Gianluca De Cristofaro > LCA Studio Legale > Milan, Italy > Lawyer Profile
LCA Studio Legale Offices
VIA DELLA MOSCOVA 18
20121 MILANO
Italy
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Gianluca De Cristofaro
Work Department
Intellectual Property, Data Protection and TMT
Position
Gianluca is a Partner and Head of LCA’s IP, Media, Tech & Data Department
Career
For over 20 years, Gianluca has been assisting Italian and foreign clients in defining the best strategies to enhance, protect and manage their intellectual property assets.
Gianluca’s practice focuses on IP litigation (trademarks, domain names, designs, patents and know-how, copyright and unfair competition) and misleading and comparative advertising. Gianluca is an expert of the Extrajudicial Dispute Resolution Service Expert of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration, authorized to conduct UDPR proceedings for the reassignment of domain names registered in the cc TLD “.it”, and an arbitrator of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration in disputes relating to intellectual property rights and software.
Gianluca also assists clients in drafting and negotiating licensing and IP asset transfer agreements, technology transfer agreements, software licensing, assignment and development agreements (including in the context of important ERP projects), as well as sponsorship, co-branding, merchandising, testimonial, talent, influencer and other endorsement agreements.
In addition, Gianluca has significant experience in consumer protection and is frequently involved in proceedings before the Italian Competition Authority regarding unfair commercial practices, as well as in the drafting and review of e-commerce terms and conditions, including in the context of omnichannel projects (particularly in the fashion field).
Gianluca assists a number of big spender advertiser and communication agencies in the clearance of advertising campaigns and assists clients in misleading and comparative advertising matters before the ordinary courts, the Italian Competition Authority and the Italian Advertising Standards Authority.
Gianluca assisted an important Italian client in the first greenwashing case in Italy before an ordinary court and assists clients in the clearance green advertising campaigns.
As technology enthusiast, Gianluca has also always been involved in tech law issues, advising and litigating on personal data protection and software issues and, more recently, assisting clients in compliance activities related to the development, implementation and adoption of artificial intelligence systems and, more generally, in managing all contractual and IP-related issues arising from the use of AI in the technology and creative industries.
For his expertise in the IP, technology, and media sectors, Gianluca has received important national and international recognition; he has been ranked in Chambers Europe & Global since 2015, in Legal500 since 2018, in World Trademark Review since 2020, and has been named Italian IP (Trademark) Star by Managing IP since 2014 and has received the Client Choice Award 2018 and 2022 for IP/Copyright Italy.
Gianluca joined the firm in 2014. Previously, he worked for leading Italian and foreign law firms, including BonelliErede in Milan, Amarjit & Advocates in New Delhi and Matheson in Dublin.
Gianluca is the editor and co-author of the book “Advertising Law – Safeguards and Litigation“, Giuffre Lefebvre, and has collaborated since 2020 as author of the “Norme e Tributi” section of Il Sole 24 Ore, as well as author of numerous other publications.
Gianluca is a lecturer on trademarks, advertising, design protection, patents and unfair competition in masters and specialized courses.
Languages
Italian and English
Memberships
He is a member of numerous associations, including INTA (International Trademark Association), INDICAM (Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, of which he is a member of the Board of Directors since 2018), Marques, LES (Licensing Executive Society), AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property) and IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals).
Education
Ph.D. in Industrial Property Law, University of Milan (2015)
Law Degree, University of Milan-Bicocca (2003)
Lawyer Rankings
Italy > Industry focus: TMT
LCA Studio Legale’s team routinely assists clients in the media, telecoms, advertising and IT sectors, as well as companies operating in gaming and esports, on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters. Topics covered by the group include privacy, data protection, cybersecurity and commercial transactions. With a focus on the entertainment sector, Giulio Vecchi advises clients on regulatory matters, e-commerce, personal data protection and commercial communications, while Gianluca De Cristofaro is noted for his expertise in consultancy and litigation regarding data protection matters, while also handling complex cybersecurity projects.
Italy > Intellectual property
(Next Generation Partners)LCA Studio Legale’s IP team has a broad practice encompassing trademarks, copyrights and patents. Its lawyers can regularly be found advising clients from a wide range of sectors including technology, media, fashion, tech, software and life sciences on both contentious and non-contentious matters. The practice is chaired by Gianluca De Cristofaro, whose specialisation includes advertising law and data protection, while Giulio Vecchi is routinely sought out by clients for advice on IP issues in the TMT and advertising sectors. The team has also been recently strengthened by the addition of Nicoletta Serao and Francesco de Rugeriis, who bring new expertise in the video games and esports industry.
Italy > Data privacy and data protection
LCA Studio Legale‘s Milan office bolstered its data protection team through the July 2023 recruitment of tech, data protection and cybersecurity expert Giulio Vecchi (as team co-head) from Chiomenti. The 11-lawyer practice routinely assists domestic and international companies with both day-to-day and strategic data protection issues. The practice is co-led by IP specialist Gianluca De Cristofaro, whose work covers data protection and cybersecurity, as well as IT and internet law.
Italy > Industry focus: Luxury goods
LCA Studio Legale advises across the luxury goods sector, though with a particular focus on the fashion industry, advising prominent fashion houses and brands. Gianluca De Cristofaro, who advises on IP, data protection and advertising law matters, leads the practice alongside Edoardo Calcaterra , whose speciality is corporate and commercial law with a particular focus on M&A, private equity and cross-border investments. In January 2023, Simona Passarelli joined the firm from Plusiders Studio Legale e Tributario.
Lawyer Rankings
- Next Generation Partners Italy > Intellectual property
- Data privacy and data protection Italy
- Industry focus: Luxury goods Italy
- Industry focus: TMT Italy
- Intellectual property Italy
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Genoa: leading firms
- Shipping
- Capital markets: Equity
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Compliance
- Data privacy and data protection
- Dispute resolution
- Industry focus: Energy
- Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences
- Industry focus: Luxury goods
- Industry focus: TMT
- Private equity
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Administrative and public law
- Banking and finance: Bank regulatory
- Employment
- Intellectual property
- Real estate and construction
- Banking and finance: Borrower side
- Tax