Michel Muhlstein
Attorney at law, Of Counsel
Michel Muhlstein regularly advises and represents national and multinational companies, ranging from SMEs to large corporations, in the fields of intellectual property (trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, company name, name), unfair competition and employment law.
He is a member of numerous associations specialising in intellectual property and has been recognised as a leading Swiss IP specialist for half a century. Michel Muhlstein frequently writes articles in his fields of activity.
Intellectual Property
Commercial & Company law
Employment Law
Private Clients & Inheritance Law
Intellectual Property
Commercial & Company law
Employment Law
Private Clients & Inheritance Law
Michel Muhlstein’s clients include national and multinational companies, ranging from start-ups and independent entrepreneurs to SMEs and large companies. He advises clients on various matters, including:
- Legal and arbitration representation in infringement and nullity actions (trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, company name, name)
- Disputes relating to know-how, trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright and domain names
- Contractual litigation (licenses, assignment, R&D, franchises, technology transfers, distribution, joint ventures)
- Drafting and negotiating all contracts relating to intellectual property/R&D (including licensing, assignment, publishing, franchising, agencies, distribution, non-competition, joint ventures, know-how, technology transfer, R&D)
- Employment law
Michel Muhlstein is a member of numerous associations specialising in intellectual property and has been recognised as one of Switzerland’s premier specialists in the IP field for five decades. He is also one of the editors of the specialised journal sic! and often writes articles on intellectual property rights (notably in the Commentaire romand Propriété intellectuelle).
Professional Experience
1982 Partner, Junod, Guyet, Muhlstein & Lévy (now Junod, Muhlstein, Lévy & Puder)
1972 – 1981 Associate, Junod and Guyet
Education and admission
1972 Admission to the bar, Geneva
1970 Law degree (lic. iur.), University of Geneva
Additional professional activities
Member of various professional associations:
- Swiss Society of Jurists (SSJ)
- Geneva Association of Business Law (AGDA)
- Swiss Group, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
- French-Speaking Switzerland Association for Intellectual Property (AROPI)
- Institut für gewerblichen Rechtsschutz (Ingres)
- Club of the Centre for Business Law – Industrial Law, Copyright, Commercial Law – of the University of Lausanne (CEDIDAC)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW)
- European Community Trademark Association (ECTA)
- LES-CH, Swiss group of Licensing Executives Society International (LESI)
- French Association of Trademark and Design Law Practitioners (APRAM)
Distinctions/Recognitions
World’s Leading Trademark Professionals (WTR1000) (Michel Muhlstein “who has over five decades of experience under his belt and cannot be stumped by any enforcement conundrum”)
French, English, German and Italian
Publications & Conferences
Constitution et vie d’une société (2018)
Constitution et vie d'une société : raison de commerce, enseigne, marque(s) et concurrence déloyale (in Not@lex 1/2018)
L’homme du métier en droit des brevets et ses fonctions (2019)
L'homme du métier en droit des brevets et ses fonctions (in Mélanges à la mémoire by Bernard Corboz, Schulthess, Zurich, 2019)
The registration or opposition procedure in trademark law (2014 – present)
Summaries in French of judgments handed down by the Federal Administrative Court concerning the registration or opposition procedure in trademark law. Case law notes in the Swiss Review of Intellectual Property (RSPI-SMI)
Commentaire romand (2013)
Commentaire romand, Helbing Lichtenhahn, Basel, Art. 31 to 35 of the Trademark Protection Act (opposition proceedings) and Art. 28 of the Design Law