Team

Julia Holden

Donatella Capelli

Partner

  • Print

Practice Areas

  • Pharma & Life Sciences Litigation
  • Regulatory (Life Sciences)
  • Advertising Litigation
  • Litigation

Having joined Trevisan & Cuonzo in 1999, Donatella is one of the firm’s most experienced IP lawyers and has been successful in a number of patent and trademark litigation matters before the Italian courts as well as before the European Court of Justice. After having mainly dealt with mechanical and electronic patent cases in the earlier part of her career, for the last 10 years she has focused on pharma and biotech litigation (including cross-border and multi-jurisdictional litigation). She also advises on a regular basis on advertising and unfair competition issues.

Her professional experience includes:

  • Representing some of the most important pharmaceutical companies (Anglo-Swedish, Spanish and German) in proceedings regarding patent/SPC validity and infringement, also advising on competition law and antitrust aspects
  • Representing a number of famous Italian companies in important cases concerning the validity and infringement of trademarks both before Italian High Courts and the European Court of Justice
  • Representing a multinational and world leading FMCG manufacturer - owner of internationally famous food and beverage, household and personal care brands - in a number of cases before the Italian Advertising Authority

Donatella has participated in various conferences on industrial property and pharmaceutical law as a speaker and has contributed to several publications on intellectual property. These inter alia include Proprietà industriale, intellettuale e IT, IPSOA Gruppo Wolters Kluwer, Milano, 2022.

Admission

Italy - Supreme Court (2015)
Italy - Avvocato (2002)

Education

University of Pavia (J.D. 1999 - magna cum laude)

Languages

Italian, English

  • Donatella Capelli is very engaged and an excellent fighter in court". The Legal 500, 2023
  • Donatella Capelli has been ranked among the top 250 women in IP across the globe by Managing Intellectual Property, 2023
  • Provides very good work, comes up with her own understanding of the case to adapt the arguments the most to the Italian judges.”. The Legal 500, 2022
  • She is a superb advocate, works really hard, and her grasp of complex scientific and medical issues is impressive. She drafts excellent briefs”. The Legal 500, 2021
  • "Donatella Capelli is a partner in the firm, an excellent advocate and is incredibly thorough and detail oriented. She also possesses a wealth of experience in this sector" [Healthcare and Life Sciences]. The Legal 500, 2020 
  • "I was very satisfied. Donatella was available for every need. The collaborations went very well... and she has a very good knowledge of our particular sector. When I need to explain something, I found myself speaking the same language as her ". IP Stars Handbook, Patents, 2014
Trevisan & Cuonzo | Donatella Capelli - Trevisan & Cuonzo