Maria Balestriero

Maria has over twenty years of solid experience in intellectual property, advising clients in both contentious and non-contentious matters relating to trademarks, designs, copyright and know-how, with a particular focus on patents.

She handles IP litigation both at national level and in complex cross-border disputes across various sectors: Life Sciences-Healthcare, Digital-Media-Tech and Fashion.

She has successfully worked on numerous cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union, as well as administrative procedures before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM).

Maria also assists clients with licensing, technology and knowhow transfers, privative transfers, distribution, coexistence, confidentiality, and protection of trade secrets.

She currently serves as secretary of the IP and Antitrust Commission of the Milan Bar Association and is a member of the Unified Patent Court group.

She is also a member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) Italy, the European Patent Litigation Association (EPLIT), and the Chiefs in Intellectual Property (ChIPs) network.

She has been appointed Ambassador of the IP Business Academy, the training blog on Intellectual Property management of CEIPI (Centre d’Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle, University of Strasbourg, France).
Maria is ranked by Legal500 2025 as “key lawyer” in the Intellectual Property area, by IAM Patent 1000 2025 in the “Individuals: Litigation” category (Bronze), by IP Stars – Managing IP 2025 as “Rising Star” and by WTR 1000 2025 (World Trademark Review – The world’s leading trademark professionals) in the “Individuals: enforcement and litigation” category (Bronze).

She is the author of numerous publications and has written several articles and in-depth analyses concerning the Unified Patent Court.

Maria graduated from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan in 2000. At the same time, she also earned a master’s degree in intellectual property from the Intellectual Property Center – IPC, Verona (currently offered by PoliMi Politecnico di Milano as the trademarks and patents course).

She earned an advanced university degree in patent litigation in Europe at the CEIPI (Centre d’Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle), University of Strasbourg, France, with a focus on litigation before the Unified Patent Court.

Languages: English, French

Maria is a member of the Milan Bar Association (18729) and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Cassation. She is also registered and admitted to practice before the Unified Patent Court.