At Bär & Karrer, we advise our clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious intellectual property related matters. These include the filing and prosecution of trademark and design applications and the representation of clients in all kind of intellectual property related proceedings before courts and administrative authorities in Switzerland, including the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, the Federal Patent Court, the Federal Administrative Court and the Swiss Supreme Court, as well as in international arbitrations involving intellectual property issues.

Our services also include the handling of transactions involving intellectual property rights, including the drafting and negotiation of technology transfers, licensing, collaboration, research & development, joint venture, franchising and similar agreements as well as IP due diligence in the context of M&A transactions.

Extensive expertise on a broad scale

Our clients include domestic and foreign corporations from start-ups to large multinational groups and we have a strong focus on the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical devices, machinery, telecom, information technology, sports, textile, luxury goods and financial services sectors. Our excellent working relationship with intellectual property experts in other jurisdictions also allows us to act as a single point of contact for our clients' needs at an international level.

The areas of our intellectual property practice include:

• Intellectual property and IT-related litigations and arbitrations
• Advising on and implementing international protection strategies in the field of trademarks and designs
• Technology transfer, licensing and other transactions involving intellectual property rights
• Drafting and negotiating software and other IT agreements as well as outsourcing contracts
• IP support in connection with M&A transactions, including due diligence