An interview with our Munich team
posted on August 9th, 2021
Mag. Esther Humpl-Wagner
Attorney-at-Law | Partner & Head of Office
Where are you from and which path led you to being a Partner at ABP?
I grew up at beautiful Lake Constance in Vorarlberg. After having studied in Innsbruck and Linz, I completed my court internship at the District Court of Kirchdorf an der Krems and the Regional Court of Steyr. In the course of this, I also got to know Hannes Burger, who was doing his court internship in Steyr at the same time. However, our professional paths were to cross again only later. I started my training as an attorney-at-law in a small litigious law firm in Windischgarsten and I moved to a renowned commercial law firm in Linz after having passed the Austrian bar examination in 2006.
In 2015 – after the birth of my two children and minor interims as an in-house lawyer – I joined ABP Austria as an attorney-at-law and since 2019 I am lucky to be the head of the Munich office. As an admitted German attorney-at-law and registered German attorney-at-law with the Munich Bar Association, I commute weekly between Windischgarsten and Munich and serve clients at both locations.
What excites you about working as an attorney-at-law in the IP industry?
What excites me particularly is the close cooperation with our clients and the many different facets of the IP world. My main field of activity is the representation of our clients in IP contract matters. However, trademark matters in both application and enforcement proceedings are also part of my daily work. Of course, it is particularly interesting and challenging when it comes to contentious proceedings, where tricky procedural questions often have to be clarified.
What do you appreciate about your job at ABP?
I appreciate the good cooperation and the team spirit. There is a quote that we put up on our wall in our office and which – I think – essentially defines us: "We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other.”
Especially in the position as a mom of two and an attorney-at-law, not everything is always predictable. But even if something unexpected happens, we always find understanding and, above all, a solution. I am very proud of my team and look forward to continuing to provide the best possible service to our clients together.