The Legal 500

A. & K. Metaxopoulos & Partners. Law Firm’s contentious practice enjoys a market-leading reputation and a strong TMT client base, ensuring it is regularly called on to advise on contentious and non-contentious IP matters. Managing partner Kriton Metaxopoulos, who ‘combines the best parts of a legal and business mind’, led the team advising Dassault Systems on a copyright infringement case relating to a software design. Irini Daroussou is also recommended.

Ballas, Pelecanos & Associates LPC handles IP for clients such as Philip Morris, Daimler and Microsoft. The ‘profoundly knowledgeable and highly committed’ George Ballas heads the practice, which was instructed by Beiersdorf – owner of the Nivea and Hansaplast brands – to handle all aspects of its trade mark portfolio in Greece.

Dontas Law Offices’ heavyweight IP litigation practice attracts prominent international clients that value the niche patent, copyright and trade mark expertise of Nicholas Dontas. The team represented Coca-Cola in a parallel import case, while on the patent litigation front it acted for Sanofi-Aventis on injunction proceedings against several distributors of generic pharmaceuticals.

Dr Helen Papaconstantinou, John Filias & Associates fields one of Greece’s largest specialist IP practices, and maintains ‘consistently excellent levels of service and quick response times’ across the full complement of patent, copyright and trade mark advice. The team acted for Hewlett-Packard on the seizure of counterfeit toner and ink cartridges.

Patrinos & Kilimiris’ practice runs the gamut of IP instructions, from patent litigation for pharmaceutical clients such as Sanofi-Aventis to trade mark litigation and prosecution. Maria Kilimiris represented Crédit Agricole in successfully opposing national trade mark applications by a Greek bank.

IP specialist Eleni Lappa’s arrival at Drakopoulos Law Firm has invigorated its practice, generating copyright instructions from companies including Bacardi, Pharmaqua and BP. It also handles data protection consultation work for multinational companies.

KGDI Law Firm concentrates its IP expertise on managing the trade mark portfolios of its multinational clients. The practice manages over 1,700 registered marks in Greece for clients such as Aegean Airlines, Coca-Cola and Teva Pharmaceutical.

KLC Law Firm has an active patent litigation practice for pharmaceutical clients including the Pan-Hellenic Pharmaceutical Industry Association.

Kiortsis & Associates Law Offices is a ‘well-established team with a proven track record on IP matters’. Its specialist expertise attracts instructions from clients including Crédit Agricole and Piaggio.

Maria Fronista’s team at Lambadarios Law Firm handles clients’ IP portfolios including all types of contentious matters. It acts as general counsel to Sony Music including advising on musicians’ rights, and advises new clients Samsung and Bolton Group on their trade mark portfolios.

Led by Yannis Chryssopathis, M & P Bernitsas continues to advise on all IP matters, including data protection issues, for clients including Citigroup and Gamesa. Highlights for 2010 included advising US-based Diadexus on an EPO patent application, and providing ongoing trade mark advice to the Association of Pharmaceutical Companies of Greece.

P.V. Kanellopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s IP practice recently advised Delhaize on a dispute between Hasbro regarding its Monopoly trade mark, and advised BMW on a domain name dispute. Victoria Kanellopoulos has a particular focus on IP rights transfer issues.

Headed by Leonidas Panagopoulos, Sarantitis Law Firm successfully represented Rock FM on the deletion of an identical trade mark, and advised Attica Publications on a claim against its licence to publish the Greek edition of PC Magazine.

V&P Law Firm advises multinational clients such as Levi-Strauss and Sony on trade mark and domain name infringement cases.

Zepos & Yannopoulos’ brand protection practice regularly advises LVMH and DKNY on anti-counterfeiting cases and the protection of registered marks in Greece.

Led by Eleni Bertes, Avramopoulos & Partners Law Firm’s IP practice has been acting for UK clothing company All Saints Retail Limited on copyright and design infringement cases in Greece.

Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners’ primary focus is on patent litigation for pharmaceutical clients.

Calavros and Partners has a strong TMT client base and a track record advising on IP-related matters for clients such as OTE. It is also active in the pharmaceutical and publishing sectors.

Cocalis & Psarras regularly advises on IP matters, representing a mix of telecoms companies such as Siemens and Forthnet and manufacturers of household brands including Sara Lee and Procter & Gamble. Senior partner Alkiviades Psarras is vice president of the Organisation of Industrial Property in Greece.

Karatzas & Partners Law Firm’s IP practice advises mobile telephone carrier Wind on its registered trade marks. It also advises the Ideal Standard on its IP portfolio.

Kelemenis & Co handles trade mark filing for key clients including Smileyworld and Aquis Hotels & Resorts. On the litigation front, the team advised Metaxa on trade mark disputes.

Moussas & Tsibris Attorneys at Law provides IP services to the healthcare, telecoms and publishing sectors. Nikos Moussas is the primary contact.

Law Offices Papaconstantinou handles IP matters for clients including Toyota and Swarovski.