We are a specialized law firm for highest quality expectations.
Portrait
We are a Swiss based law firm founded in 2006 and focused on intellectual property and competition law. Our offices are in Berne. Through our tried network of specialized foreign attorneys, we also represent the interests of our clients internationally. We act as legal advisors and as litigators.
The Team
The two founding partners bring with them over 50 years of combined legal experience in the areas of intellectual property and competition law. We think along with our clients and offer customized and pragmatic advice. In line with our credo “reduce to the maximum”, we focus on the essentials.
lic. iur., Attorney-at-Law and Notary (SO)
Year of birth: 1959
Admitted to the Bar: 1990
schluep@schluepdegen.ch
lic. iur., Attorney-at-Law
Year of birth: 1974
Admitted to the Bar: 2002
degen@schluepdegen.ch
Attorney-at-Law, MLaw
Year of birth: 1990
Admitted to the Bar: 2018
rocchi@schluepdegen.ch
Our Assistants
We look forward to hearing from you and will be happy to assist you.
Areas of Expertise
We advise our clients comprehensively in the field of intellectual property rights, innovation protection and in our other fields of specialized legal knowledge. Where necessary, we also enforce our client’s rights in court and before state authorities. In doing so, we seek pragmatic and feasible solutions. Our strength lies in combining down-to-earth thinking with long-standing expertise and international reach.
- Trademarks: Trademark strategy, trademark search, name finding, trademark registration, trademark renewal, trademark management, likelihood of confusion, opposition proceedings, non-use cancellation, 3D-marks, stylized marks, word marks, position marks, sound marks, olfactory marks, co-branding, rebranding, negotiations with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern, application for international trademarks via WIPO in Geneva, application for EU-trademarks at EUIPO in Alicante, IP protection packages (flat rates), similarity searches, assistance in logo development
- Patents: Patent applications, elaboration of patent strategies concerning national patents, PCT applications and/or European patents, development of protection strategies, defense and enforcement of patents, optimized protection of technical inventions
- Copyrights, design rights, protected designations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), company name law, trade names, name rights, indications of origin, Swissness, protection of software, protection of know-how and of business processes
- Domain names, protection of domain names through trademark registrations (.ch, .com, etc.), domain disputes, domain arbitration, Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP)
- Comprehensive innovation protection on a strategic and operational level, from application and registration to protection renewal and administration to judicial enforcement, warning letters, IP cease and desist letters, seizure of counterfeit goods through customs authorities, assessment of legal situation and correspondence with customs authorities, protection notices ® ™ ©, cost estimates, valuation of IP rights, due diligence
- Contractual matters related to intellectual property, in particular license agreements, publishing and distribution agreements, franchising agreements, IP rights networks, contracts and regulations for certification and quality label organizations
- Notarial certification, legalisation/apostille in connection with intellectual property rights
- Worldwide services, through our tried and tested network of foreign attorneys
- Advice on simple and complex antitrust law issues with many years of experience in various industries as well as representation in corresponding proceedings before authorities and courts (COMCO, price supervisor)
- Analysis of issues relating to price agreements, territorial agreements, vertical agreements, horizontal agreements, abuse of dominant market positions, essential facility, boycott, self-indictment, antitrust sanctions
- Antitrust-compliance for companies: Internal antitrust monitoring, early detection and mitigation of antitrust risks, drafting of distribution and cooperation agreements in compliance with antitrust laws
- Protection against unfair competition: Unfair exploitation of other’s reputation, riding coattails, systematic obstruction of competitors, deception of consumers or competitors, unfair sales methods, unlawful enticement of personnel or copying of work results
- Data protection: Data protection regulations, privacy, data protection monitoring, rights of inspection, data collection, reporting obligations, EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR): advice and design of data protection-compliant processes, representation in data protection authority proceedings (Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner FDPIC, cantonal and foreign data protection commissioners), fulfillment of reporting obligations
- Personal rights: Right to the image, protection of intimacy and privacy, protection of reputation and honor, protection of personal rights in the social media area
- Information rights: Publicity law, insight into official documents, obtaining information from authorities and private sources
- Media law, communication law: Press law, correctional counterstatement, press clarifications, protection against press representations that violate personal rights
- Advertising law: Implementation of special advertising rules (food and health law), lottery and gambling laws, sweepstakes and price competitions
- IT law: Computer law, data processing law, information law, internet law, multimedia law and software law, IT project contracts, license contracts, hosting contracts, data center contracts, cloud contracts
- Artist contracts, sports contracts, producer contracts
- Recording and broadcasting rights, collective rights exploitation, collective management organisations (CMO)
- Setting up of companies (Ltd., LLC) and associations, drafting of articles of association, shareholders’ agreements, pre-emption and pre-emptive rights, notarial acts in connection with formations
- Law of associations
- Labor law related: Employment contracts, employee regulations, non-competition clause, trade secret, unfair termination, immediate termination, employee inventions
- Contract law: Monetary disputes, distribution agreements, cooperation agreements, development agreements, supply agreements, know-how and property right agreements
We can put you in touch with hand selected experienced specialists in other areas of law in Switzerland and abroad.
Products
Our core competence is the worldwide protection of our clients’ intellectual property and related advice.
IP Strategy and Portfolio Analysis
Does the existing or planned IP portfolio deliver what it promises? What needs to be optimized? How should the portfolio be further developed?
Searches (Identity/Similarity)
Prior searches before filing trademarks or other IP-rights: Which risks from older third party IP-rights at home and abroad have to be considered?
Registrations
Registration of IP rights at home and abroad with the aim of providing an optimized protection.
Trademarks, Designs, Domainnames and Patent Administration
IP-rights management for clients: Long-term support, also for extensive international portfolios.
Surveillance
Professional monitoring of trademarks and other intellectual property rights at home and abroad in order to protect against infringements and counterfeiting. 6 months free trial subscription for monitoring of trademarks in Switzerland!
Defense
Comprehensive support with regard to trademark and other IP conflicts, from the initial assessment of the situation to opposition and court proceedings.
Expert Opinion / Due Diligence
You want to buy a trademark, a design or a patent? We check from a legal point of view whether the IP right you want is really worth its price.
General Services of a Law Firm and a Notary’s Office
We provide legal advice in other areas related to intellectual property and competition law or in general commercial law matters (e.g., antitrust law, unfair competition law, copyright law, patent law, design law, license agreements, sales contracts, employment contracts and general contract law). Further, we provide in-house notarial services.
Contact Information
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