As a mid-sized boutique with almost a century of experience, Estudio Federico Villaseca continues to be regarded as a strong contender in IP matters. The firm, which was founded in 1916, has strong technical expertise, particularly in plant varieties. Several practitioners hold academic positions at universities. Senior partner Sergio Amenábar and associate Blas Bellolio are professors at the Pontifical Catholic University and partner Bernardo Serrano is a part-time professor at the Gabriela Mistral University.
"They are very reliable people," said one competitor. Another described the partners as "very consistent and very responsive".
Clients include household names such as Phillips, Colgate-Palmolive, Microsoft, Syngenta and Novartis. The firm also emerged victorious on behalf of the Skechers footwear brand in January 2010. During the two-year legal battle, competitors claimed that the letter S was not distinctive because it was already contained in existing trade marks. However, Villaseca successfully argued that the details of the design and the worldwide notoriety of the brand meant that it was recognised by the public as the corporate image of Skechers.