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PRACTICE AREA

International
IP Protection

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Trademark registration and enforcement, anti-counterfeiting strategy, IP disputes, and brand protection coordinated across European and Middle Eastern jurisdictions.

International brand protection requires coordinated strategy across registration regimes, enforcement procedures (administrative customs actions, civil litigation, criminal complaints), and online channels. Counterfeiters and infringers exploit gaps between these systems.
VLO advises brand owners and IP rights holders on integrated protection strategy. We handle trademark prosecution, opposition proceedings, anti-counterfeiting operations, customs registration, and the full range of IP-related disputes — including software licensing, SaaS terms enforcement, and IP-data overlap matters under data protection regimes.
Typical engagement length: ongoing portfolio work plus 3–18 months per dispute. Engagement structure: hybrid retainer + matter-based fees.
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WHAT WE DO
Send a brief for this practice
Cross-border IP enforcement and disputes
WHEN CLIENTS COME TO US
Three common scenarios

ANTI-COUNTERFEITING

Counterfeit products are appearing in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. You need coordinated takedown actions across EU, UK, and MENA.
TRADEMARK OPPOSITION
A competitor has applied to register a mark that conflicts with your portfolio. You need opposition strategy at the relevant IP office.
LICENSING DISPUTE
Your licensee has exceeded the scope of license or terminated incorrectly. You need a strategy that protects ongoing brand value while resolving the immediate dispute.
OUR APPROACH
Engagement methodology

SCOPING

Identify all jurisdictions and forums involved

STRATEGY MEMO

Procedural map, merits, fees — 5 business days.

EXECUTION

Local counsel coordinated by VLO partner.

RESOLUTION

Settlement, award, or judgment — coordinated.

WHY VLO
Differentiators for this practice
PARTNER OWNERSHIP
One named partner stays on the matter from first call to final outcome. No reassignment, no transition meetings.
Local counsel managed by VLO — clients receive one consolidated reporting in English, not separate bills from multiple firms.
CROSS-BORDER COORDINATION
TRANSPARENT FEES
Fixed-fee, capped, or hourly with monthly caps — chosen at engagement. No surprises in billing.
No press without explicit consent. Confidential by default. Enhanced communications encryption.
DISCRETION
REPRESENTATIVE WORK
Selected practice areas in action.
Examples illustrate the type of matter VLO handles in this practice. Specifics are withheld for confidentiality.
IP
Anti-counterfeiting operation
Coordinated parallel enforcement actions across multiple jurisdictions; injunctive relief obtained.
IP
Trademark opposition
Successful opposition resulting in partial refusal of conflicting application.
TECHNOLOGY
Software licensing dispute
Negotiated resolution of multi-jurisdiction SaaS licensing breach claim.
LEAD PARTNERS FOR THIS PRACTICE
ADJACENT PRACTICES
Often combined with
CORPORATE DISPUTES
When director liability arises from insolvency.
EXPLORE →
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When IP judgments need cross-border recognition.
ENFORCEMENT
LITIGATION
When parallel court action runs alongside insolvency.
EXPLORE →
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Common questions
Can you handle global trademark portfolios?
Yes — directly through European IP offices and the Madrid Protocol; through vetted IP counsel for jurisdictions outside the Madrid system.
We coordinate criminal complaints in our home jurisdictions and refer to specialist criminal counsel in other jurisdictions. Civil and administrative IP enforcement is our direct practice.
Do you act in criminal IP matters?
What is your fee structure for portfolio work?
Hybrid: annual retainer for routine prosecution and watch services, plus matter-based fees for oppositions, disputes, and enforcement campaigns.
Data protection work that overlaps with IP enforcement (database rights, image rights) is part of our practice. Pure data protection compliance is coordinated with specialist counsel.
Do you handle data protection matters separately?
WE ARE TYPICALLY ENGAGED BY
Who comes to VLO
GENERAL COUNSEL & CHIEF LEGAL OFFICERS
Of European, MENA, and CIS-linked industrial groups facing a cross-border dispute that cannot be resolved within their existing panel. We are typically called when the matter spans more than two jurisdictions or where local counsel coordination has stalled.
CFOs & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS
Of cross-border PE sponsors and family-owned holdings. Engagement triggers: post-closing earn-out disputes, FDI screening for non-EU buyers, tax controversy with international dimension.
HEADS OF SPECIAL SITUATIONS
At credit funds, banks, and institutional creditors pursuing recovery against layered debtor structures. We coordinate parallel enforcement campaigns across multiple jurisdictions as a single integrated mandate.
FAMILY OFFICES & PRIVATE PRINCIPALS
With multi-jurisdictional structures and disputes that require discretion alongside technical complexity. Our boutique model, partner-led engagement, and standing confidentiality protocols make this a natural fit.
Have a IP or brand protection matter?
Send the brief — we respond within one business day.
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