Ginevra Righini

She/herPartner

I love my work and get immense satisfaction when there's a good synergy with my clients. I like to listen, understand their needs and goals and deliver high-quality results.

Emailginevra.righini@akd.partners

Call+39 02 80 618 1

Milan

About

Ginevra Righini is the head of the Italian IP portfolio management team. She is a bilingual English/Italian intellectual property lawyer specialised in trade marks, geographical indications (GIs), design and domain names.

She assists multinational and EU-based companies, primarily in the food & beverage, consumer goods, mobility and renewable energy sectors, with the global management of their trade marks, designs and domain names. She advises on re-branding strategies and the registration of traditional and non-traditional trade marks, designs, and domain names and represents clients in all administrative proceedings before trade mark offices, including the General Court of the European Union.

Ginevra has also extensive experience assisting Italian and foreign GI producer groups with the global protection and enforcement of GIs and has won landmark cases that have shaped the enforcement of GIs.

Areas of FocusIntellectual Property Consumer Goods, Food and Retail Trademark and Copyright Counseling, Strategy, Enforcement and Prosecution

Professional QualificationsAvvocato admitted to the Milan Bar

EXPERIENCE

Assisted Comit Champagne and INAO in a landmark case before the EU General Court that resulted in the rejection of the EU trade mark NERO CHAMPAGNE for Champane wine and related services and that is set to shape the the future of GI enforcement and to amend the practice of the EUIPO.
Assisting Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma in the enforcement worldwide of the PDO Prosciutto di Parma and in the global management of the collective trade mark rights.
Assisting Gruppo Montenegro in the global management of their entire IP portfolio, comprising +2,000 marks for spirits and foodstuffs.
Assisted Seara Alimentos Ltda., a Brazilian food company, part of the JBS Group, the world s largest producer of animal protein and a major player in plant-based protein: conducting trade mark gap analysis, securing a worldwide settlement agreement with a Turkish competitor, which lead to the withdrawal of multiple cancellation and opposition proceedings before the EUIPO and trademark offices in the UK, France, Kosovo and Israel.
Assisting Nadara Limited, one of Europe's largest renewable energy IPPs, in the management of their global IP portfolio following assistance with the rebranding process.
Assisting Telepass S.p.A., a leading company in the field of mobility, in the global management of their IP portfolio and assisting them in multiple complex opposition proceedings before the EUIPO.

Languages

Awards

In October 2024, Ginevra was appointed Dame Chevalier de l Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne in recognition of her contributions to the protection of the PDO Champagne.
In April 2025, Ginevra was recognised as Next Generation Partner for IP and Food by The Legal 500 EMEA.

Education

University of Milan, Law degree

University of Bristol (UK), Intellectual Property Course

Publications

When menus mislead - thoughts on the sanctioning system protecting PDOs (Foodcommunity, 11 July 2025)
New European regulation on geographical indications for wines and agricultural products ( Foodcommunity, 14 March 2025)
Uniform European protection for craft and industrial products: the new geographical indications (NT+ Diritto, 17 February 2025)
Greater protection for PDOs and PGIs: the ban on the registration of evocative, usurpative, or imitative trademarks is strengthened (NT+ Diritto, 29 August 2023)
The protection of food and wine excellences (NT+ Diritto, 16 February 2023)
"Considerations on the protection of the shape of a car as a shape trade mark" ("Il Foro Padano" journal, January 2009, no. 1)
"Considerations on the possible conflict of "ambiguous" trade marks with accepted principles of morality and protection of alphabetical trade marks" ("Il Foro Padano" journal, January 2007, no.1)
"Considerations on the existence of unfair competition in the event of potential damage" ("Il Foro Padano" journal, July 2006, no. 3/4)
“Made in Italy”, World Trademark Law Report, May 2004

Seminars

June 2025 - Case law in the EU on the conflict between GIs and trade marks at the oriGIn 2025 Expert Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland
June 2024 - Bilateral meeting EUIPO oriGIn, Geneva, Switzerland
April 2025 - Protection of intellectual property at Master in Medical and Pharmaceutical Law at Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
March 2025 - Trade marks and geographical indications at Glocal at Cantine Florio, Marsala, Italy
September 2024 - The protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products at University degli Studi dell'Insubria, Como, Italy
October 2023 - Contrasting fake Made in Italy at International Blue Economy Expo at Mazzara del Vallo, Italy
October 2023 - Emerging legal issues in conflicts between GIs and trade marks at Biennual meeting at oriGIn, Geneva, Switzerland
November 2009 - Series of lectures on "Copyright protection of design" at the University of Camerino (Italy) (PhD course)
June 2008 - Series of lectures on "An overview of recent court decisions regarding intellectual property: trademarks and patents" at PhD course organised by Just Legal Services (Milan)
February 2007/June 2006 - Series of lectures on the "Legal Status of Domain Names" at the University of Camerino (Italy) (PhD course)

Prior Experience

May 2024 to date, Partner, AKD Partners, Milan
May 2023 Apr. 2024, Counsel, AKD Partners, Milan
Apr. 2022 Apr. 2023, Senior Lawyer, AKD Partners, Milan
Feb. 2012 Apr. 2022, IP Boutique Law Firm, Milan
Mar. 2010 Jan. 2012, IP Boutique Law Firm, Milan
May 2005 Feb. 2010, Global Law Firm, Milan

Scientific Activity

November 2009 - Series of lectures on "Copyright protection of design" at the University of Camerino (Italy) (PhD course)
June 2008 - Series of lectures on "An overview of recent court decisions regarding intellectual property: trademarks and patents" at PhD course organised by Just Legal Services (Milan)
February 2007/June 2006 - Series of lectures on the "Legal Status of Domain Names" at the University of Camerino (Italy) (PhD course)

Memberships And Affiliations

Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and of the Sustainability Subgroup of the Geographical Indications Committee of INTA
Member of oriGIn (the Organisation for an International Geographical Indications Network)
Member of AIDV (Association Internationale des Juristes du Droit de la Vigne et du Vin)
Member of PTMG (Pharmaceutical Trade Mark Group)