Studies at the Westfälische-Wilhelms University Münster in the subjects of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and physical chemistry, Diploma 1984. Doctorate in 1987 supervised by Prof. Dr. Burchard Franck specializing in organic chemistry, further doctorate subjects pharmacology and inorganic chemistry.

Legal training from 1987–1991 in the patent department of Kali-Chemie AG/Solvay Deutschland GmbH, European Patent Attorney since 1991, 1992 training at the German Patent and Trademark Office and the German Patent Court, German Patent Attorney Qualification (“Patentassessor”) in 1993, internship in US IP-law firm in 2005 (3 months), CEIPI/Université de Strasbourg (Frankreich) 2011-2012, Diplôme D‘Université ”D’Étude Supérieure Sur Le Contentieux Des Brevets En Europe“ (Patent Litigation in Europe), German Patent Attorney since 2011.

From 2002–2010 worldwide leaderhip of the department Global Intellectual Property & Scientific Information (with sites in BE, DE, FR, NL) and from 2008-2010 Sr. Vice President at Solvay Pharmaceuticals (subsidiary of Belgian Solvay S.A.).

From 1996-2018 he served as CEIPI tutor for preparing IP professionals for the European Qualifying Examination, from 2004–2006 he was member of the Examination Committee for Patent Attorneys (Germany).