Specialist translator in the field of Intellectual Property

Also experienced in translating terms and conditions of business, contracts and agreements, audit reports, management reports and annual financial statements

Native speaker of British English
Able to use US spelling and date form upon request, as well as some US terminology

Accepting inter alia assignments of the following types:


1. DE-EN trademark and patent litigation
2. DE-EN terms and conditions of business
3. DE-EN contracts and agreements
4. DE-EN annual accounts, management reports
5. DE-EN company formation documentation
6. DE-EN real estate (leases, etc.)
7. Various types of certificates

EN-DE enquiries in the above categories are also welcome, since I am meanwhile in business together with Sebastian Witte, a native speaker of German.




Areas of experience include:

• Court decisions regarding trademarks, patents, domain names and e-commerce
  
• Actions regarding trademarks, patents, domain names and e-commerce
  
• Trademark registration certificates
  
• Trademark renewal certificates
  
• Lists of goods and/or services for trademark applications
  
• Domain name matters, in particular domain name infringement and complaints filed with WIPO
  
• Prior rights and use agreements
  
• Cease and desist undertakings
  
• Notifications from the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA)
  
• Notifications from the Community Trademark Office (OHIM)
  
• Affidavits
  
• Powers of attorney
  
• Agreements and contracts, including Swiss and Austrian agreements
  
• Terms and conditions of business
  
• Annual accounts and related IFRS documentation
  
• Company start-up/takeover documentation
  
• Refinance documentation

Rates available upon enquiry. There are concessions for agencies.

I was employed for over six years by the largest firm of patent and trademark attorneys in Europe (based in Munich), in a fully bilingual German/English environment. It was there that I gained my experience in translating patent and trademark litigation, and thus became a specialist in this field of translation.

I graduated Bachelor of Divinity from Aberdeen University, Scotland, for which I focused on Biblical languages (New Testament Greek, Old Testament Hebrew, and Aramaic). I also studied French and German at university, as well as English language and literature and linguistics.

After graduating, I attended Aberdeen College, where I passed SCOTVEC bilingual secretary exams and London Chamber of Commerce exams, including the subjects of translation, summarising a text, interpreting, composing business letters and oral examinations, in French and German. I passed German with Distinction in Translation and Summary.

Shortly after moving to Germany I translated a book about Saxony-Anhalt, gaining broad experience in the main areas of business, economics, politics, culture and education, as well as translating less technical articles about branches of industry, including many branches of engineering and the energy industries, travel and tourism and the food industry.

For over ten years I have been doing legal translations, in particular all kinds of documentation relating to intellectual property, as detailed above. Outside the IP environment I have accumulated substantial experience in translating contracts, as well as terms and conditions of business and various types of financial documentation, notably audit reports and management reports.

Through translating for Swiss agencies, I have also covered various aspects of banking.

I am familiar with CAT tools, and currently use SDL TRADOS Studio 2009 and 2011 in combination with extensive Multiterm termbases, created from my experience, for all projects. I am particularly interested in terminology management, as well as defining new terminology (e.g. in the case of inventions).

I hold the Diploma in Translation of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, UK, in German to English, having opted for the semi-specialised fields of Business (which I passed with merit) and Law. In preparation, I undertook a correspondence course in German language and literature, through a recognised private institute in Germany. As a result of these combined efforts, I was granted professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

For over 7 years I have been self-employed as a full-time freelance translator and can be easily contacted during regular business hours. Should I be out of the office for an extended period of time, an autoresponder will acknowledge your e-mail and inform you when I will be back.

Under the umbrella of our company Johnson & Witte Partnerschaft (JWSTRANS) established in the Spring of 2011, Sebastian and I can handle specialised texts in the above-mentioned fields in both directions, provide a joint service of translation and proofreading should it be required for compliance with European quality assurance standards, and provide certification of documents.