Intellectual Property
Overview
We have a market leading IP practice that is reputed for its high-calibre lawyers, regional know-how and efficiency. Plus, the team is often praised for being exceptionally responsive.
Our hands-on practice is adept at IP registration and portfolio management services in East Africa, ARIPO and OAPI registries for its local and international clients.
Our lawyers are also particularly skilled at dealing with contentious aspects of IP including filing and defending trade mark opposition, expungement and infringement actions, passing off, copyright infringement, domain name disputes, anti-counterfeiting and patent litigation.
We regularly advise clients on IP aspects in transactional work including compliance, audits, valuations, due diligence, restructuring and optimisation of IP portfolios. In addition, we also assist clients with IP-related agreements like franchising, licensing and distribution deals.
The team’s lead partner Lorna Mbatia has been recognised for many years as one of the top IP lawyers in Kenya by leading global directories such as Chambers Global and WTR 1000. Lorna is also dual qualified and registered as a trade mark agent and patent agent in both Kenya and Rwanda.
We are the go-to law firm for large corporates on their high-value, cross-border and complex IP matters.
Highlights
- Coordinating cross-border anticounterfeit surveys in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
- Lead advisors in the review of the enforcement manual to combat illicit trade in Kenya on behalf of the National Council on the Administration of Justice
- Successfully prosecuted revocation proceedings for an ARIPO patent designating Kenya.
- Successfully obtaining a domain transfer through KENIC from a cyber squatter to a leading African Bank.
- Publication of cautionary notices in Somalia and Somaliland.
- Filing and prosecution of trade marks under the Madrid system through both Kenya and Rwanda IP offices.
- Prosecution of PCT applications through the Kenya Industrial Property Institute.
- Submitting trade mark particulars for customs recordation with the Kenya Anti-Counterfeit Authority on behalf of various multinational companies.
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