Practice Areas

Our expertise lies in our ability to interpret and tailor legal solutions to the business needs of our clients, as also our ability to craft 360 degree integrated solutions. Our creativity and strategic inputs ensure that the client’s business goals are met in the short term, while safeguarding their future.

We work in all the traditional fields of IP, viz., trademarks, patents, copyrights and designs and offer the whole spectrum of services, i.e. searching, filing, prosecution, oppositions and cancellations and renewals/ payment of annuities. Our perspective and advice is contemporary, with an eye on the long-term goals of the client’s business. We also offer multi-jurisdictional counselling on trademark law.

We have a strong litigation and enforcement practice. We are solicitors and advocates and represent clients in forums and courts pan-India, in a wide range of IP disputes. Our litigation practice also encompasses “non-traditional” IP such as internet laws, media, entertainment and telecommunication laws, trade secrets, advertising and unfair competition and regulatory laws. Our enforcement group works closely with Indian customs and law enforcement.

Our disputes practice also deals with domain name matters before authorities such as the WIPO and NIXI and trade name cancellations before the Registrar of Companies.

Our in-house investigation team provides the necessary investigation support to our clients in an ethical and transparent manner that is FCPA and the UK Anti Bribery Act compliant.

Our expertise also extends to advisory and contractual services in several ancillary areas such as media and entertainment laws, packaging and labelling laws, regulatory issues, internet, data security and privacy issues, among others.

We conduct IP audits and landscaping exercises, helping clients identify, secure and mine their IP assets.

Trademarks

  • We offer comprehensive trademark solutions including brand adoption, development, protection, management, enforcement, valuation and monetization.
  • We have represented several multinational and Fortune 500 companies including some of the world’s biggest brands as also startups and SMEs before various forums in both contentious and non-contentious matters.
  • Our trademark practice includes clearance searches, filings, responses to office actions, attending show cause hearings before the Trademark offices, registration, assignment and license recordals.
  • We are strong portfolio managers and take complete responsibility from searching and filing to maintenance and renewals of trademarks.
  • We have strong credentials in relation to trademark disputes and file a large number of trademark oppositions and cancellations.
  • We represent our clients before Trademark offices and Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) in contentious proceedings.
  • Our attorneys work both under the national and the Madrid systems.
  • Our exhaustive experience in handling international trademark clearance and portfolio management allows us to represent clients in the United States of America, the European Union, South Asia, East Asia and the Middle East. Working with a trusted network of agents, we are a preferred one-point contact for clients in the South Asian region.
  • We offer bespoke trademark prosecution advice. All applications, description of goods and services and use claims are customized to accurately reflect our client’s business offerings from the perspective of securing maximum available protection in each jurisdiction.
  • We also offer strategic advice in relation to worldwide brand adoption and protection that is aligned with our clients’ global businesses. This all-inclusive trademark prosecution approach makes us the ‘go to’ IP firm for businesses big and small.
  • We help co-ordinate market and consumer surveys on behalf of our clients seeking to identify whether their trademark has a reputation in India or is well-known.

    • Please go to the section titled “Disputes” to know more about our trademark litigation practice.

  • We conduct prior art searches and analysis, freedom to operate searches and analysis, product clearances and patentability opinions including patent mapping and landscaping.
  • We offer patent drafting services including patent specifications and claim drafting.
  • We prosecute patent applications to grant, including all formalities such as renewal and annuity payment services.
  • We offer pre-grant and post grant opposition counselling and drafting.
  • We offer advice on areas such as regulatory laws, drugs and cosmetics laws, patent assignments and licenses.
  • We also negotiate commercialization contracts for inventors.

    • Please go to the section titled “Disputes” to know more about our patent litigation practice.

  • We provide pre-filing opinions and design registrability assessment as also infringement assessment.
  • We conduct design searches, filing and prosecution of design applications in India.
  • We offer a broad spectrum of copyright advise in relation to publishing, films and other cinematographic works, music and fashion.
  • We offer copyright filing and registration services.
  • We negotiate, draft and review a wide variety of contracts, license and assignment agreements.
  • We monitor social media and the internet for potential infringement of our clients’ copyrights and initiate take down measures.
  • We vet manuscripts, film scripts and draft and review website content, privacy policies and website terms and conditions.
  • We negotiate book contracts with agents and publishers worldwide.

    • Please go to the section titled “Disputes” to know more about our copyrights and designs litigation practice.

  • Our attorneys are admitted to practice before the District and High Courts in India, the Indian Supreme Court as also the Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal.
  • We provide pre-litigation assessment and strategic advice, including a comprehensive review of evidence and a feasibility assessment prior to initiation of litigation. On account of our vast litigation experience, our attorneys have the expertise to tailor solutions that are unique to the variables that each litigation brings – whether it is the size or nature of the industry and the IP being litigated, or the size of the client’s business.
  • Our attorneys have the experience of litigating a broad range of IP disputes, from trademark and trade dress infringement, passing off, unfair competition, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, designs, product disparagement, trademark dilution and breach of confidentiality.
  • We supervise multi-jurisdictional litigation and manage disputes with cross border implications.
  • We have an impressive track record of favorably resolving litigations for our clients, whether by pursuing a case for settlement, or pursuing mediation, by moving for summary judgement, or taking the case to a speedy trial. 
  • We have worked with consumer survey experts on a wide range of issues in trademark litigation. 
  • We have a strong network of experts in other areas such as marketing, damages, linguistics, consumer psychology, industry practices, pharmaceuticals, engineering, life sciences, chemistry, metallurgy and telecommunications.
  • We also handle domain name disputes. We have successfully represented our clients in such disputes under the UDRP and INDRP as well as before various High courts.

  • Our enforcement team has extensive experience of conducting civil and criminal raids in domestic markets. Anti-counterfeiting actions are preceded by in-depth investigations of a particular market by our in-house team of investigators.
  • Our team has a deep understanding of the technological advancements being adopted by seasoned counterfeiters which is a critical aspect of our strategy, planning and crackdown.
  • The enforcement team is adept at customs recordals and effectively handles all procedures end to end with Customs authorities. Our work with Customs includes liaising with custom authorities from interdiction to seizure and destruction of counterfeit goods.
  • The firm undertakes regular training sessions for customs and police officials to sensitize and educate them on identification of counterfeit products.
  • Our online enforcement practice deals with every aspect of protecting our clients’ IP online, from designing an enforcement programme, detecting online threats and following them through to enforcement both by take down notices to intermediaries as also online and offline investigation and action against counterfeiters.

  • We review and audit clients’ IP assets and offer suggestions regarding IP portfolio restructuring aligned with the requirements of their business and expansion plans.
  • Our team identifies the existence, validity and enforceability of the IP rights and know- how owned or licensed by a client or a prospective acquire company, along with the scope, geographical extent, and term of such IP rights. We provide freedom to operate analysis on patents, products, processes or trademarks used by the company.
  • We review and assess contractual obligations involving IP rights to which the company is a party, and their impact on the business of the company.
  • We opine on the existence or likelihood of IP-related litigation.
  • We assess whether a company has an IP policy and if required we help write one or make suggestions for corrective action, or further steps to be taken to mitigate any problems.
  • We advise on the scope of IP warranties and indemnities and their impact on future business.

  • We represent some of India’s leading Indian Premier League teams, sports stars and sports management companies in trademark and copyright matters in India and worldwide.
  • We have been instrumental in structuring and managing the Indian and worldwide trademark portfolios of 4 out of the 8 Indian Premier League cricket teams.
  • We have significant experience in drafting and vetting sports related agreements including franchise, merchandising and sponsorship documentations.
  • We advise on ambush marketing, character merchandising, celebrity endorsement and personality rights issues.
  • Our lawyers provide advise on diverse issues ranging from publishing, content licensing and distribution, social media, online, mobile and video games, music and entertainment, sweepstakes and contests.
  • We negotiate, draft and review a wide variety of contracts or license and assignment agreements in subjects ranging from film contracts, product merchandising, endorsements or monetization of content.

  • Our team reviews advertisements and promotional material for many of our clients to ensure compliance with the Indian laws and guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
  • We have lodged several complaints before ASCI on behalf of our clients for misleading and false advertisements or advertisements that disparage our clients’ products. We also draft and review celebrity endorsement contracts for compliance with ASCI guidelines.
  • We have represented many media houses before Tribunals and High Courts in India in matters involving copyright infringement and breach of contract. We draft and vet contracts and agreements as well as periodically review advertising and promotion material for compliance with Indian laws.
  • We counsel clients on various aspects of packaging and labelling norms from not only the perspective of statutory compliance but equally with a view to be able to enforce trade dress and product identity rights such as colour combination.
  • We track and advise clients on developments in relation to plain packaging and engage in policy conversations with authorities on the subject.

    • Please go to the section titled “Disputes” to know more about our litigation practice.

  • We have significant experience advocating for our clients on trade secrets violations, in the courtroom or through alternative dispute resolution.
  • We help design and create trade secret and confidential know-how protection programs and policies, employee handbooks.
  • Our team drafts non-compete agreements (which are complex and have a narrow scope under the Indian legal regime), non-disclosure agreements, confidentiality agreements, non-solicitation agreements, e-mail and privacy policies as also trade secret license agreements. We also draft and review outsourcing agreements and technology commercialization agreements with appropriate protections for trade secrets, confidential know-how, and other intellectual property.
  • We counsel clients on steps to take to avoid receiving trade secrets or confidential information when hiring key employees from competitors.
  • We conduct trade secret and confidential information audits.

    • Please go to the section titled “Disputes” to know more about our trade secrets litigation practice.

  • With a keen understanding of the technology and e–commerce industries, we represent some of the world’s biggest technology companies. We provide strategic advice on Information Technology laws as well as negotiate and draft all types of IT contracts, software agreements and end user license agreements.
  • With our cutting-edge expertise in advising disruptive innovator clients, we provide business critical counsel to a diverse range of technology clients in the sharing economy, the wearable technology space as also to IoT innovators. We help develop sophisticated, comprehensive, and bespoke IP strategies to meet their individual needs.
  • We guide our start-up clients on how to stay safe online and protect their fledgling businesses from cyber security threats.
  • We advise our clients on issues ranging from online piracy, intermediary liability, social media, filing and responding to take down notices, establishing online enforcement strategies and how to remain complaint with Indian IT laws.
  • We provide strategic advice on technology and allied laws including rules and policies for e-commerce/ related online services.
  • We conduct risk analysis and liability profiling for new businesses that have a technology component or involving online consumer issues.
  • We draft and develop Terms and Conditions for new technology products under applicable laws, policies and industry standards.
  • We file actions before the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) or the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and carry out settlement negotiations and effectuate domain transfers.
  • We advise on software licensing issues and assist in the enforcement of software licenses in cases of infringement.