Vittorio Cerulli Irelli

Vittorio is a partner of the firm and an expert litigator. In his 18 years of courtroom experience, Vittorio has successfully represented many multinational clients before the Italian and European Union courts and agencies in a broad range of high-profile cases with an international dimension. He holds a PhD from the University of London, has published extensively on a broad range of issues and has repeatedly provided expert opinions on Italian law to the German, Dutch and UK Courts. Vittorio joined Trevisan & Cuonzo in 2008 and heads the Rome office of the firm.

His professional experience at Trevisan & Cuonzo includes:

• Acting in multiple standard essential patent (SEP) cases for Korean, Japanese, U.S., French and Chinese clients
• Acting in multiple proceedings before the Italian and EU antitrust agencies in cases concerning alleged refusals to deal, software platforms, DRMs, package licenses, violations of FRAND obligations by SEP holders, hardcore cartels
• Acting in a number of high profile referrals to the Court of Justice of the European Union
• Acting in multiple patent infringement cases regarding electronics, mechanical, and chemical patents
• Acting in multiple follow on competition law damages actions 
• Acting in multiple copyright, trademark, design and trade secret cases for a variety of Italian and multinational clients in the luxury, pharmaceutical, food, automotive, art and consumer electronics industries
• Advising on aspects of Italian law in a number of expert opinions to be provided to the UK High Court and the UK Supreme Court in renowned patent and trademark cases

Vittorio’s IP, antitrust, and contentious matters have spanned across a wide range of technologies, including mobile and fixed telecommunication networks (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, LTE, 5G, DSL, LAN, WiFi), semiconductors (SDRAM, power and voltage supply, packaging, PCBs and PCB testing), software (image recognition, machine learning, autonomous driving solutions, social media features, UIs, EPGs), chemical products (aerogel and other nanotech materials, bone cements, UV inks), technologies for the textile (printing machines, fibers) and automotive industries (airbags, steering tech, frames, sensors, ABS, suspension systems, components for gardening and agricultural machinery), automation (packaging systems, automated warehouses, smart meters), plant engineering (LNG lines, HVDC transmission plants, steel and metal plants and machinery, fire-fighting systems), consumer electronics, FMCGs (food, cosmetics), pharmaceutical products and API, medical devices.

Vittorio regularly teaches patent and intellectual property law in a number of master programs. He has published a number of works on both intellectual property law and the interaction between IP rights and antitrust law, including the recent manual “Antitrust e Proprietà Intellettuale”, edited by Wolters Kluwer, which is the first comprehensive analysis on the interface between IPRs and competition law in Italy. He is also regularly interviewed by the general press for IP and antitrust related issues.