Intellectual property
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Hall of fameHomburger
Partner. Georg Rauber headed the Homburger IP / IT practice and continues heading the Homburger TMT practice. Further, Georg is sponsoring partner of the Homburger TechGroup. Main areas of work include IT related transactions, software distribution, IT and business process outsourcing, general intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights), licensing and technology transfer, sports and entertainment and telecommunications. In all areas: transactional and contentious work.
Hall of fameMLL Legal
Michael Ritscher is recognised as one of the most experienced and esteemed IP litigators and arbitrators in Switzerland, and beyond. Michael Ritscher heads MLL’s IP group. He has extensive practise in advising and representing clients from a broad variety of sectors, including life sciences, luxury goods and retail. Michael Ritscher is often at the forefront of precedent-setting cases. He is a reference for companies which regularly seek his support to handle their cross-border contentious affairs involving Swiss, EU and international law. Michael Ritscher appears as an opinion leader in his field in client and peer feedback ratings.
Hall of fameBaker McKenzie Switzerland AG
Michael Treis is Senior Counsel with the Firm's Intellectual Property Team in Switzerland. He advises on all aspects of IP protection and acts for companies before the Swiss courts. Michael has written on numerous related issues and has taught IP law at the University of St. Gallen. He began his career as an IP attorney of Baker McKenzie in 1989 and built up its Swiss IP practice from 1993 - 2022. He is ranked by Chambers Global and Legal 500 as a leading IP attorney in Switzerland.
Michael has a wide range of experience in trademark, copyright, design and unfair competition issues and his practice covers IP advisory, prosecution and litigation. He advises a range of Swiss and global clients such as Apple, BAT, Dior and LVMH.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Valfor Attorneys-at-law
Christoph Gasser (Dr. iur. (Bern); LLM (Michigan)) is a partner and the head of the firm's IP/TMT department. His long-standing practice includes advice and litigation in all areas of intellectual property and information technology law as well as trademark and design prosecution. Christoph Gasser is the executive secretary of the Swiss IP association INGRES (Institut für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz). He also serves as an adjunct judge at the Swiss Federal Patent Court, a court expert, and an expert examiner for the Swiss Patent Bar examination. Moreover, he is a frequent conference speaker and has written substantial publications on intellectual property law.
Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd
Philipp Groz is a Partner in Schellenberg Wittmer's Intellectual Property and Dispute Resolution Groups. He represents clients in litigation before Swiss courts and in international arbitrations, and also sits as an arbitrator. He specializes in the fields of intellectual property, unfair competition, licensing and distribution and also advises clients on non-contentious matters in these fields. Philipp also assists clients in regulatory matters, particularly concerning life sciences, foods and consumer goods.
Experience:
Represented pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in various international arbitrations arising out of licensing and/or distribution agreements
Represented medical device manufacturer in patent entitlement dispute before the Swiss Federal Patent Court
Acted as counsel to telecommunication companies in various unfair competition proceedings before Swiss courts and authorities
Advised consumer goods companies on various aspects of Swiss regulatory law (such as advertising, labeling, product liability, product recalls)
Homburger
Partner, member of Homburger's IP / IT, Litigation & Arbitration and Competition & Regulatory practice teams. Main areas of work include patent and other intellectual property rights litigation and arbitration in a broad range of technical and industrial fields and within international contexts, as well as in negotiating and drafting intellectual property rights related contracts.
MLL Legal
Simon Holzer heads the firm’s Patent and Life Sciences team. He has extensive experience in all areas of IP law, with a focus on patents, trademarks and geographical indications. He has substantial experience in a wide range of industries and technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecommunications, software and foodstuffs. Simon Holzer is also a trusted advisor in pharmaceutical regulatory law. He represents and advises clients in litigation, IP-related arbitration as well as contractual matters concerning in particular technology transfer, licensing and distribution. In 2010 the Swiss parliament appointed Simon Holzer as part-time judge of the Federal Patent Court.
Baker McKenzie Switzerland AG
Eva-Maria Strobel is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Zurich office. She co-Chairs the Firm's global IP, Technology and Data Practice Group and heads the Swiss IP, Technology and Data team. Eva-Maria is admitted to the bars in Switzerland and Germany and worked in the Firm's Frankfurt office prior to relocating to Zurich. Legal 500, Chambers, WIPR, Managing IP and WTR 1000 praise Eva-Maria as one of the leading trademark lawyers in Switzerland.
Eva-Maria focuses on the development of intellectual property strategies to procure, protect and commercialize her domestic and multinational client's intangible assets and to grow the return on investment. She conducts IP portfolio audits, tailors trademark and design clearances, manages large global trademark and design portfolios and represents clients in IP related enforcement, litigation and in relation to governmental administrations. Eva-Maria also supports her clients on the implementation of business decisions, licensing, and contracting to maximize economic returns. She advises clients in luxury goods, cosmetics and foods and beverages industries as well as in the healthcare sector on a whole host of regulatory issues relevant to the industry, with a particular focus on marketing and advertising.
She has been complimented by clients who have said that she "walks the extra mile and thinks outside the box to achieve the best results for her clients." Eva-Maria is an active member of INTA's Unreal Campaign Committee, Marques' Regulatory Team and ECTA's Law Committee.
Times Attorneys
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Homburger
Partner. Luca Dal Molin specializes in intellectual property, technology and privacy law. He advises clients on all kinds of technology and IT matters, outsourcing projects and IP transactions and he has broad experience in privacy, data protection and telecommunication law. He regularly advises tech companies and supports the implementation of innovative technology and digitalization strategies. Further, he focuses on copyright, trademark, patent and media law. In all areas of his practice, he represents clients in litigation and regulatory proceedings.
Pestalozzi
Lara Dorigo is partner and heads the Intellectual Property group at Pestalozzi. She has profound experience in every field of intellectual property law with a particular affinity for technology-related issues. Her practice focuses on IP enforcement and defence, technology transfer agreements and branding strategies.
Lara is a passionate IP litigator and licensing specialist. She has extensive experience with pharmaceutical and biologics patent litigation before courts and arbitral tribunals, including disputes regarding small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, biosimilars, immunotherapies, diagnostics and SPCs. Lara also handles cases in the fields of medtech, chemistry and mechanics and she equally enjoys acting in trademark, copyright and unfair competition litigation.
In addition, Lara advises clients on branding strategies, parallel import and grey market issues, selective distribution agreements and entertainment law. She provides transactional and legal support to her clients on licensing, R&D agreements, and other sorts of technology transfer agreements and issues, and she advises on life sciences regulatory matters.
Lara is also a non-permanent judge of the Federal Patent Court. She is the author of many publications and a frequent speaker on IP and licensing topics.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd
Adrienne Hennemann is a Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property Group in Zurich. Her main areas of practice are domestic and international commercial litigation and arbitration. She also advises on regulatory issues in various fields. Before joining Schellenberg Wittmer, she worked as a Law Clerk at the Commercial Court of the Canton of Zurich handling various types of disputes at all procedural stages, mainly relating to contract law, all kind of shareholder disputes, trademark and unfair competition law. She has profound expertise in procedural law and also acts as a Substitute Judge at various District Courts.
HOUSE attorneys
Melina represents domestic and international clients in intellectual property and commercial litigation proceedings before Swiss courts and administrative bodies.With an affinity for trademark and unfair competition issues, she has experience in advising clients in developing IP strategies and negotiating/drafting IP and technology-related contracts such as licensing, R&D and technology transfer, film production, endorsement and IT-related agreements.
Comparative Guides
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Comparative Guides
Switzerland: Patent Litigation
Switzerland
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