Patricia Koch

As happens with many people at BALDER, Patricia comes from a mixed background, born in Madrid to a German father and a Spanish mother. Though everyone who knew them came to the conclusion that the German character was her mother’s while her father was so much more Spanish… Patricia was raised in a German environment in Madrid, attending the German School of Madrid and later University, where she studied Law and Business Administration. Thereafter she went to Hamburg, Germany, to work in a law firm for practically two years. 

There she was assigned to the Trademark Department, learning about the practice of Law in Germany, both in Courts and at the Trademark Office. She started with the search of case law, advancing towards making her own writs and statements. 

Patricia considers this experience, though over 20 years ago now, very important in her career. Not only did it make her decide that Intellectual Property was the field of Law which most interested her, but she also learnt to understand what German clients expect from their lawyers and their Courts. Therefore, she now knows what points she has to specifically explain to her German clients, when defending their rights in Spain. Many points are obvious to lawyers practicing in Spain, and without the knowledge that they are not at all obvious, but often rather surprising, to people from other countries, they are often left unexplained. Which, sometimes, can give rise to frustration at the client’s end, or even worse… 

Time has passed, and nowadays she seldom meets the colleagues she worked with in this her first lawyer job, but she still feels proud when that firm, nowadays one of the most important IP firms in Europe and beyond, receives yet another prize. 

On her return from Germany, she joined a Spanish IP firm, one of the top three in the field, if not the most important one, and specialized in IP litigation. She started, logically, as the most junior lawyer of the litigation department, but was soon considered an important member of the department and ended up heading it when the former department manager was promoted to manage the whole firm. 

She stayed there until she co-founded BALDER in 2012. 

As a litigator Patricia has observed the incredible development of the Spanish Courts, which have passed in only a few years from not even understanding what a patent is (she remembers having had to explain to a Judge what kind of rights a patent grants) to being at -or almost at- European level. 

Her first hearing at the Court of First Instance in Luxemburg was quite an experience – and was followed by around one hour to calm her stomach. She would love to be able to say that she has now got used to Luxemburg, having argued in quite a number of hearings as she took care of all cases of her former firm in German and English and continues to do so now. But this Court continues to be awe-inspiring, even after all these years and hearings. Well, they say that setting adrenaline free is the key to success… 

Which leads to another of Patricia’s characteristics: she loves patents. It is said that lawyers do not really like patents, since they might be a legal document but are only understood by technically trained experts. However, understanding the technology behind a patent, be it on air conditioning, pharmacy or antennae, is extremely attractive to her. This probably comes from her favorite day trips in school: visits to factories. 

Nowadays she still likes to schedule such visits, using her son as the perfect excuse to arrange them. When not working, Patricia loves to spend time with this son, Daniel, if possible, on biking or hiking tours, going to the cinema or, whenever possible, travelling. Sometimes, but that is more Daniel’s hobby than Patricia’s, she spends weekends in a tent. Something we all know she would prefer to live without.