Project Legal Counsel & Mediator - bridging law, FOSS and conflict resolution

With over experience as a legal advisor in internationally operating industrial and service companies, public institutions, and in the legal support of non-profit organizations, my focus lies on open source / free software, compliance, international contract law, project management and conflict resolution.
Since 2017, I have been working independently with a focus on FOSS compliance and mediation in the open source environment. I support companies and organizations in implementing licensing requirements in a legally compliant way and in resolving conflicts between teams, communities, and project stakeholders in a constructive manner - both through continuous advisory support and ad hoc mediation.

Core competencies:

• OSS/FOSS License Compliance
• Project / interim legal counsel on open source and FOSS-related matters
• International contract review and drafting, FOSS-related agreements
• Conflict resolution between teams, communities, and project stakeholders in the FOSS environment
• Creative problem-solving and constructive conflict management
• Remote and international collaboration (German, English, Spanish)
• Establishment of FOSS governance structures and policies for conflict prevention

Since 2025, I have been contributing to the Licensing and Compliance Team of the Free Software Foundation as part of the “Working Together for Free Software” initiative.

For technical matters, I collaborate with GRUBER WEBSERVICES who has over of experience in developing tailored Linux solutions and web applications through the (further) development of free and open source software, in order to connect legal and technical perspectives.

My purpose - and why FOSS compliance and mediation for FOSS projects?
As a user of free software with nearly 20 years of experience, I deeply value the benefits of free software. At the same time, I am inspired by the principles and spirit behind free software, in particular the idea of freedom. This understanding motivates me to actively contribute to the further adoption and development of free software. For me, fair use of free software requires both compliance with license obligations and a strong team culture. Respecting license terms is an expression of IT fairness and awareness, while respectful collaboration within teams is equally essential for the success of FOSS projects.
Through my work and expertise, I support companies and organizations in living these values, working fairly and sustainably with FOSS, addressing legal and interpersonal challenges, and fostering sustainable collaboration through creative problem-solving.
My goal is to combine legal expertise and mediation in order to create robust, fair, and conflict-resilient solutions in FOSS projects - enabling sustainable collaboration, digital sovereignty, and a respectful team culture.