Hans ter Smitten

Born in 1963, Hans ter Smitten is an expert in all fields of production and automotive technology.

Besides patent matters, including representing clients before patent offices and courts, Mr. ter Smitten specialises in all kinds of IP contracts, such as development and license agreements or due diligence procedures in mergers. He is also an expert in all aspects of German employee invention rights.

Mr. ter Smitten studied engineering, focusing on production technology, at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. 

Hans ter Smitten started his patent career at the prominent Dutch patent attorney office "Vereenigte" in 1993 and became a Dutch patent attorney in 1996. In 1998, he moved back to Germany to join the central patent department of Rheinmetall, Düsseldorf, and was a consultant for the four automotive subsidiaries of Rheinmetall. He became a European Patent Attorney in 1999 and a German Patent Attorney in 2002. In 2004, Mr. ter Smitten successfully started a new patent department at one of the Rheinmetall subsidiaries, Pierburg GmbH, as a director of the patent department.

Hans ter Smitten is a member of the Chamber of German Patent Attorneys  and of the Institute of European Patent Attorneys (EPI).