Marco Bianchi is a Milan-based intellectual property and commercial lawyer at Chiomenti who advises Chinese fashion and luxury brands on trademark registration, distribution, and brand acquisitions in Italy.

Practice Focus

He advises Chinese fashion and luxury brands on trademark protection, distribution agreements, and brand acquisition transactions.

Trademark Registration and Enforcement

He manages Italian trademark registrations and European Union Trade Mark applications for Chinese fashion brands, including opposition proceedings, invalidity actions, and customs seizure of counterfeit goods at Italian ports.

Distribution and Agency Agreements

Italian commercial agency law under Article 1742 of the Civil Code provides strong protections for agents, including mandatory indemnity upon termination. He advises on agency versus distribution structuring, exclusivity arrangements, and termination risks.

Professional Standards

Education

Universita Bocconi, J.D.; Columbia Law School, LL.M.

Languages

Italian, English, Mandarin Chinese

Bar Admission

2009 (Milan)

Firm

Chiomenti (Milan)

Working Method

Marco Bianchi structures intellectual property and commercial engagements for Chinese fashion and luxury brands through an integrated strategy combining trademark prosecution, brand protection enforcement, and commercial agreement structuring. For each client, he conducts a comprehensive brand asset audit covering existing trademark registrations in Italy and the EU, prior use rights, opposition and cancellation risks, and enforcement history. His methodology develops tailored IP strategies aligned with each brand's market positioning, distribution structure, and growth trajectory.

• ⚖️ Italian and EU trademark prosecution strategy including clearance searching, filing, and portfolio management
• 📜 Fashion and luxury brand enforcement programs including customs border protection and litigation management
• 🛡️ Distribution and agency agreement structuring compliant with Italian commercial agency protection laws
• 💼 Brand acquisition due diligence and IP portfolio valuation for Chinese group acquisitions of Italian brands

Client Considerations

Chinese fashion and luxury brands entering the Italian market should register trademarks with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office and EUIPO before launching commercial activities, conducting promotional campaigns, or disclosing brand plans to potential distributors. The distinction between agency and distribution relationships under Italian law carries significant commercial consequences, including mandatory agent indemnity payments of up to 12 months commissions upon termination. Marco Bianchi advises Chinese brands to engage Italian IP counsel during the market entry planning phase, before distribution agreements are negotiated or brand materials are disclosed to potential Italian partners.

The Italian fashion and luxury market operates under distinct legal frameworks for trademark protection, commercial agency relationships, and brand enforcement that differ materially from Chinese and other European systems. Chinese luxury brands that invest in comprehensive Italian IP protection strategies before market entry, carefully structure their distribution relationships to avoid mandatory agent indemnity obligations, and implement proactive customs enforcement programs achieve substantially stronger market position and brand value protection than those that address these issues reactively after commercial launch.

Local Practice in Milan

Milan serves as Italy's fashion and design capital, hosting Fashion Week, major fashion houses including Prada, Versace, Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, and a dense ecosystem of fashion-related legal, commercial, and creative services professionals. The Milan IP specialized court section handles the majority of significant fashion and luxury brand litigation. Marco Bianchi's Milan-based practice provides direct access to the fashion industry ecosystem, the Italian Patent and Trademark Office for filing and prosecution matters, and the Milan IP bar specializing in fashion and luxury brand protection.

Professional Standards

Every IP and commercial engagement receives documented legal analysis with clear identification of filing deadlines, enforcement options, and strategic recommendations. Fee arrangements are confirmed in writing before substantive work commences, with fixed fee schedules available for standard trademark filing programs and time-based billing for litigation, enforcement, and complex commercial agreement matters. Marco Bianchi provides Chinese clients with quarterly Italian IP law updates covering trademark office practice changes, court decisions affecting fashion brand protection, and EU trademark regulation developments.

Practical Engagement Process for Chinese Fashion Brands

Marco Bianchi's Italian market entry engagements follow a structured process aligned with trademark filing timelines and commercial agreement negotiation schedules. The pre-entry phase addresses trademark clearance searching in Italy and the EU, brand protection strategy development, and market entry structure recommendation distinguishing agency, distribution, and franchise arrangements. The filing phase covers Italian and EU trademark application preparation, opposition monitoring, and customs watch application filing for border enforcement. The commercial agreement phase covers distribution agreement drafting compliant with Italian competition law and commercial agent protection requirements, and quality control and brand consistency provisions for licensing arrangements. The enforcement phase covers infringement monitoring, customs seizure coordination, and civil or criminal enforcement action for counterfeit goods.

Client Communication and Reporting

Marco Bianchi provides Chinese fashion and luxury brand clients with regular status updates on trademark filing progress, enforcement actions, and Italian IP law developments. Monthly case status reports summarize trademark application progress, opposition monitoring results, and enforcement action developments. Quarterly Italian IP law updates cover trademark office practice changes, court decisions affecting brand protection, and EU trademark regulation developments. Annual brand protection reviews evaluate trademark portfolio strength, enforcement program effectiveness, and next-year strategy recommendations aligned with the client's Italian market growth plans.