Team
A committed team of IP experts who speak your language
The Synergy IP team combines deep scientific and R&D expertise in the pharmaceutical, medical and biotechnology fields with extensive IP experience gained at leading private law firms as well as in-house patent departments.
Karsten Cremer
Founder & Managing Partner
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Pharmaceutics
Lily Ackerman
Senior Associate
US Patent Attorney & Attorney at Law
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Chemistry
Xiao Yin Mak
Senior Associate
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Organic Chemistry
Alexander Albrecht
Senior Associate / Of Counsel
European & German Patent Attorney
UPC Representative
PhD in Chemistry
Katrin Steiner
Senior Associate
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Pharmaceutics
Christian Köster
Of Counsel
European & German Patent Attorney
UPC Representative
PhD in Chemistry
Barbara Guggenmos
Of Counsel
Attorney at Law
MSc in Chemistry
Sam Sokhansanj
Of Counsel
US Patent Attorney & Attorney at Law
MSc in Electrical Engineering
MSc in Biomedical Engineering
Andreas Blecha
Of Counsel
European & German Patent Attorney
PhD in Molecular Biology
& Biochemistry
Karsten Cremer
Founder & Managing Partner
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Pharmaceutics (Heidelberg University)
Licensed Pharmacist (Germany)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceuticals • Drug delivery • Drug product design • Nanoparticle technologies • Cell & gene therapy • Biologics • Diagnostics • Medical devices
IP strategy • Invention capture • IP portfolio management • Patent drafting • Freedom-to-operate • Patent oppositions • Patent validity opinions • Litigation support • IP-related agreements • IP due diligence
Karsten Cremer brings over 25 years of experience spanning intellectual property, pharmaceutical development, and innovation lifecycle management.
He has held senior roles in industry and academia, including Head of IP at Activaero GmbH, Director of Oral Drug Delivery at LTS Lohmann Therapy Systems, CEO of Capsulution NanoScience AG, and Lecturer in Pharmaceutics at the University of Marburg
Karsten is also actively involved with the International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology (APV) where he founded and chaired the Drug Delivery Focus Group, and with the Controlled Release Society (CRS) where he served as a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors and as President of the German Chapter.
Lily Ackerman
Senior Associate
Qualifications
United States Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
Attorney at Law (California), J.D.
PhD in Chemistry (California Institute of Technology)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceuticals • Life Sciences • Chemistry • Catalysis • Polymers • Biologics • Medical devices • Diagnostics • Oncology • Digital Therapeutics
Invention capture • Patentability analysis • Patent drafting & prosecution • IP strategy & portfolio lifecycle management • Freedom-to-operate • Patent infringement analysis • Patent validity opinions • IP-related agreements and licensing • IP due diligence
A member of the Synergy IP Team since 2019
Lily has more than 15 years of experience in intellectual property law, including previous roles at Morrison & Foerster LLP and at Genentech, Inc. / F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Lily represents clients before the USPTO and the EPO and advises start-ups on IP strategy and portfolio management throughtout their lifecicle, from formation through acquisition.
Lily established and leads Synergy IP Group’s US practice.
Xiao Yin Mak
Senior Associate
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
Postgraduate Certificate in IP (Bournemouth University)
PhD in Chemistry (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
BS in Biochemistry (University of Rochester)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceutical Formulations • Medicinal Chemistry • Life sciences • Continuous flow • Medical Devices • Biotech
Invention capture • Patent drafting • Patent prosecution • IP strategy and portfolio management • Patent validity opinions • Freedom-to-operate
A member of the Synergy IP team since 2011
Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in intellectual property, Xiao Yin advises clients on the protection and strategic development of pharmaceutical and life sciences innovations. Her practice includes the design and implementation of global filing and prosecution strategies and portfolio optimization throughout the product lifecycle.
Xiao Yin also manages and oversees the administrative and filing practices at Synergy IP.
Alexander Albrecht
Senior Associate
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
German Patent Attorney (Of Counsel)
UPC Representative
PhD in Chemistry (Philipps University of Marburg)
Practice Areas
Biochemistry • Chemistry • Life sciences • Pharmaceuticals • Sequencing technologies • Diagnostics (Biomarkers) • Medical devices
Patent drafting • Patent prosecution • Invention capture • IP Portfolio management • Freedom-to-operate • Patent oppositions • Patent validity opinions • Trademark filing and prosecution • Designs
A member of the Synergy IP Team since 2016
Alexander advises clients on the protection and management of intellectual property across a broad range of biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovations. He has particular expertise advising clients on the prosecution of second medical use patent applications with a focus on dosage regimens, personalised medicine, and medical device-related technologies.
Alexander maintains an individual law office as a German Patent Attorney and handles trademark and design matters for Synergy IP as Of Counsel at Synergy IP.
Katrin Steiner
Senior Associate
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology (Freie Universität Berlin)
Licensed Pharmacist (Germany)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceuticals • Life sciences • Drug delivery technologies• Medical devices • Processing technologies • Food chemistry
Patent drafting • Patent prosecution • Invention capture • IP portfolio management • Freedom-to-operate • Patent landscaping • Patent oppositions • Patent validity opinions
A member of the Synergy IP Team since 2011
Katrin has over 15 years of experience in intellectual property and advises clients across a diverse range of pharmaceutical technologies and medtech innovations, in particular in oral drug formulations and in the respiratory field. She has extensive experience in running patent landscaping studies and conducting freedom-to-operate projects.
Katrin is also active in pharmacist community and volunteers for the Berlin chapter of Apotheker Ohne Grenzen (Pharmacists without Borders).
Christian Köster
Of Counsel
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
German Patent Attorney
UPC Representative
Master of Laws, LL.M (FernUniversität Hagen)
Patent Litigation Diploma (University of Strasbourg)
PhD in Chemistry (Universities of Münster, Edinburgh & UC Berkeley)
Practice Areas
Greentech • Material science • Polymer chemistry • Catalysis • Electrochemistry • Medical devices • Computer Implemented inventions
Patent drafting • Patent prosecution • Opposition • Appeals • Patent litigation • Revocation actions • Patent validity opinions • Patent infringement opinions • Freedom-to-operate
A member of the Synergy IP Team since 2024
Christian brings more than 20 years of experience in European patent law to the team, joining Synergy IP as Of Counsel after working with several leading patent law firms in Munich. He has extensive experience representing clients on contentious proceedings such as EPO opposition and appeal cases, as well as infringement and nullity actions before the German courts.
He is the author of a practical guide, GreenTech Patenting in Europe (2026), and regularly gives talks (e.g. at FORUM), and publishes in international journals on subjects relating to patent law. He is also an active member of EPLIT (European Patent Litigators Association), having served two terms as a board member.
As a German Patent Attorney, Christian maintains an individual law office.
Barbara Guggenmos
Of Counsel
Qualifications
Attorney at Law (Germany)
MSc in Chemistry (Technical University of Munich)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceuticals • Chemistry • Medical devices • Consumer products
Trademark search • Trademark registrability assessments • Trademark filing & prosecution • Design filing & prosecution • Trademark oppositions • Trademark cancellations • Trademark dispute resolution • Negotiating & drafting coexistence agreements
A member of the Synergy IP team since 2017
Barbara has more than 20 years of professional experience in IP. Her main field is in trademark and design law, with a special focus on pharmaceutical products. She regularly advises and represents clients on global trademark filing strategies.
As a German attorney at law, Barbara maintains an individual law office.
Sam Sokhansanj
Of Counsel
Qualifications
US Patent Attorney
Attorney at Law (Texas), J.D.
MSc in Electrical Engineering (Southern Methodist University)
MSc in Biomedical Engineering (UT Southwestern Medical Center)
BSc in Mechanical Engineering (Texas Tech University)
Practice Areas
Mechanical devices • Electrical & Communication systems • Software • Web Services • Mobile Apps • Biomedical devices • Consumer products • Nutritional products •
Patent prosecution • Patent drafting • IP portfolio development • Freedom-to-operate • Patent Infringement opinions • Patent validity opinions •
Based in the US, Sam has over 18 years of experience in IP law and has successfully prosecuted utility and design patents to issuance in a diverse range of technologies and industries.
He also worked as a former contract Patent Examiner for the USPTO, where he conducted searches and provided written reports on patentability in various arts.
Andreas Blecha
Of Counsel
Qualifications
European Patent Attorney
German Patent Attorney
PhD Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (University of Dresden)
Practice Areas
Pharmaceuticals • Life Sciences • Biochemistry • Medical Devices
Patent filing & prosecution • Patent Litigation • License Agreements • SPC • Freedom-to-operate • Inventor Law
Andreas brings experience from both private practice and industry, having trained at a leading Munich patent law firm and with more than 13 years as an in-house patent counsel (Sandoz, Austria).
Andreas has also advised clients in Germany and Austria on various aspects of inventor law. He has also mentored and trained scientists towards qualification as European Patent Attorneys.
As a German Patent Attorney, Andreas maintains an individual law office.