The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
Silver - Individuals: litigation and transactions
An eminent name in IP practice, SBGK has been at the cutting edge of patent law development in Hungary for decades, by virtue of its client activities and extra-curricular engagement in policy and legislative initiatives and knowledge sharing. The ensemble can be relied on to take care of the most complex matters – contentious and non-contentious – and deploys wide-ranging technical expertise and sharpened legal and strategic skills to drive satisfying outcomes. Providing superb leadership are chemical engineer Zsolt Szentpéteri, who serves as managing partner of SBGK Patent Attorneys and as a member of the board of the same and SBG Attorneys at Law, and Katalin Szamosi, the president of the firm and managing partner of its lawyer branch. They have recently been working together on an important lawsuit in the pharmaceutical sector. Another top contact for contentious matters is Péter Lukácsi, whose abundant trial experience inspires confidence. The support of Ádám György is also a near guarantee of a good outcome in high-profile litigation; he has represented a patron before the European Court of Justice in a patent case, as has Lukácsi.For those interested in prosecution, a valuable senior-level contact includes Katalin Mészárosné Dónusz, who anchors the mechanical engineering practice. A key attribute of Mészárosné is her proficiency in handling international work for major Hungarian patrons.
Ádám György is a partner and attorney at law at SBGK who has been involved in numerous complex IP cases and represented clients before the Court of Justice of the European Union. As a result, Dr György has acquired unique expertise in designs and trademarks.
Dr György holds a law degree from Eötvös Loránd University and an LLM in IP and competition law from the Munich Intellectual Property Law Centre. After gaining professional experience at several foreign law firms, he returned to Budapest and started his Hungarian legal career as an attorney. He is currently a PhD candidate at ELTE University.
The Legal 500, WTR 1000 and IAM Patent 1000 have each recognised his legal talents, and IFLR named him as a Rising Star Europe in 2020 in the trademark category.
Dr György publishes extensively and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences, from Munich through Alicante to Lima. He is also an active member of the legal profession and, as a mentor, he helps young designers and start-uppers.
In 2018 he was elected to the New Membership Committee of the Budapest Bar Association. He is also a mentor of the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency and the leader of the Legal Committee of Young Entrepreneurs Association Hungary.
In addition, Dr György is a member of the Council of Experts on Industrial Property and the Council of Copyright Experts in Hungary and plays an active role in several prominent international IP organisations, including INTA, the ECTA Organising Committee, and the Union Design Committee and the Design Committee of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property.
With more than 50 years of professional experience, SBGK Attorneys at Law and Patent Attorneys provides outstanding services in all commercial law areas, especially IP law, to domestic and international clients active in over 20 different industry sectors. Our lawyers and patent attorneys have decades of experience in all aspects of the defence and enforcement of IP rights. SBGK’s clients can rely on the expertise of our attorneys and patent attorneys in the area of legal proceedings required to secure IP rights and utilise the acquired rights. SBGK’s team of paralegals perform routine jobs associated with our clients’ IP rights quickly and with precision, under the supervision of our attorneys and patent attorneys. These tasks include IP rights portfolio management, patent annuities payment, preparing trademark searches and patent freedom-to-operate searches, as well as the completion of trademark, domain name and customs monitoring-related work. SBGK’s IP department is a well-known, reliable partner and an innovative, constantly available legal service provider that keeps abreast of law and practice developments.
SBGK’s attorneys at law are qualified to represent clients before the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the EU General Court and the Court of Justice (ECJ). Similarly, SBGK’s patent attorneys are all registered as European patent attorneys and can represent clients before the European Patent Office and the EUIPO.
SBGK has represented Unilever NV before the ECJ in the first-ever preliminary ruling referral to the ECJ from a Hungarian court in a trademark matter. Similarly, our firm also represented Rubik’s Ltd, one of the best-known brands in the toy industry, before the General Court and the ECJ in a landmark trademark case that received high media and press publicity. Furthermore, SBGK provided legal advice to its client in a case referred to the ECJ in relation to the interpretation of Article 9(7) of the EU Enforcement Directive. The interpretation of that provision has an important effect on patent litigation and in particular on compensation claims resulting from unjustified preliminary injunctions.
In addition to SBGK’s strong IP practice, the firm helps foreign investors set up their business in Europe and provides them with all the necessary legal services in company establishment, mergers and acquisitions, competition law, employment law matters and various other commercial transactions.
Network
As the leading IP law firm in Hungary, SBGK offers not only professional services but also access to a broad network of international contacts that include well-known national and international firms of attorneys at law and patent attorneys, thus guaranteeing high-quality services. SBGK’s attorneys at law and patent attorneys are members of and hold various positions in international IP organisations, such as:
- the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property;
- the International Trademark Association;
- the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys;
- the European Communities Trademark Association;
- MARQUES;
- UNION;
- the Pharmaceutical Trademarks Group;
- the Licensing Executives Society International; and
- the Institute of Professional Representatives before the EPO.
Gateway to Europe
SBGK is looking to broaden its professional network and form partnerships with foreign patent and trademark attorneys to represent clients from Europe and further afield in international IP matters. SBGK can provide a one-stop-shop for European patent, Patent Cooperation Treaty, EU trademark and registered Community design applications.