IP Stars – Managing IP awards Kather Augenstein counsels Dr Benjamin Pesch and Carsten Plaga as Rising Stars 2025

We are delighted our counsels Dr Benjamin Pesch and Carsten Plaga have been named Rising Stars in the latest Managing IP – IP Stars Ranking 2025.

This prestigious award recognises young lawyers who have distinguished themselves through their particular expertise, commitment and sustained success in the field of intellectual property.

Dr Benjamin Pesch has been listed as a Rising Star for the fifth consecutive year – demonstrating his continued excellence in the field of patent law. His focus is on advising national and international clients on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, particularly in the fields of telecommunications and automotive. Accordingly, he has been involved in several major disputes before national courts and the Unified Patent Court in recent years (most recently Panasonic v. Oppo/Xiaomi). Another focus of his work is strategic advice in the area of licence agreements and advising clients in cases of patent applications by unauthorised third parties (vindication). His repeated award underscores his recognised position in the international IP community.

Carsten Plaga has been included in the Rising Star category for the first time this year. He primarily advises on patent law, with a particular focus on proceedings in the fields of technology, pharmaceuticals and life sciences. In addition to his work in patent infringement and nullity proceedings, he impresses with his deep technical understanding and practice-oriented advice of the highest standard.

His inclusion amongst the rankings reflects his growing visibility and the high quality of his work. He has already been involved in numerous proceedings before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and thus has a broad experience in both national patent infringement proceedings and at European level.

With these two awards, Managing IP confirms Kather Augenstein‘s position as a leading boutique for complex and contentious IP proceedings in Germany. The recognition of Dr. Benjamin Pesch and Carsten Plaga impressively demonstrates the professional strength and depth of our team.

We warmly congratulate both of them on this well-deserved award!