Audrey Nickel

German - American

15+ years of experience

Language:

English, German

Present Function:

Monetization of Nokia's patent portfolio, approx. 26,000 patents globally.
Specialization in cellular SEP's. Focus on the 1% most valuable slice of the portfolio, including assertion, coordinating validity defense, and prosecution of pending family members.

General Expertise:

Technical Expertise:

Certifications and/or licenses

CEIPI course on the EPC, 2011.

Professional legal or litigation experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

An experienced patent attorney with over 12 years of practice in high-stakes telecommunications litigation.

For eight years at df-mp, she specialized in the enforcement and defense of cellular standard-essential patents (SEPs), representing clients in complex proceedings before the EPO Opposition Divisions and Boards of Appeal, as well as the German Federal Patent Court (Bundespatentgericht) and key regional courts, including Munich, Mannheim, and Düsseldorf.

She subsequently spent four years at Nokia, where she further expanded her expertise in global SEP litigation. Her work included proceedings before the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal and the German Federal Court of Justice, as well as the strategic preparation and coordination of enforcement actions across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, China, India, Brazil, and Colombia. Alongside this international work, she continued to lead and support opposition and litigation matters before the EPO and German courts.

Professional technical experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

In her role as Senior Patent Counsel at Nokia, she contributed to licensing discussions by providing in-depth technical analysis of patent portfolios, supporting strategic decision-making in complex negotiations.

During her eight years as a patent attorney at df-mp, she also played a key role as a technical expert in mediation contexts, delivering evaluative input such as freedom-to-operate (FTO) opinions and related assessments.

Memberships and/or accreditations

EPI
Patentanwaltskammer, FICPI
AIPLA, CIPLA (Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Assoc.) - approx. 2015-2020
IEEE (approx 2003-2005)

Practical experience of conducting mediation or conciliation or judicial settlement conferences or out-of-court dispute settlements in disputes related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

As Senior Patent Counsel at Nokia, she participated in licensing discussions, providing detailed technical analysis of cellular standard-essential patent (cSEP) portfolios to support strategic negotiation and valuation efforts.

During her eight years as a patent attorney at df-mp, she contributed as an expert in mediation settings, offering evaluative input including freedom-to-operate (FTO) opinions and related technical assessments.