I am a European Patent Attorney and U.S. Attorney at Law helping European companies turn intellectual property into a strategic and economic advantage in the United States. My work focuses on structuring and protecting cross-border IP, designing licensing and transfer-pricing frameworks, and resolving disputes with commercial pragmatism. With experience across both legal systems, I connect legal precision with business insight to guide management teams through the regulatory and economic realities of the U.S. market. My approach integrates IP, tax, and strategy to ensure compliance while unlocking long-term value. I see my role as a trusted advisor who bridges two systems into one coherent transatlantic framework.
Matthias Schuhmacher
Partner at Tautz & Schuhmacher Law
I help European companies navigate and leverage the U.S. IP system.
Washington, D.C., USA
My Focus
My Expertise
Impact of royalty payments on customs duties payable when importing goods into the USA
From August 7, 2025, tariffs or duties of 15% will be payable on imports of goods from the European Union into the United States. The reference value for determining the amount of customs duties to be paid is the customs value of the imported goods. If license fees and royalties are payable on the import of goods, these can significantly increase the customs value and thus the customs duties to be paid. It may therefore be advisable and worthwhile to review license agreements from this perspective and adjust them if necessary.
Read More
What is a Trade Secret in the US?
A trade secret is any information that provides a business with a competitive advantage and is kept confidential. Trade secrets can be a wide variety of information, from formulas and processes to business strategies, customer lists, or software code. They are protected by law as long as the business takes reasonable steps to maintain their secrecy. In the US, trade secret protection is governed by both state laws and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), which was passed in 2016.
Read More
What is an Inter Partes Review (IPR)?
To Inter Partes Review (IPR) is a post-grant procedure conducted by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It allows a third party (usually a challenger) to request a review of the validity of a patent after it has been granted. IPRs are typically used to challenge the patentability of a patent based on prior art (such as prior patents, publications, or other materials) that the challenger believes was not considered during the original examination.
Read More
Where to File Patent Infringement Cases in the US
Patent infringement cases in the United States can be filed in federal courts, and there are specific venues and jurisdictions where these cases can be heard. The location of the filing is important for various strategic, logistical, and legal reasons.
Read More
Offered Services
We advise at the interface between European and U.S. patent law, combining procedural expertise with strategic and economic perspective. Among others our services cover prosecution, enforcement, valuation, and licensing — ensuring that intellectual property is not only protected, but structured for long-term commercial impact.
Visit WebsiteProsecution
We focus on US patent prosecution with a clear understanding of the US and the EP practice. We bridge procedural differences and ensure efficient representation before the USPTO, EPO and GPTO.
Infringement and Post-Grant
We counsel clients on post-grant and infringement proceedings before German and US Courts, ITC, USPTO, UPC, EPO, and GPTO. When disputes span jurisdictions, European and U.S. enforcement strategies are coordinated to achieve consistent and effective outcomes.
Legal Opinions and M&A
We assess intellectual property rights regarding validity, scope, and potential infringement under German, European and US law. Such analyses support freedom-to-operate evaluations, IP due diligence, and strategic portfolio management.
Licensing Programs
We design licensing programs to align legal structure with business objectives. The focus lies on translating intellectual property into sustainable commercial value through clear frameworks and transparent transfer-pricing models.
