Leaders Directory
WIPR Leaders is a one-stop guide to the leading IP practitioners in the world. The handbook lists over 2,500 lawyers across patent, trademark, and copyright practices. Following an extensive nomination period, our research team vetted the nominated lawyers for suitability by exploring their work. This meant looking at practice history, industry expertise and notable cases, as well as any additional activities, such as writing and teaching responsibilities, which have allowed the lawyers to shape and influence other and future IP practitioners.
Featured Leaders
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Partner Rob Rodrigues manages high-stakes business and intellectual property disputes in Brazil. He assists FORTUNE 500 companies and startups in matters requiring complex technical ability with strategic approach. Rob is managing patent portfolios of the largest life sciences and telecommunications companies in the planet. His understanding of the Brazilian market makes him a “go-to” lawyer when dealing with enforcement measures. Rob is an experienced attorney and acts as lead counsel in several preliminary injunction proceedings and patent trials. In addition, Rob assists clients with the largest transactions involving IP assets. His litigation-oriented mindset adds value when managing cross border risks. His clients praise his technical skills, his ability to perform under pressure and his outstanding leadership in the local community. He has also published articles in technology law journals around the world and is currently an editor of the Kluwer Patent Blog. Licks Attorneys
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Partner Henry Gabathuler is a partner in the Patent and Litigation Practice Group at Leason Ellis, where he counsels clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies on all aspects of patent prosecution, litigation, and intellectual property portfolio development and licensing. Henry is a registered patent attorney and has extensive experience securing patent protection in the U.S. and worldwide. He also handles patent, trademark, copyright, antitrust and general business litigation matters, at both the district court and appellate court levels and often in a leading role. He counsels clients in a variety of industries including computer hardware and software, oil and gas, consumer electronics, telecommunications and medical technologies. Leason Ellis LLP
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Partner/Attorney at Law/Trademark Agent As a partner and director of the international trademark department of Unitalen Attorneys at Law, Lei (Ray) Zhao has accumulated extensive practical experience in trademark prosecution and IP enforcement.
Zhao works as a legal consultant providing IP services for many listed companies, famous domestic companies, public figures and multinational clients in litigation and non-litigation cases regarding patents, trademarks, unfair competition, trade secrets, domain names and network infringements.
He also counsels clients on IP strategy and IP infringement issues. Unitalen Attorneys At Law
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Partner and Patent Attorney In his activity as patent attorney, Jan works in the fields of materials science and basic industry (metallurgy, metal processing, ceramics, glass, building materials, plastics processing, industrial furnace design),as well as the technical sector in General and inorganic chemistry. In legal matters Jan has a special interest in contract law, in particular licensing and legal purchase agreements. He also has extensive dealings in opposition, nullity and infringement proceedings.
As a German Patent attorney and as well as a European Patent Trade mark and Design Attorney of course another field of interest is trade mark and design/model law.
Jan has many years of experience in the field of industrial property protection (since 1996). He completed his training in a patent and legal attorneys’ office, in the German Patent and Trade mark Office and at the German Federal Patent Court. Afterwards Jan worked in a Munich attorneys’ office before becoming a co-founder of a Munich patent and legal attorneys’ office in 2002.
In 2013 Jan became founding Partner of Patronus IP in Munich. From March 1 he's Partner at HGF Europe LLP.
Prior to training as a patent attorney, Jan studied Material Sciences at the Technical University of Clausthal. In the course of the studies he gained experience in the glass industry, the cement and construction materials industry, and the refractory industry. HGF
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Chief International Marketing & Development Officer, Vice President Vice President, Licensing & Litigation Management
Chief International Development and Marketing Officer
Purplevine IP Group
China Purplevine IP Group
Women In IP
Partner Ashley has been practicing Chinese IP law since 2005 and was admitted to the PRC Bar in 2008. She is regularly involved in both contentious and non-contentious IP matters, specialising in trademark, copyright, domain name, Internet law and anti-unfair competition matters. Ashley has extensive experience before the China Trademark Office and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board. Her client base includes international corporations from a wide range of industries. Ashley handles intellectual property transactions and licensing, as well as regulatory matters that affect a brand owner’s business operations in mainland China. She provides advice on domain name disputes, IP strategy and IPR enforcement with regards to online take-downs, AIC raid actions and litigation in China. AWA Asia Ltd
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Partner Simon Bradbury is a partner at Appleyard Lees, focusing on patents in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors. His broad expertise includes artificial intelligence and machine learning in drug discovery, medical devices, and microbiology. He has advised clients in matters relating to oppositions, appeals, infringement, revocations, and invalidity actions. His clients include large multinationals as well as startup companies. Appleyard Lees
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Partner Christian W. Appelt focuses on the counselling of SMEs in Germany and Europe in all aspects of intellectual property, especially patents and utility models, and on representing and advising large, internationally active companies, especially from Japan, China and the US. He has been a member of the Board of the German chapter of LES since 2010, acting as President from 2018 to 2020, and now being member of the Advisory Board of LES Germany. He represents his clients at the German patent authorities and courts, as well as at the European Patent Office (EPO) and at the UPC. Boehmert & Boehmert
Women In IP
Managing partner Laura Collada has more than 30 years’ experience in IP and is a managing partner at Dumont, where she has worked since 2000. She has taught copyright and industrial property law at various universities in Mexico City. She also worked as a director of the sub-office for the prevention of unfair competition at the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.
Collada focuses her practice in the areas of fashion, media and telecommunications. She has written for World IP Review and is a member of INTA, Marques, AIPPI and ECTA. Dumont Bergman Bider & Co
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Women In IP
Founding Partner Ozlem Futman has broad experience in effectively managing IP portfolios for some of the most recognisable national and international companies operating in Turkey. She is an IP litigator, trademark and patent attorney and European patent attorney who has more than 20 years' experience practising IP law. She founded Ofo Ventura in 2004, which comprises an all-female team of partners, senior lawyers and senior trademark and patent attorneys who provide legal support and assistance on a full range of IP services including litigation, enforcement, prosecution, counselling and on non-contentious matters.
Her clients span all industries including cosmetics, fashion, food, entertainment, publishing, online games and certification companies. She is one of the few leading experts in geographical indications in Turkey and has been a member of Marques GI team for almost eight years. Ofo Ventura
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Partner Henry Gabathuler is a partner in the Patent and Litigation Practice Group at Leason Ellis, where he counsels clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies on all aspects of patent prosecution, litigation, and intellectual property portfolio development and licensing. Henry is a registered patent attorney and has extensive experience securing patent protection in the U.S. and worldwide. He also handles patent, trademark, copyright, antitrust and general business litigation matters, at both the district court and appellate court levels and often in a leading role. He counsels clients in a variety of industries including computer hardware and software, oil and gas, consumer electronics, telecommunications and medical technologies. Leason Ellis LLP
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Partner | Patent Attorney Janice is the chairperson of the patent department at Adams & Adams, a partner and patent attorney, and holds a master’s degree in commercial law.
As head of the department responsible for the largest patent portfolio in South Africa, Janice promotes best management practices. She has recruited and trained a team, representative of the South African demographic, working for Fortune 500 clients, and counts amongst her achievements the upskilling of previously disadvantaged staff and of secretarial trainees (from the Adams & Adams training school) to occupy vital positions within her team, engendering empowerment, and championing diversity. Adams & Adams
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Partner | Trade Mark Attorney Sajidha is a partner and trademark attorney in Adams & Adams’s Trademark Department. She graduated with a BA(Hons) and LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2007. She practices in the Trademark Prosecution Department and specialises in clearance searches, all aspects of trademark registration and portfolio management. She advises clients from a wide range of industries. Sajidha is a member of the Law Society of the Legal Practice Council and a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property. Adams & Adams
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Partner and Patent Attorney Bernhard's main focus lies in the drafting and handling of patents in the areas of electric engineering, software inventions as well as devices for biotechnology and optics. Furthermore he possesses great experience in opposition cases and IP litigation cases as well as trade mark protection.
Bernhard studied Applied Physics at the Technical University of Munich. He has been in the IP business since 1990. He was accredited as a German Patent Attorney in 1994 and in the same year also qualified as a European Patent Attorney.
He has made his name as a specialist legal author with, amongst others, with the article “Patent situation in the field of DNA chip technology in Europe” (which appeared in no. 12/2000 of medgen, the journal of the German Association for Human Genetics) and the articles “Is the core theory once again topical?” (which appeared in the Transactions of German Patent Attorneys in December 2003) and "G 1/19: Did this decision surprise us?" (which appeared in the Transactions of German Patent Attorneys in December 2019), both dealing with German case law in respect of software inventions. The first article was cited by the Enlarged Board of Appeal in the fundamental decision (G 03/08) relating to computer implemented inventions. He regularly gives lectures on different topics in IP law.
Bernhard is a member of the Licensing Executive Society (LES), GRUR and the European Patent Experts Exchange (EuPEX). HGF
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Partner Mel Garner chairs the Japan practice group at Leason Ellis, which focuses on providing patent and trademark services for Japanese companies and firms. It includes native Japanese speakers which allows clients to communicate with the firm in Japanese. Garner also represents US clients in patent prosecution and patent and trade secret litigation. Garner is a former president of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He has been an expert witness in over 20 cases and is on the Executive Committee of the Hon. William C Conner Inn of Court. Leason Ellis LLP
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Partner & Trade Mark Attorney Nolwazi is a partner and trade mark attorney with over twenty years post qualification experience in the field of trade mark law. She has in the past focused in trademarks and copyright litigation including passing-off and unlawful competition. She advised clients from divergent industries from fashion and luxury goods, hospitality, fast moving consumer goods, sports, and automotive, to name but a few.
Currently, Nolwazi heads up the firm’s trade mark renewals. Adams & Adams