Kristina Ehle

Kristina has more than 20 years of experience advising clients across many industries, including the IT, digital media, and mobility and consumer electronics industries, with a particular focus on technology-driven and IP‑heavy transactions. Her legal practice focuses on copyright issues, matters relating to the development, licensing, and use of software, cloud platforms and digital services (such as SaaS, product-embedded software, TV, music, movie, and gaming offerings), and consumer protection law. She also advises clients in the digital transformation of their business structures and processes, including implementing new technologies such as AI, robotics, new mobility/automotive solutions, distributed-ledger technology, and on the use of open-source software and data.

Kristina regularly drafts and negotiates a wide variety of complex transactions, including:

• Software development and licensing agreements
• SaaS B2B and B2C terms of service
• Digital content licensing and acquisition agreements (including music, TV-channels, VOD, and video games)
• Joint development and cooperation agreements
• IT outsourcing agreements
• Contracts along the supply and distribution chain for goods and services

Her clients range from startups to large international corporations based in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Clients appreciate her extensive experience in complex cross-border contract negotiations. In addition, she advises clients on questions regarding liability for defects in software and hardware products. Kristina routinely provides intellectual property and commercial law advice in corporate transactions.

Kristina is a frequent speaker and writer on legal matters regarding IT, digital services, and intellectual property law topics.

Prior to joining MoFo, Kristina worked as in-house counsel at Bertelsmann Music Group, as head of eBay Group’s contract department in Germany, and as a lawyer at the Berlin office of a large international law firm.

Kristina is a partner at Morrison Foerster’s LA and Berlin office.

Representative Experience

• DocuSign, Inc. on customer and reseller agreements for its eSignature cloud services in Germany (e.g., with Deutsche Telekom).
• enercity AG on cloud platform as well as software development and licensing agreements, for a digital sales and customer platform.
• QNX, a Blackberry subsidiary, on software licensing and joint development agreements with a Tier 1 automotive supplier.
• SoftBank Vision Fund on its approximately EUR 460m investment in online platform Auto1 Group—one of the largest venture capital transactions in German history.
• TDK and its subsidiary EPCOS on an IT carve-out for all IT infrastructure services and applications required for the establishment of a joint venture with Qualcomm.
• Tele Columbus on agreements for the set-up and maintenance of a technical platform (including hard- and software supply) for advanced TV services (linear TV and Video on Demand).
• United Internet/1&1 on the development of its integrated IPTV and video-on-demand product “1&1 Digital TV” for the provision of TV and VoD contents of third-party providers.