Progress begins with an idea – and we make sure it is comprehensively protected. With solid expertise, international experience, and a clear view of the future, we safeguard intellectual property and support innovations on their path to success.
Our story begins in 1947 – a time of new beginnings, full of challenges but also rich in opportunities. Patent attorneys Dr. Ing. Andreas von Kreisler and Dr. Ing. Karl Schönwald had the courage to establish a firm in the midst of war-torn Cologne, directly in the shadow of Cologne Cathedral. With a clear vision before them and a firm belief in the future, they began their work in the Deichmannhaus – a small room, unheated and, according to legend, accessible only by ladder.
Even then, their mission was clear: to protect ideas, drive innovation forward, and support companies on their way to success.
What began small quickly developed into a law firm with international reputation. As early as 1948, the first patent applications were filed for clients from the USA. Shortly after its founding, dompatent was entrusted with the protection of groundbreaking inventions that transformed entire industries – from new processes revolutionizing plastics production, to catalysts in chemistry, to technical advances in medical technology, mechanical engineering, and many other fields.
For more than 75 years, we have been evolving continuously to provide our clients with the best possible advice and support in protecting their inventions and ideas. In doing so, we combine extensive expertise with a keen sense for future trends.
Expertise & Experience
Decades of competence in intellectual property combined with strong technical knowledge.
Internationally connected
Supporting clients around the globe – with global thinking and local know-how.
Interdisciplinary team
More than 100 dedicated professionals, including 18 partners, uniting law, technology, and business under one roof.
Long-term partnerships
We accompany many of our clients for decades – built on trust, quality, and reliability.
Our firm stands not only for an impressive history but also for a forward-looking approach. Because we know:
Success emerges where innovations are sustainably protected and strategically developed.
Today, we support companies and inventors in all technological fields – from the first idea to the patent application to successful market launch. Our mission is clear:
We protect innovations so that they can change the world.
With our experience and know-how, we help our clients legally safeguard their inventions and turn them into economic assets.
We think ahead, challenge the status quo, and develop tailor-made solutions for the protection of intellectual property.
We believe in courage, creativity, and the unstoppable drive toward progress. Our firm is not just a service provider but a partner for all who strive to advance innovation and actively shape the future.
The roots of dompatent go back to three extraordinary patent attorneys who, as founding fathers, left a lasting mark on our firm: Alek von Kreisler, Günther Selting, and Dr. Hans-Karsten Werner. With their professional brilliance, foresight, and tireless dedication, they laid the foundation for what our firm represents today. Their values and spirit live on in our daily work.
The PhD chemist Alek von Kreisler joined the firm in 1963 and was a partner until 2007. Trained by his father, firm founder Dr. Andreas von Kreisler, he specialized in chemical patents. Von Kreisler advised renowned clients, including Studiengesellschaft Kohle with Nobel Prize laureate Karl Ziegler, and maintained close business relationships with clients in Japan and the USA.
A graduate engineer in electrical engineering, he worked at the firm from 1971 to 2010. Trained by firm founder Dr. Karl Schönwald, he developed the technical practice of the firm. Alongside his long-standing client work, he also trained several patent attorneys who later became partners.
After serving as head of the patent department at Boehringer Mannheim, Dr. Hans-Karsten Werner joined the firm in 1979. He brought his industry experience into client consulting and worked particularly with international companies, SMEs, research institutions, and individual inventors. Until his departure in 2002, he shaped the strategic orientation of the firm in the chemical and biochemical fields.
