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Wolfgang May

He/himOf Counsel

My goal is to use my long in-house experience to add value to the legal advice.

About

Wolfgang May is a German IP-lawyer with more than 35 years of experience, more than 25 of them heading in-house Departments in the consumer goods sector, including about 8 years as Director Trademarks EMEA and Global Brand Equity Leader for Beauty Care at Procter & Gamble. He joined DLA Piper as Of Counsel 2013 and advises clients in particular in the luxury, consumer goods and life sciences sectors on trademark, design and copyright matters and related licenses.

Based on his long in-house experience Wolfgang brings together legal knowledge with an "in-house" thinking, combining both in the interest of the client.

Professional QualificationsRechtsanwalt admitted with Rechtsanwaltskammer Cologne

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising and representing several national and international clients, including well-known companies from the consumer goods and fashion industries continuously in connection with trademark matters as well as with trademark applications and opposition or other proceedings before the German and European trademark office.
  • Continuously advising and representing a well-known German consumer goods company in particular in conjunction with global trademark clearance, prosecution and opposition matters.
Languages
  • German
  • English
Education
  • University of Saarbrücken, and University of Cologne
  • Higher Regional Court Cologne, First State Examination, 1983
  • Landesjustizprüfungsamt Nordrhein-Westfalen Düsseldorf, Second State Examination, 1986

Publications

  • In charge of "International Design Registration" in Hoffmann/Kleespies, Formular-Kommentar Designrecht, 2015

Seminars

  • "IP Prosecution in Europe -Strategic Choices" Union-IP Conference, Berlin, 05. June 2014
  • "Markenportfolios erfolgreich managen", Forum Institut für Management, Offenbach, 15. May 2013
  • "Identifying and Implementing the Optimum IP Department Structure and Getting the Outsourcing/Insourcing Balance Right", Global IP Exchange, Munich, 19. March 2013
  • „License Agreements in the Luxury Perfume Business“, guest lecture at the University Cattolica, Post-Graduate Program, Milan 13. January 2012

Prior Experience

Wolfgang has more than 25 years of in-house experience in the field of non-technical intellectual property rights and licenses.

He started his career in IP as Head of Trademarks at Muelhens ("4711") in Cologne. After the acquisition of Muelhens by Wella he moved on to build Wella's dedicated trademark department which he led as Head of Corporate Trademarks from 1998 until 2004, when he was appointed Associate General Counsel/Director Legal/Brand Equity at Procter & Gamble, who had acquired Wella in 2003.

His responsibility included the Brand Equity (Trademark) organization for Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as Beauty & Grooming globally. Wolfgang joined DLA Piper in 2013.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Deutsche Vereinigung für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht (GRUR)
  • Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG)
  • Deutscher Anwaltverein (DAV)
  • International Trademark Association (INTA)
  • MARQUES

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