About Us

Silvan
Latscha

Silvan Latscha is a founding partner and chief executive of Latscha Schöllhorn Partner. He assists clients of all sizes, from individual inventors to international enterprises, in the fields of medicinal technology, mechanical engineering, information technology (particularly software) and environmental technology.

Silvan Latscha studied at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich and qualified as an environmental engineer in 1998. After completing his studies, he was employed as a scientific assistant for computer aided planning tools and spatial planning at the ETH Zürich until 2000, and then as a software developer and project manager in the private sector. In 2003, Silvan Latscha joined a patent law firm in Basel where he qualified as European Patent Attorney in 2006. From 2008 until mid-July 2012, he was employed as managing director at the Basel office of a large, renowned German patent law firm.

Silvan Latscha is a member of epi (as Swiss representative in the council), VSP (as board member), FICPI, VESPA, LES and ingres. He was employed for over ten years as a tutor at the Centre d´Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle (CEIPI) at the Université Robert Schuman in Strasbourg.

Dr. Andreas
Schöllhorn

Andreas Schöllhorn is a founding partner of Latscha Schöllhorn Partner. He assists clients, especially start-up companies and SMEs, in the fields of chemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy and medicinal engineering.

Andreas Schöllhorn studied chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Stuttgart and at the University of Tübingen and graduated with a degree in biochemistry. After completing a doctorate in the field of applied microbiology at the University of Zurich and at Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis), he began working in the field of intellectual property at Lonza, a leading supplier of chemical agents, intermediate products and therapeutic proteins. In 2000, Andreas Schöllhorn joined an IP law firm in Geneva. He qualified as a European patent attorney in 2002. As a partner he established a branch office in Basel in 2004, which he managed until June 2012.

Andreas Schöllhorn is a non-permanent judge of the Swiss Federal Patent Court and a member of epi, AIPPI and VESPA. He worked for many years as a tutor on VESPA/VIPS examination training programmes.

Dr. Martin
Sperrle

Martin Sperrle is a partner at Latscha Schöllhorn Partner since 2014. He assists clients, in particular, start-ups, SMEs and universities, in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemistry and medical engineering.

Martin Sperrle studied chemistry at the Universities of Tübingen and Pisa, completed his diploma thesis at the CNRS in Toulouse and received his PhD from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich for research in the field of asymmetric catalysis and polymer chemistry. After a period of post-doctoral research at the Department of Organic Chemistry at Stanford University, he started his career in the field of industrial property at a patent law practice in Zürich in 1998. In 2001, he joined Cytos Biotechnology AG, an ETH Zürich start-up specializing in developing new classes of biopharmaceutical compounds and targeted immunotherapies for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. Being responsible for the firm’s IP, his tasks included developing and successfully implementing a global patent strategy and building up the patent portfolio, aspects of licensing, R&D collaborations and financial transactions as well as building up and heading an in-house IP and patent department. Martin Sperrle qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2004 and is a qualified Swiss Patent Attorney. He was awarded his “Patent Litigation in Europe” diploma from Strasbourg University in 2007. He joined Latscha Schöllhorn Partner in August 2014.

Martin Sperrle was elected by the Swiss Parliament as non-permanent judge of the Swiss Federal Patent Court and is the Swiss delegate in the biotech committee of epi. He is a tutor at the Centre d´Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle (CEIPI) at Strasbourg University and was a lecturer at the MAS IP of the Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) until its discontinuation (2007-2014). Martin Sperrle is a member of epi, VESPA, INGRES, AIPPI and LES.

Jochen
Schwarz

Jochen Schwarz joined the Latscha Schöllhorn Partner team in 2019. He is a German and European Patent Attorney and has experience of advocacy in patent litigation proceedings before German district courts, in nullity proceedings before the Federal German Patent Court and in nullity appeal proceedings before the German Federal Supreme Court. Jochen Schwarz regularly represents clients in opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office.

Jochen Schwarz studied brewing and beverage technology at the Technical University of Munich and graduated as Diplom-Ingenieur. After graduation, Jochen Schwarz began his practice in the field of intellectual property in a leading patent and law firm in Munich where he qualified as German and European Patent Attorney. During his training to become a patent attorney, Jochen Schwarz also passed his studies in Law for Patent Attorneys at the FU Hagen. In 2011, Jochen Schwarz joined a Zurich patent law firm where he practiced in the mechanical department and became partner of the firm in 2016.

His areas of expertise include mechanical engineering, food and beverage technology, process engineering, medical devices, oral care products, plastics engineering, fastening technology and cooling technology. Jochen Schwarz supports clients ranging from individual inventors to medium size companies and international corporations. Jochen Schwarz is member of epi, VESPA, FICPI and the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys.

Dr. Torben
Müller

Torben Müller is working for Latscha Schöllhorn Partner since 2024. He is a qualified Swiss, German and European patent attorney and is also entitled to represent before the European Unified Patent Court. He assists clients of all sizes, from individual inventors to SMEs and large international enterprises.

Torben Müller studied physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Imperial College in London and received has PhD from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich for research in the field of ultracold quantum gases. As part of his PhD project, Torben Müller not only conducted basic research in quantum physics, but also gained in-depth knowledge and practical experience in the areas of laser physics, optics, electronics and mechanical engineering. In 2011, he started his career in the field of ​​intellectual property at a patent law firm in Germany. During his training as a German patent attorney, he completed various internships at the German Patent and Trademark Office, the German Federal Patent Court and the Mannheim Regional Court. He also passes his studies in “Law for Patent Attorneys” at the FU Hagen. In 2014, Torben Müller returned to Switzer, where he initially worked for a long-established patent law firm in Zurich before joining to a leading patent law firm in Basel in 2016.

His technical areas of expertise include, in particular, basic and applied topics in physics, medical technology, mechanics, mechanical engineering and information technology.

Torben Müller is a former scholarship holder of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and a member of epi, VESPA, INGRES, FICPI and the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys.

Dr. Daniel
Wespe

Daniel Wespe joined Latscha Schöllhorn Partner in 2021.  Prior to his arrival at Latscha Schöllhorn Partner, Daniel worked as a U.S. patent agent and more recently as a U.S. patent attorney in Boston. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2019 after earning his J.D. at Suffolk University Law School. He holds a B.A. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University.

Daniel assists clients in the fields of chemistry, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. He has experience in patent drafting and prosecution, as well as litigation, licensing, portfolio due diligence, and client counseling. He has advised clients ranging in size from small startups to multinational corporations. Prior to entering patent law, Daniel worked in technology transfer as a senior fellow at Columbia Technology Ventures, the technology licensing office at Columbia University.

Eric Ruhlmann

Eric Ruhlmann will be reinforcing the Latscha Schöllhorn Partner team from June 2025 on.

Eric Ruhlmann studied organic chemistry at the University of Strasbourg as well as chemical engineering at the European School of Chemical Engineering, Strasbourg. After studying patent, trademarks and designs at the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) at Strasbourg University, he started his career in the field of industrial property at Beaufour Ipsen (today known as Ipsen) in Paris in 1996. In 2005, he joined Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and in 2017 Johnson & Johnson as Johnson & Johnson acquired the company. Eric Ruhlmann qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2002, as a French Patent Attorney in 2004 and is a Swiss Patent Attorney.

His areas of expertise mainly include chemistry and pharmaceuticals. During his over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, he has supported various therapeutic areas and has been responsible for patent aspects of different development compounds as well as marketed products. He has also advised regarding a number of due diligence projects or IP provisions in all kinds of agreements. Aside invention harvesting, patent drafting and prosecution and client counseling, he has acquired experience in various lifecycle activities, including in extending term of pharmaceutical patents in a number of countries, in offensive and defensive oppositions and in some international patent litigation.

Nathalie
Martino

Nathalie Martino works as IP paralegal in our physics, engineering and IT department.

Sonja
Bösch

Sonja Bösch works as IP paralegal in our chemistry and biotech department.

Bianca
Lehmann

Bianca Lehmann works as IP paralegal in our physics, engineering and IT department.

Ilirjan
Lajqi

Ilirjan Lajqi works as IP paralegal in our chemistry and biotech department.

Ann
Barcelo

Ann Barcelo takes care of renewing ip rights of all departments.

Johanna
Latscha

Johanna Latscha assists in various central services of all departments.

Nora
Starck

Nora Starck assists in various central services of all departments.

Maxim
Latscha

Maxim Latscha assists in various central services of all departments.