Gian Paolo Di Santo
(The following information was supplied by the firm)
PARTNER
Head of the Industrial and Intellectual Property Department
Bar Admissions
– Member of the Milan Bar
– Admitted to appear before the Italian Supreme Court
Education
– University of Bologna (Law Degree cum laude)
Languages
– Italian (native speaker)
– English
Gian Paolo Di Santo joined Pavia e Ansaldo in 1981 and has been a partner since 1991. He is now Senior Partner of the firm and head of the Industrial and Intellectual Property Department. Gian Paolo is working out of our Milan office.
Over the years Gian Paolo’s practice has developed into all areas of industrial and intellectual property, including patents, trade marks and other distinctive marks, supplementary protection certificates, copyright, design, software, geographical indications, know-how and trade secrets, unfair competition, advertising and labelling, telecommunications, media and entertainment, IT, e-commerce, franchising and licensing contracts.
Gian Paolo is specialized in the management of complex contentious cases (precautionary and on merits) which are often international in scope, working closely with foreign clients and professionals, coordinating defense strategies and actions over a number of jurisdictions and disciplines (civil, administrative, criminal and antitrust). He has advised on numerous “bet the company” and “landmark” cases in the pharmaceutical, IT, fashion and luxury goods industries, analysing the most topical and hotly debated issues of the moment in those sectors. Gian Paolo represents leading artists and foundations in copyright matters.
Recent years have seen marked development in the importance of non-contentious advisory work (e.g. relating to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, licensing contracts, transfer of technology, distribution and franchising) in sectors characterised by a high degree of technological innovation and those requiring strategic management of complex portfolios of IP rights of groups operating in Italy and abroad.
Gian Paolo is a member of the IP Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, Italian representative on committees for the safeguarding of IP rights at international events (Première Vision, Paris), a member of AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle) and a member of LES International.
He is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA).