburgh and Speyer.
Edinburgh University awarded her the T.B. Smith Prize (Most distinguished LL.M. student), and she received her Ph.D. from Bonn University in 2005.
Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, she was a partner in a US law firm.
Latest Insights
- represented clients from the medtech and consumers goods sectors in matters relating to IP infringements at trade shows, including customs seizures
- ongoing advice to a global provider of industrial technologies on questions of employee inventions law
- represented clients of a variety of industry sectors in employee inventor disputes before the German Patent and Trademark office
- represented a medical devices manufacturer in several patent infringement proceedings against a competitor
- advised clients from the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries on know-how protection (policies, training, employment contracts)
- negotiated research and development agreements for several industrials clients
- 2021 GRUR-Jahrestagung, Bonn, Vortrag „KI als Erfinder“
- 2021 Bochumer Informationsrechts- und Informationssicherheitstag: „Rechtsfragen des Einsatzes Künstlicher Intelligenz“, Vortrag „Patent- und Know-how-Schutz für KI-Ergebnisse“
- 2018 VPP, Kronberg, Vortrag „Die Umsetzung der Know-how-Richtlinie in deutsches Recht – alles neu macht der Mai?“
- 2018 Automotive Legal Conference, Berlin, „How Data Should Change IP Lawyering” (co-presenter Raymond Millien)
- IAM Patent 1000, Germany, Bronze, Tenth consecutive time in 2025
- Legal 500, London, TMT, Team Ranking, 2016, 2018, 2023
- IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders (Germany), Fourth consecutive time in 2025
- Lexology/Who is Who Legal, IP, Trade secrets, 2024 und 2025
- Anette is a member of the GRUR expert committees for patent law and data rights, of VPP (Association of Intellectual Property Experts) and women in ip
- 2015 Solicitor (England/Wales)
- 2009 Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law
- 2005 Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.) (Bonn University)
- 2005 Master of Public Administration (Mag. rer. publ.) (Speyer University)
- 2004 Second State Exam (Higher Regional Court of Koblenz)
- 2000 LL.M. (Edinburgh University)
- 1999 First State Examination (Higher Regional Court of Cologne)
- 1994-1999 Law Studies (Bonn University)