Carmen is Managing Partner and founding partner of castellano ip – studio legale.
Carmen specializes in contentious and non-contentious IP, in all areas of IP, including in the sector of distinctive signs (trademarks, domain names, company names, etc.), patents, designs and models, copyright, advertising and competition law.
She graduated from the University “Aldo Moro” of Bari in 2003 and was admitted to the (Milan) Bar in 2006.
She has specialized experience in contentious and non-contentious IP, in all areas of IP, including patents, design and trademark law, copyright and unfair competition and she regularly represents clients in front of various Italian Courts.
Additionally, she advises on anti-counterfeiting issues, transfer and exploitation of intellectual property rights, consumer law, labelling and employees’ inventions.
Carmen assists a variety of domestic and international clients across a wide range of industry sectors including fashion, automotive, information technology, publishing and food.
Prior to founding castellano ip – studio legale, Carmen was Managing Partner of the Italian office of acuminis (2019), an American boutique, specialised in intellectual property law and, prior to that, she headed the Italian intellectual property team at Allen & Overy. Before that, she worked for 10 years at IP boutique Jacobacci & Associati in Milan. Carmen has also worked in the intellectual property team of Gianni Origoni law firm (2006) and she was an intern at Reuters Italia (2007).
Her legal education has a strong international background and includes Post-graduate Course in International Trade Law, University Institute of European Studies and the International Labour Organisation, Turin (2006); post-graduate diploma in UK, US and EU Copyright law, King’s College, London (2012).
Carmen completed her legal training at the District Attorney Office of the State (Avvocatura Distrettuale dello Stato) in Bari (2003), as well as the notary public training and notarial specialization courses at the Notary School of Prof. Guido Capozzi and the Neapolitan Notary School Lodovico Genghini (2006).
Carmen has been an active member of the Unfair Competition Committee (2018-2022), of the Non-Traditional Marks Committee (2021-2023) and of the Trade Secrets Committee (2024), within INTA (International Trademark Association), and member of the Unfair Competition team within Marques, since 2021.
Carmen is member of the European Leadership team di ChIPs (nonprofit organization that advances and connects women in technology, law and policy) as well as co-head e co-founder of the relevant Italian Chapter.
Carmen was ranked by the most prestigious international directories in Intellectual Property Law. In particular, after having been ranked as ‘IP Rising Star Professional’ by the IP Stars International guide in 2018 and 2019, she was included amongst the ‘Notable Partitioners’ in 2020/2021 and, steadily, as of 2022, as Trademark Star. Carmen has been ranked as top ‘Litigator and enforcement practitioner’ by WTR1000 since 2020. As of 2022, Carmen was ranked as “silver” practitioner in intellectual property in Italy and described by WTR1000 as devising “rigorously business-oriented strategies that drive commercial growth for her following. She is the founder of Castellano IP, which continues to go from strength to strength and is a solid partner to have onside when dealing with enforcement matters”.
Carmen is a frequent speaker and moderator at international conferences on intellectual property matters (including INTA).
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