Andrea Wechsler

Andrea Wechsler is a Professor of Private Business Law at Pforzheim University and currently serves as a Member of the European Parliament (2024–2029) on extended leave from the university. She holds an M.A. from Oxford, LL.M. degrees from Columbia University and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and is a certified business mediator. Her research focuses on European and international business law, with specialties in commercial law, competition law, intellectual property, data protection, and start-up law. She leads research initiatives at the Design Factory Pforzheim, GründerWERK Center for Start-Ups, and the Competence Center for Consumer Research (vunk). Notable projects include studies on Asian legal systems (especially Chinese law), EU-China legal cooperation, and legal methodologies integrating economic analysis. She has received the 2013 Faculty Prize from LMU for her dissertation. Prof. Wechsler has authored/co-authored over 30 publications, including textbooks on business law and intellectual property. She serves on advisory boards for the Bundesverband Direktvertrieb Deutschland and the Baden-Württemberg Consumer Commission. Her work bridges academia and practice, with consulting roles at McKinsey & Company and contributions to EU legal reforms.

Education:

• M.A. (Oxford University)
• LL.M. (Columbia University School of Law)
• LL.M. (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)

Research Themes:

• European and international commercial law harmonization
• IP rights enforcement in digital markets
• Competition law in tech industries
• Mediation mechanisms in cross-border disputes
• Asian legal systems analysis
• Sustainability in consumer law

Awards:

• 2013 Fakultätspreis für die Dissertation

Grants & Projects:

• Editorial leadership of the Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Europäisches Wirtschafts- und Verbraucherrecht
• Consultant for the "Junge Innovatoren" innovation fund
• PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) coordinator at Pforzheim University

Labs/Teams:

• Design Factory Pforzheim (innovation ecosystem)
• GründerWERK Start-Up Center
• vunk Competence Center for Sustainable Consumption