Consultation in commercial law goes well beyond consultation in corporate, trade or liability law: the protection of intangible assets is also becoming increasingly important from an economic standpoint. When protecting intellectual property and competitive positions is oftentimes already difficult on a national level, the registration, administration and defence of protective rights internationally is no easier. The same applies for protecting reputation.

Here, “protection” in the area of IP means the initial protection of ideas and, if applicable, inventions which are capable of protection but also the defence of IP values from undue interference – in copyright law but also in trademark or patent law. For this reason, we particularly support businesses from German-speaking regions and Italy in intellectual property law. For example, we have helped clients register trademarks, patent designs, industrial designs and copyrights. We represent clients before agencies and authorities in Italy as well as before the European and international trademark and patent offices and authorities. In addition to actively protecting industrial property rights, we also support clients with reviewing and drafting copyright, trademark, design and patent licence agreements as well as other assignment agreements. And if the infringement of IP rights and claims resulting therefrom are at issue, it is a given that we effectively represent clients in all areas of intellectual property rights and industrial property protection in Italy and throughout Europe.

Besides intellectual property, in the international economic environment the protection of competition is an aspect of commercial law advice for businesses which continues to grow in importance – also in respect to advising and representing foreign businesses in competition and antitrust law in Italy. In addition to detailed consultation in connection with facts relevant to competition, this includes representation before national and European competition authorities, representation before national and European courts and, not least, criminal defence in investigative and criminal proceedings in the criminal commercial law context.

Our consulting services complement consulting and support in press and media law affairs. In this area we support business on the one hand, for example in connection with reporting which is damaging to reputation and which does not fall under the scope of protection of trademark law or competition law (so-called publicity rights of a business). On the other hand, however, we also stand at the sides of businesses and private individuals who are in the public limelight, both out-of-court and in court, for example in the case of violations of the right of personality within the scope of photographic reporting.