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Joseph Mandour
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Roberto is the founding lawyer of the law firm WebLegal. Thanks to his extensive experience, published articles, and significant professional successes in complex fields such as internet law and the protection of intellectual property for new plant varieties, he is recognized among national and international experts in intellectual property.
Among the key milestones of his professional development are internships in Paris, where he deepened his knowledge of wine law and geographical indications, and in Brussels, where he specialized in competition and distribution law. As in-house counsel at Bid.it! Spa, a pioneer in the Internet industry around the 2000s, he tackled complex issues related to new technology law, documenting his expertise through numerous published articles as a columnist for the historic magazine “InterLex” on topics such as digital signatures, software patents, trademarks, and domain names.
By combining the international dimension of intellectual property law with an innovative vision of the potential of the Internet, Roberto made a bold and forward-thinking decision by founding his firm in the heart of Federico II’s Puglia, a land rich in history and tradition. Trani, the land of Moscato wine, was the birthplace in 1063 of the first legal framework for maritime law, the Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris.
This decision paid off and explains the name and DNA of WebLegal: an IP boutique inspired by the web that, since its foundation in 2006, has operated in a ‘glocal’ mode, integrating a global perspective with attention to local specifics, thus also positioning the firm at the service of a magnificent territory.
These are some of the core values of WebLegal, an internationally oriented practice-driven firm with an innovative vision, built on the idea of the “circularity of IP law,” which reflects the need to address intellectual property issues in an integrated and systematic manner. This method, which transcends national boundaries and embraces an international dimension, allows the firm to challenge the status quo and propose original and cutting-edge solutions. Thanks to this philosophy, WebLegal has established itself as a leading player in the international arena, boasting decades-long collaborations with clients worldwide.
Backed by his knowledge of domain name protection, Roberto assists clients in the resolution of domain name disputes and works as an arbitrator for several dispute resolution service providers. He is also one of the few professionals to deal with new plant variety law, representing the interests of (inter alia) major US marketing companies, both in the registration and prosecution of titles before the EU Offices (EUIPO, CPVO), and in litigation before national courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
He heads the White List Team, a network of highly specialised professionals able to guarantee locally, in the main EU countries, an effective monitoring and enforcement activity in the field of intellectual property – with particular reference to patent rights on new plant varieties – as well as in the fight against counterfeiting activities in the agri-food sector.
Roberto regularly participates as a speaker in seminars and conferences and is also the author of numerous industry publications. Among his most significant contributions are:
Italian, English and French
Tango, SSC Napoli enthusiast, spearfishing, sailing, fooding
Selena is an Italian-qualified lawyer, with extensive international experience in legal consulting, litigation and out-of-court assistance in the domain of Intellectual Property (IP) protection and enforcement and life science regulatory matters, especially relating to agriculture, horticulture and the food industry.
After a stint practicing law in top-tier law firms in Italy and Denmark – taking her first steps in the plant variety protection area in this very Law Firm – Selena served as Legal Unit and Registry Trainee at the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) in Angers (France), then holding the position of Legal Counsel at CIOPORA, the International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Plant Varieties based in Hamburg (Germany), for a few years.
Returned to Italy at the beginning of 2024, she decided to resume the legal practice and embarked on a new collaboration at WebLegal Law Firm, as Counsel.
Thanks to her highly specialized international career path in the plant breeding industry, coupled with her long-standing interest in plant variety protection matters and cross-cutting issues relating to the agri-food sector, Selena has a deep understanding of the critical issues affecting the horticultural and agricultural sectors, thus being able to assist companies and industry operators along the production and distribution chain (breeders, nurseries, growers, distributors, food companies …) on various matters ranging from the protection of their intangible assets to labelling and other food regulatory matters, in a targeted and effective way, according to their specific needs.
Italian, English, French and basic understanding of Spanish and German
Cooking, Tennis, Dancing, Theatre, Walks outdoors, Travels
Elena is an Italian-qualified lawyer with specialised training in European Intellectual Property Law and professional experience both at university and in Italian and foreign law firms.
After practising law in Rome for some years, where she was also Assistant Professor of private law at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome and Tutor at the Luiss Business School, she moved to Stockholm, collaborating with an Italian-Swedish law firm and obtaining a Master’s degree in European Intellectual Property Law from Stockholm University.
She returned to Italy in 2021 and joined the WebLegal team as Associate Lawyer.
Elena has developed particular expertise in the trademark area. Therefore, besides providing support in the management of the European trademark portfolio (trademark clearance, filing, renewal, …), she assists the Team in administrative proceedings before the UIBM and EUIPO, as well as in national litigation and drafting of contracts of various kinds. She also assists in national proceedings concerning the protection of plant variety rights.
Italian and English
Rowing, running, ballroom dancing, and theatre
Anna is one of the ‘pillars’ of the WebLegal Law Firm, where she has been working as a lawyer since 2011, beyond ensuring its smooth running.
Anna supports the Team in providing judicial and extrajudicial assistance to national clients as well as in filing applications for industrial property rights before the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM). Given her strong organizational and managerial skills, Anna also oversees all the administrative and accounting activities of the Law Firm, ensuring an efficient scheduling of deadlines and case files and compliance with tax obligations.
Italian and English
Jogging, Rowing, Photography, Cooking
Andrea joined WebLegal as a Legal Assistant in 2016, after a work experience in Australia. He is one of the Law Firm’s ‘veterans’, in charge of managing Enforcement activities, as well as a valuable reference figure supporting the entire Team.
Andrea is the ‘first point of contact’ for the international coordination of anti-counterfeiting and custom enforcement activities carried out by the White List Team.
As a fervent supporter of ‘team-working’, Andrea also assists the other professionals of the Law Firm in various internal and external activities, particularly overseeing the development of ‘Business and Social Media Development’ strategies for the Law Firm, as well as data analysis and assistance in the administrative-accounting area.
Italian and English
Biking, Swimming, Hiking, Art and Tourism