Dr. Niels Lutzhöft, LL.M.

I am a strategic advisor and litigator for life science and digital media companies – stepping in at the crossroads of IP and sector regulation.

As a Frankfurt-based IP partner, I lead the music subsector and am the Co-Head of the International Copyright & Design Group.

I represent media and entertainment clients in disputes on copyright, unfair competition and media regulation before courts and authorities. My media and entertainment practice focusses on platforms, streaming services, games and music – intellectual property and reputation management in digital media. Current areas of advice include platform regulation under the EU Copyright Directive and the Digital Services Act, IP-issues relating to the development and use of artificial intelligence, and content moderation. Copyright disputes over licences, industrial design and adequate remuneration concern companies in different business areas, inside and beyond the media & entertainment sector.

In the life sciences sector, I represent food and tobacco manufacturers as well as pharmaceutical and food supplement companies in unfair competition and regulatory disputes over product communication: advertising and claims. Advice and disputes revolve around novel foods and novel tobacco products as well as pharmaceuticals and food supplements. Regulated claims and the requirement to ensure a sufficient evidence base for product-related claims in health advertising involve both a medicinal and pharmaceutical background as well as food, tobacco and pharma regulation.

One area of focus in the life sciences sector is advice and litigation in the medicinal Cannabis and CBD space. My team assists Cannabis manufacturers with market entry in Germany, in litigation over product-regulatory and advertising disputes and in proceedings and negotiations with public authorities. We also advise our Cannabis and further life science clients on current legislative processes and develop positions and opinions.

Legal disputes in particular over TV and online coverage on good and pharma companies have taken increasing significance among our media and life science disputes. With a background in journalism (M.A.), focus on media economics and on-the-job journalism training at a public service TV station, I understand the logic of journalistic production and assist our clients on legal issues in PR crises.

I am a guest lecturer for Intellectual Property and Digital Media at the University of Regensburg and teach bar exam classes on IP.