Lea Tochtermann

Prof. Dr. Lea Tochtermann serves as Junior Professor for Civil Law and European Patent Law at the University of Mannheim's Department of Law since September 2016 and has led the Interdisciplinary Center for Intellectual Property (IZG) as Managing Director since April 2021.

Her academic journey includes law studies at Heidelberg and Sciences Po Paris, a legal clerkship in Rhineland-Palatinate, and a University of Mannheim doctorate on "Protection of Succession in Intellectual Property Law" (original German: "Sukzessionsschutz im Recht des Geistigen Eigentums"). She is currently completing her postdoctoral dissertation at the University of Osnabrück under Prof. Dr. Mary-Rose McGuire.

Research centers on intellectual property law with specialized focus on patent law intersections with private international law and international competition frameworks. Additional expertise spans unfair competition law, trade secret protection mechanisms, and arbitration law methodologies. Teaching encompasses general civil law, arbitration law, UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), patent law, and unfair competition law through structured coursework.

The junior professorship receives dedicated funding from the Interdisciplinary Center for Intellectual Property (IZG) at the University of Mannheim, which she directs as part of her institutional leadership role.