Intellectual Property

Hannes Snellman’s Intellectual Property Practice is one of the leading practices in the Finnish market. Our business-oriented IP Team has vast experience in all aspects of intellectual property covering copyright, patents and utility models, designs, trademarks and domain names, geographical indications, and trade secrets. We deliver efficient and pragmatic execution of assignments in matters ranging from trademark filings to the most demanding and complex IP-related agreements and disputes, which is why our clients value our advice and suggested solutions that serve their business now and in the long run.

In the era of AI and digitalisation, the importance of intellectual property is inevitably increasing. With our clients’ business in focus, we assist them in transforming intellectual capital in the form of an idea into an intellectual property right to secure intellectual property assets. Having the privilege to co-operate with several leading firms in their fields, we have gained extensive experience and understanding in several sectors, such as healthcare and life sciences, food and beverage, consumer & retail, software, technology, media, and telecoms, the automotive industry, engineering and machinery, entertainment, gaming, gambling, and sports.

To maximise the value and goodwill of intellectual property, it is important to have a clear vision and strategy. Our dedicated team provides our clients with strategic IP advice on how to protect, manage, market, license, and commercialise their intellectual property, as well as how to monetise said key assets in transactions and at every stage of their life cycle. We frequently act as an IP sounding board to assess the issue at hand and to create tactics and strategies on how to resolve the issue.

To provide our clients with the smartest decisions also abroad, we have created excellent relationships with leading law firms around the globe to ensure that advice and decisions are available whenever and wherever needed.    

IP Litigation

With the vision of being the leading IP litigation practice in Finland, we had the privilege to be the first Finnish law firm before the Helsinki Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the Court of Appeal of the UPC. In addition to the UPC, we represent our clients before Finnish authorities and courts and the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the Court of Justice of the European Union. As to arbitration, we represent our clients in international arbitration institutes, such as the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre, in addition to Finnish and Swedish arbitration institutes.

Our clients’ intellectual property is what matters to us. Our dedicated IP litigation team understands the need to retain the freedom to operate and obtain the best possible outcome under the circumstances of each case. To achieve the business goals of our clients, our seasoned and business-oriented litigators suggest litigation and settlement strategies that may consist, for example, of obtaining a fast interim injunction or other relief, settlement negotiations to resolve the case out of court and before trial, or creative but thorough tactics for litigation or arbitration.

In each case, we form a dedicated team of experts to correspond to the type and extent of the case and work closely with our Technology & Data, Dispute Resolution, Competition & Regulatory, and Public Procurement Practices.

Life Sciences

We advise our clients in all kinds of matters relating to life sciences, including groundbreaking and complex regulatory assignments that require an innovative approach and a broad knowledge of healthcare & life sciences. Our team regularly assists clients in contractual arrangements that are on the forefront of the current practice in Finland and that require close co-operation with the public procurement experts of our Public Procurement Practice. Our team advises clients on several different types of contractual matters, such as R&D, licensing, clinical trials, and different kinds of co-operation models.

Both national and international clients routinely turn to us for advice in relation to intellectual property enforcement actions, compliance issues, and disputes regarding ethical codes of conduct, both within the pharmaceutical sector and in relation to medical devices and technologies.

Gaming, Gambling, Marketing, and Sports

We want to be at the forefront to assist and advise our clients when one of the last monopolies in Finland, the national lottery company, ceases to exist as an exclusive gambling operator and transforms itself into a competitor among the international players. We are also eager to see and support our clients in the next chapter of the legacy of highly successful gaming companies. 

As to marketing, we regularly advise our clients on legal issues relating to marketing campaigns both online and offline, sales promotions and consumer competitions, and various matters relating to social media, online, and traditional media, and the related contractual and regulatory issues. We also handle consumer complaints and provide regulatory advice relating to marketing and consumer law. We assist our clients in proceedings with local authorities and, if needed, participate in proceedings before local courts.

We analyse the situation and, where necessary, take measures against unfair business practices by our clients’ competitors and assist our clients in questions relating to packaging and labelling requirements, customer data, environmental and health and green claims, and product liability and recalls.

As a local counsel to several international leading sports leagues, our team’s heart beats strongly for all kinds of sports law matters, whether they concern intellectual property, marketing, data, competition, or contracts.