Alexander von Mühlendahl has an impressive career in IP law: It began at the Munich Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law, where he was from 1966 to 1979 (including three years at Northwestern University School of Law). From 1970 he headed the Institute's U.S. Department.

In 1979 Alexander von Mühlendahl joined the German Federal Ministry of Justice. From 1985 until 1994, he was the head of the division for trade mark and unfair competition law. Among the legislation for which he was responsible were amendments to the German Unfair Competition Act, the IP legislation following the unification of Germany in 1990 (the 'Erstreckungsgesetz' of 1992) and the new German Trade Mark Act of 1995. Throughout this period he represented the German government in the negotiations in Brussels on the European trade mark law, as well as in WIPO matters.

In 1994 Alexander von Mühlendahl was appointed as Vice-President of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM), the European Union's trade marks and designs office established in Alicante, Spain. The appointment was renewed in 1999 and 2004 and ended in 2005 when he reached retirement age. His primary responsibilities included all legal matters, such as examination, opposition, cancellation, and also the representation of OHIM in cases before the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.

In November 2005 Alexander v. Mühlendahl joined the Bardehle Pagenberg firm where he focusses on trade mark and design matters, based in Munich and in Alicante.

Alexander von Mühlendahl is a frequent lecturer at national and international seminars and conferences. He teaches post-graduate courses in IP at the University of Strasbourg (CEIPI), at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, at the University of Alicante (Magister Lucentinus), and at the Fernuniversität Hagen.

Alexander von Mühlendahl is Honorary Member of ECTA, the European Communities Trademark Association and Honorary Member of the Hungarian Trademark Association.

Since 1994 Alexander von Mühlendahl has been a member of the Scientific Committee established by the European Commission for the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs and for food specialities; he is member of the Conseil d'administration of CEIPI, Strasbourg; member of the Advisory Board of the Master of Advanced Studies in Intellectual Property at the ETH Zürich; member of the Academic Council of the Magister Lucentinus program of the University of Alicante; member of the Examination Board of Advisors of ACIPP (Arab Certified Intellectual Property Practitioner); member of the Advisory Board of IIC, the International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, member of the Fachbeirat of MarkenR - Zeitschrift für deutsches, europäisches und internationales Kennzeichenrecht. 

Alexander von Mühlendahl is the author (together with Dietrich Ohlgart) of 'Die Gemeinschaftsmarke', a handbook on Community trade mark law, and of numerous articles published in German, English, French, and Spanish.

 

1966-1979	Staff member and from 1970 Head of the U.S. Department of the Max-Planck-Institute for Foreign and International Patent-, Copyright and Competition Law, Munich
1974-1979	Member of the Munich Bar (Rechtsanwalt)
1979-1994	Ministerialrat, since 1985 Head of the Division for Trade Mark Law and the Law of Unfair Competition at the German Ministry of Justice, Bonn
1994-2005	Vice President of the Office for the Harmonisation of the Internal Market (OHIM)

1960-1964	Legal Studies at the Universities of Frankfurt a.M., Marburg and Munich
1964	First State Examination, University of Munich
1967-1970	Northwestern University, Evanston/Chicago Illinois, USA,
	Degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.) and LL.M.
1972	Second State Examination, Munich
1979	Degree of Dr. iur. (summa cum laude), University of Munich

1993-1995	President of the Assembly of the Madrid Union
1994	Chairman of the Budget Committee of WIPO

German, English, French, Spanish