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Zacco

World IP Survey Coverage: Print-friendly version

Editorial coverage

Denmark

Zacco had a mixed bag in 2010. The firm moves down to the second tier this year in patent prosecution but maintains its position in trade marks. Consensus is that the Danish office is growing and becoming stronger under the leadership of Marianne Johansen, a former managing director of Albihns. In 2010 the firm lost some of its attorneys, for example Lars Pallisgaard Olsen left Zacco after 12 years to join Guardian IPC as a partner, and Thomas Sundien left after 15 years to go to Nordic Patent Service.


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Norway

Zacco Norway is another of the country's big filers. It continues to hold on to its tier one rankings in patents and trade mark prosecution and enters the patent contentious table for the first time. In 2010, Zacco Norway's law practice separated and established as law firm Zacco Advokater. Clients like the firm because of its efficiency and practical approach. It is "very direct, solution-oriented, understood business and was motivated," says one client. The firm puts increased emphasis on litigation work, and in 2010 handled a total of five cases in patent, trade mark, unfair competition, copyright and marketing matters. Also in 2010 it hired senior associate and lawyer Frode André Moen. One client recommends managing partner attorney Toril Melander Stene for being "very factual, understanding our business, giving firm proposals not just woolly suggestions, asking for facts and giving very concrete answers, being always on time, and understanding the business perspective."

In recent highlight work, Stene advised Kraft Foods in two cases before the Oslo court relating to disputes over book publishing. Moen was active defending German company Sennheiser Electronic interests against Freebit and IC Company in a trade mark dispute against CBR Textile. Despite IC Company's trade mark being invalidated at first instance, an Appeal Court hearing reversed the decision.


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Netherlands - Benelux

Zacco went through some changes in June 2010 after it lost the three founders of Shield Mark, a company it had acquired in 2008. Bas Kist and colleagues Alice Slabbaert and Volkert Teding van Berkhout left amicably. Kist agrees that despite the departures, Zacco is still good value for its Tier one status: "It has a good group of people still and it will continue to perform strongly." The trio set up its new agency, Chiever, on January 1 2011.


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Firm contact

This firm does not have a profile in the 2011 Handbook