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.
Recommended - Individuals: prosecution
Zacco continues to be an outfit of choice for a wide range of domestic and international players and its recent acquisition of local Norwegian set Tandberg has further strengthened its position as a top-quality offering at the intersection of commercial and technical understanding. Four of its practitioners – Hans Langan, Rita Lillegraven, Anna Sønstevold and Stein Aamot – are ranked in the guide this year, and they embody a client-oriented approach. Langan is considered by peers to be “one of Norway’s leading patent attorneys” and he draws on his mechanical engineering background to provide clear and technically sound guidance that always puts his patrons’ goals first. Leveraging a background in chemistry, Lillegraven effortlessly manages portfolios for names such as Dynea, a leading entity in industrial coating additives. She frequently teams up with Sønstevold. Recently, the duo assisted renewable energy company Neste Oyjin with several opposition matters. “As he manages patent portfolios and produces crucial strategies, Aamot demonstrates a keen comprehension of technical concepts.” He brings ideas to fruition with ease and supports his service users as they grow.
Anne Sønstevold has worked as a patent attorney in private practice since 1997, including three years of operating in-house within the patent department of GE Healthcare. She joined Zacco in 2001.
Ms Sønstevold’s considerable patent expertise covers a wide range of both traditional and emerging technologies within the fields of chemistry, biotechnology, life sciences, food technology and healthcare. She is regularly tasked with advising on the development, practical uses and management of her clients’ patent portfolios, offering professional opinions and assisting with litigation and enforcement. Alongside the drafting and prosecution of patent applications, she is also able to assist with patent landscaping, IP due diligence and IP risk management.
Prior to working in intellectual property, Ms Sønstevold spent more than 10 years as a researcher at GE Healthcare, the Norwegian Radium Hospital and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment. This experience established both her knowledge and understanding of the ‘real world’ practical uses of patents and ideas – an insight that she is regularly able to share with both colleagues and clients.
Ms Sønstevold graduated with an MSc in biology (physiology) from the University of Oslo in 1983. She is a member of the Association of Norwegian Patent Agents, the Norwegian Society of Chartered Engineers, NIR, the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and the Norwegian Physiological Association.
She is regularly recognised as a recommended individual in the IAM Patent 1000 from Intellectual Asset Management.
Zacco is an international full-service IP solutions and brand protection specialist, with around 125 authorised patent attorneys and 75 authorised trademark and design attorneys, operating globally and in most sectors. Our combined aim is to view the world as our customers do, building practical strategies that cover their IP, brand character and content.
Zacco became a part of the OpSec Group in 2023 so we are now around 1300 experts. Together we help organisations to develop, manage and protect the value of their IP throughout its lifecycle. Combining physical and digital brand protection solutions to bring authenticity and assurance, from the creation of new assets and identities, to monetisation of rights and content, to protection against infringement and abuse.
Zacco, and many of our colleagues, regularly achieve Top Tier rankings and recommendations from Managing Intellectual Property, World Trademark Review, Intellectual Asset Management and The Legal 500, which we believe independently verifies our commitment to quality, excellence and innovation.
Patent, Trademark and Design Prosecution
Our international presence means a single point of contact can handle IP prosecution in multiple jurisdictions. Many of our patent attorneys are authorised EPAs so we have an expert ready to advise you on nearly all current and emerging fields of technology. As a client, you will find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner able to help you secure, monetise and enforce your ideas, whether you work physically in chemistry, greentech, mechanics, materials or biotech, or digitally in digitalisation, software, AI or machine learning, among other areas. We also provide many IP portfolio management and in-sourced services, such as in-house paralegals.
Our trademark and design practice assists all industries with filing and prosecution, availability and infringement opinions and has a special focus on EU trademark practice, including oppositions, cancellations and appeals before the EUIPO.
We cover ten European jurisdictions directly including the EUIPO/EPO, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Austria and Switzerland, and operate internationally through a comprehensive network of trusted long-term global partners.
Litigation and Disputes
When in need of expertise in IP litigation and dispute matters, clients can rely on Zacco. We are renowned experts in IP, with both the legal and the technical proficiency in-house to successfully represent your interests and enforce your IP rights. This could be directly, in cooperation with leading law firms, or providing litigation and technical support to other counsel or trusted representatives before the authorities.
The legal practice serves all industries with advice and assistance related to IP. This includes due diligence, drafting and negotiation of contracts or licensing agreements, or Data Protection, marketing law and other compliance matters. We also advise on e-commerce, litigation, domain name conflict resolution, customs surveillance and counterfeit prevention, among other areas. Zacco has successfully represented international clients in proceedings before national courts and the European Court of Justice.
Digital Brands and Security
With a significant portion of IP infringement now taking place online, we have introduced services to help clients stay ahead of new and emerging threats to both physical and digital IP. Our Digital Brands team can actively monitor your IP and brand rights online, assisting with registration and securing of traditional and emerging domains, and identifying and removing potential counterfeits or infringements across online marketplaces, social media and the metaverse. We also provide cybersecurity training and testing, digital forensics and secure software development services.
IP 360: The Future of Intellectual Property
Zacco takes care of our clients’ innovation, identity and digital assets – everything that you literally cannot put your finger on. We help define them, evaluate them, release their hidden value and protect them, both now and in the future.
The world changes, and so do we. Zacco continuously evolves to best serve the changing needs of IP. Digitalisation means traditional borders or sectors no longer apply and we have broadened our scope of services to meet the implications, threats and opportunities that emerge.
More than 150 years of innovative thinking
We have a long history of protecting, monetising and enforcing IP, and list many leading brands and innovators as clients. Our focus on close collaboration, technical expertise and high quality makes Zacco one of Europe’s leading IP solutions specialists.