Maria Balestriero
She focuses on patents, in particular in the Life Sciences-Healthcare sector, where she assists pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Maria has more than 20 years’ experience in dispute resolution both in Italy and in complex transnational cases in various sectors, including the chemical-pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, as well as telecommunications, design, fashion, and luxury goods.
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.
Maria’s experience also includes trademarks, design, industrial secrets, unfair competition, and copyright.
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.
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 ranked in the IAM Patent 1000 2024 in the “Individuals: Litigation” category (Bronze), by IP Stars – Managing IP 2024 as a “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 has co-authored numerous publications, including most recently the chapter on Italy for the second edition of the Global Competition Review, The Guide to Life Sciences. She has written widely and incisively on the Unified Patent Court.
Before joining Portolano Cavallo, Maria worked for a leading industrial property consulting firm.
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.
