Nigeria

Firm overview

Inventa is a leading Intellectual Property Law Firm, specialized in the protection and internationalization of trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright and domain names. With over 50 years of experience in Portugal, the European Union and all the African jurisdictions, Inventa has served thousands of clients holding large trademark and patent portfolios, and other entities dealing with R&D daily. Furthermore, our experience allows us to understand the caveats of the different industries since we maintain relationships with clients from different sectors, including food and beverages companies, communications, IT, pharmaceuticals, manufacturers, oil & gas companies, financial institutions, business services companies and more.

Our headquarters are based in Lisbon, Portugal, and we also have offices in Angola, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, East Timor and Macao. Inventa also holds a large network of representatives all across the African region, including representation before the ARIPO and OAPI regional organizations, committed to delivering global coverage with local experience.

Due to our wide network of contacts and associate level, we offer our clients a highly specialized team of professionals in the Intellectual Property field and related strategic sectors. Our professionals guarantee personalized and efficient accompaniment in all our services.

Firm overview

Established in 1996, George Ikoli & Okagbue is a full-service law firm headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with an internationally renowned IP practice. With two offices in Nigeria and an enviable network of top-rated associate agents across the continent, we are uniquely positioned to offer superior IP services throughout Africa.

Our IP practice offers services relating to all aspects of intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, media and entertainment, anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, IP litigation and IP due diligence. We offer ancillary services including assisting clients with regulatory registrations with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion and other regulatory agencies. Our IP practice also offers advisory services.

Our services are provided through a complement of experienced and seasoned practitioners who have distinguished themselves in this field for many years and have been recognised as experts and leaders in specialist areas of the law. Our lawyers possess impressive expertise and have been involved in some high-profile IP transactions. They also hold leadership positions in local IP organisations.

Our clientele includes a broad spectrum of local and international blue-chip organisations, including major multinationals and conglomerates that trust us with the execution of specific business goals in the territories of interest.

The many awards, recognitions, and rankings which our IP practice has received from globally and locally renowned organisations, as well as our frequent engagements with international IP bodies – including the International Trademark Association (INTA) – are testimonies of our remarkable achievements in IP practice in Nigeria.

As one of Africa’s leading IP practices and Nigeria’s largest IP practice, we have made our mark in contributing to the growth and awareness of intellectual property in Nigeria and several African countries. We have significant experience in raising public awareness on the subject of intellectual property and have facilitated several public awareness forums organised by various government offices, including the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Commercial Department and the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

Key IP Areas

Copyright & related rights, Designs, Intellectual property (contentious), Intellectual property (prosecution), IP transactions, Patent, Trade mark, Trade mark contentious, Trade mark prosecution, Patent contentious, Patent prosecution

Key Sector Expertise

Aerospace, Advertising, Agriculture, Arts, Automotive, Chemical, Computer technology & services, E-commerce, Electrical, Construction & materials, Fashion & luxury goods, Film, Financial services, FMCG, Food & beverage, Hospitality & leisure, ICT & software, Manufacturing, Logistics, Media, Medical device, Music, Not-for-profit, Oil & gas, Pharmaceutical, Optics & photonics, Professional services, Publishing, Real estate, Renewable energy, Retail, Sports, Technology hardware, Telecommunication, Tobacco, Transport, Universities & research, Utilities, Furniture

Firm overview

At B&I, the Intellectual Property and Technology (IPTG) team works closely with clients to attain adequate and effective protection for their brands, intangible assets, concepts, business operating plans and information. Our expertise includes protection of client’s copyright, trademarks, patents and designs; product registration and regulatory compliance, anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy; information technology law, advertising law, media law, entertainment law and IP-focused Legal Advisory services.

We take pride in quickly and efficiently turning over work of the highest standard by leveraging on the disposition of our lawyers to be creative, innovative and analytical. We are respected for our well-rounded understanding and appreciation of the depth and breadth of Intellectual Property law matters. In addition, we appreciate the fine details of IP in practice, as applicable to our client’s respective industries. This enables us provide legal advice to our clients that is legally sound, practical and commercially expedient.

Several lawyers at the firm are active members of the International Trademark Association (INTA), the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property(AIPPI), Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG) and the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys. In addition, the firm has a strong network of firms it currently collaborates with, providing services to numerous other Firms/ Agents all over the world, and in turn providing services to its vast number of clients in most African countries (e.g. Ghana, OAPI, ARIPO and others) through tested associates in those jurisdictions. Our active membership ensures we stay abreast of global best practices and developments in IP.

We have advised and worked on about 850 cases involving IP litigation, patent, trademark applications and renewals, oppositions, assignment, trademark infringement and copyright infringement within the last 12 months. In the realm of IP litigation, our engagement has involved dispute resolution centered on trade secret claims, false advertising, trademark infringement and intellectual property transfers.

We are equipped with FILEYE, a robust intellectual property management software, designed to our specification and needs. The software is networked across our department and two office locations and generates reminders at pre-set dates of all matters requiring action, among its many functionalities. This is made possible due to our highly effective internet system which enables us keep in touch with our clients and provide them with updates in real time.

Our team of 14 members made up of 3 partners, 1 Senior Associate, 6 Associates and 5 Paralegals boasts an aggregate experience of several decades in the IP sector.

Firm overview

PUNUKA is a member of Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW), a global network of over 100 independent law firms located in more than 180 major commercial centers around the world. The state of reciprocity is such that we are able to extend to our clients the benefits of our accumulated goodwill to assist them whenever their cross border transactions touch on those jurisdictions where our correspondents and member firms operate.

We are members of the Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA) which our Senior Partner is the founding Chairman. The Firm is also a member of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria. We maintain affiliations to a network of international firms and experts in related fields of law whose services will be readily available where necessary for accomplishment of assigned tasks. In particular, members of the Firm are members of INSOL, the International voice of business restructuring and insolvency practice and IAEL, the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers amongst others.