Gernot went to school in Nuremberg. Following his mandatory military service, he studied law in Erlangen, Parma and Frankfurt am Main. In the scope of his studies, he reached the UNIcert IV level in Italian (European reference level C2). In his First State Examination in law, he chose the electives commercial, corporate, employment and banking law. His international postgraduate master studies in European and international business law sparked his interest in the protection of intellectual property rights and trademark law in particular. As a trainee lawyer before taking the Second State Examination, Gernot’s work focused on the protection of intellectual property rights and copyright. Gernot was awarded his doctorate in 2006 with a dissertation on the Constituta legis et usus of the city of Pisa, a medieval collection of laws. During his training at the Academy of Experts, Gray's Inn, London, he became a Qualified Dispute Resolver (QDR). 

With his passion for dealing with people and legal sciences, Gernot has kept close ties with the university. He worked as assistant professor at the chair of civil law and medieval and newer history of law. Gernot received a scholarship to join the research training group Legal History and was accepted by the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS).

Since 2007, he has been teaching international business law at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt. In 2010, he also started holding lectures on trademark law at the Goethe University in Frankfurt.

Gernot’s work as a lawyer focuses on consulting and litigation services for medium-sized companies in all fields of intellectual property protection. In addition, he works as a commercial mediator at a national and international level.

Gernot is interested in literature, politics, history and the Italian way of life. He likes to hike and travel.

• Ongoing legal representation of a listed US corporation in all fields of intellectual property rights, copyright, IT, media and press law.
• Representation of a Swiss private bank on all matters surrounding trademark law.
• Representation of various small, medium-sized and large companies from all of Germany in disputes under trademark, competition, patent and copyright law.
• Supporting an international market leader in security technology in protecting its trade secrets under the German Act against Unfair Competition.
• Representation of prominent figures, entrepreneurs and private persons in matters of press and media law, e.g. in connection with the publication of articles or illustrations, damage to their reputation and internet reviews.
• Litigation and advisory services for several lawyers and law firms in disputes under trademark, press, copyright or competition law.
• Representation of and advisory services for a number of companies regarding the protection of trademarks and other proprietary rights, preparation and implementation of protection strategies and portfolio management.
• Representation of one of the largest German universities in two copyright proceedings.
• Representation of and advisory services for several universities and research institutes.
• Representation of several hospital groups, including in competition disputes and press law.
• Representation of a German federal state bank and an energy provider in matters of patent law.
• Representation of an investment company in a trademark dispute with a fund management company.
• Collaboration in disputes under trademark and competition law conducted by major international law firms (“second opinion”).

• Zeichen „Hollywood“ als schutzfähiges Leistungsergebnis, Anm. zu LG München I, Urteil vom 19.5.2016 – 17 HK O 1061/15, GRUR-Prax 2016, 314f.
• Ersteller eines Amazon-Angebots für dessen Inhalt verantwortlich, Anm. zu BGH, Urteil vom 3.3.2016 – I ZR 140/14 (KG), GRUR-Prax 2016, 375f.
• Sperrung einer räumlich beschränkten geschäftlichen Bezeichnung, Anm. zu BGH, Beschluss vom 15.10.2015 – I ZB 44/14 (BPatG), GRUR-Prax 2016, 126f.
• Die Schutzschrift im einstweiligen Rechtsschutz, ZAP Fach 13, 2091ff.
• Wettbewerbsverhältnis zwischen Anlegeranwalt und Anlagegesellschaft und Namensrechtverletzung durch Domainnamen, Anm. zu OLG Frankfurt, Urt. v. 24.09.2015, 6 U 181/14, WRP 2016, 111f.
• Adwords-Werbung mit Einzelmarke für gemischte Trefferliste, Anm. zu OLG München, Beschl. v. 26.10.2015, 29 W 1861/15, GRUR-Prax 2015, 533f.
• Die Vertragsstrafe: Fallstricke bei Vereinbarung und Durchsetzung, WRP 2015, 1196ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Irreführende Bezeichnung eines Einzelhändlers als "Outlet", Anm. z. LG Stuttgart, Urt. v. 31.3.2015, 43 O 1/15 KfH, GRUR-Prax 2015, 307.
• Der Referentenentwurf zur Schutzschriftenregisterverordnung (SRV), GRUR-Prax 2015, 161f.
• Die Antragsfassung bei Unterlassungsklage und Unterlassungsverfügung, JuS 2015, 126ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Zeichenähnlichkeit zwischen Autoglas und United Autoglas, Anm. z. EUG, Urt. v. 16.10.2014, T-297/13, GRUR Prax 2015, 34.
• Unzulässigkeit des Einsatzes der UBER-APP für Mietwagen, Anm. zu LG Berlin, Urt. v. 11.4.2014, 15 O 43/14, GRUR-Prax 2014, 289.
• Anm. zu OLG Karlsruhe, Urteil vom 18. Dezember 2013 – 13 U 162/12: Zulässige Verwendung des Wortes „grün" im Namen einer Wählervereinigung, NJW 2014, 707f. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Unzureichendes Vertragsstrafeversprechen zugunsten Dritter, Anm. zu LG Köln, Urteil vom 20. August 2012 – 33 O 292/12, GRUR-Prax 2014, 94.
• Anwaltsdienstleistungen im Fernabsatz? ZAP Fach 23, 977ff.
• Verwechslungsgefahr zwischen Namensmarken, Anmerkung zu BPatG, Beschluss v. 01.10.2013 - 27 W (pat) 564/12, GRUR-Prax 2013, 537.
• Der Namensschutz politischer Parteien, NJW 2013, 2729ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Besprechung der Entscheidung OLG Frankfurt, Beschl. v. 4. April 2013, 6 W 85/12, WRP 2013, 1073f.
• Export des Gleichnamigenrechts in die Gemeinschaftsrechtsprechung? Markenrecht 2013, 265ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Die Störung der Gleichgewichtslage und das Recht der Gleichnamigen (zugleich Besprechung von BGH, Urt. v. 24. 01. 2013 – I ZR 60/11 – Peek & Cloppenburg III), WRP 2013, 751ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz). 
• Die Grenzen der Zulässigkeit von Gegnerlisten, WRP 2012, 1492ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Auf der Suche nach dem Motiv, Kommentar zu: BGH, Urteil vom 15.12.2011 – I ZR 174/10, K&R 2012, 522ff.
• Das Recht der Gleichnamigen und seine Grenzen, GRUR 2012, 565ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).
• Gegenangriff im einstweiligen Verfügungsverfahren, ZAP Fach 13, 183f.
• Der Kostenerstattungsanspruch des Hinterlegers einer Schutzschrift, WRP 2012, 60ff. (gemeinsam mit M. Arz).