Freshfields consolidates management with new IP/IT head

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Cologne partner Klaus Beucher has taken over from Peter Chrocziel as joint head of global IP and IT, along with London partner Avril Martindale.

Beucher took the reigns as of April 1, when Chrocziel’s term expired.

Chrocziel, the current president of the Licensing Executives Society International, will return to full-time client work in his specialist areas of licensing, multimedia law, trademarks, outsourcing, patent law and competition law.

Martindale will remain in her role as joint global head of the group until her term expires later this year. Marindale and Chrocziel have led the IP and IT team since 2000.

The IP and IT group is among a number of practice groups within Freshfields which are set to transfer to a sole leadership structure this year.

Beucher has been a partner at Freshfields since 1997 and specialises in IT, media and telecommunications law.