Speakers
Hannes Burger, managing partner, Anwälte Burger und Partner
Dr. Hannes Burger is the Managing and Founding Partner of ABP, established in 2008, and one of Europe’s few dual‑qualified practitioners admitted both as an Attorney-at-Law (Austria and Munich Bar Association) and as a European Patent Attorney. With nearly twenty years of experience in cross‑border IP litigation and enforcement, he advises clients across sectors ranging from mechanical engineering and medical devices to chemicals and biotech. He is Austria’s first Attorney-at-Law to also qualify before the European Patent Office.
A registered UPC representative, Dr. Burger is widely recognised for his expertise at the intersection of IP, software, and AI. He serves as domain expert for patentbutler.AI and has played a central role in the development of the AI-driven systems uptoIP® and Patent Butler, a collaboration between uptoIP GmbH and IBM. His work has earned him repeated recognition in leading international IP rankings.
Dr. Burger contributes to the next generation of IP professionals as a co‑examiner at CEIPI (University of Strasbourg) and represented Austria at the AIPPI study committee on AI and copyright at the 2025 Yokohama Congress. He is a frequent speaker at major industry events, including IP Service World 2025 in Munich, IBM Think 2024 in Boston, and Bitkom 2024 in Berlin, and has been a regular participant at the INTA Annual Meeting for several years.
Francisco Castro, sr. research editor, Legal 500
Francisco joined Legal 500 in August 2022 and is a member of the GC Portfolio editorial team. In this role, he researches, interviews, and develops editorial content featuring some of the world’s most accomplished in-house counsel and legal leaders.
Beyond his editorial responsibilities, Francisco regularly hosts conferences, publication launches, roundtables, webinars, and one-to-one interviews across a range of international markets, facilitating discussions on the key issues shaping the in-house legal profession. He has also contributed extensively to Legal 500’s webinar series, helping deliver expert insights and thought leadership through engaging digital platforms.
Prior to joining Legal 500, Francisco gained significant research experience in Public Policy, Higher Education, and International Law. His wider academic interests include International Relations, Geopolitics, and International Humanitarian Law. He is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.