Lall & Sethi

Managing Partner: Jyotideep Kaur

Partners: Raghav Malik, Tia Malik, Dr Anju Khanna (Head - Patents), Nancy Roy (Litigation)

Asia Pacific Offices: New Delhi, Kathmandu, Colombo

Firm Overview: 

Lall & Sethi (L&S), was founded in the year 1994 by Mr Chander M Lall and Mr. Sandeep Sethi, both of whom are designated Senior Advocates. Lall & Sethi is an IP boutique firm that focuses on trade-marks, copyrights, designs, patents, confidential information and trade secrets, entertainment and sports laws, information technology laws. The firm provides a complete range of services including filing and prosecution of applications, oppositions and cancellation proceedings, searching and watching services, renewals, licensing and registered users, franchising, IP audits and enforcement of rights through civil, criminal or administrative measures.

Lall & Sethi ensures that its attorneys and staff are trained in practices followed across the globe and understanding and respecting client needs. Training is also imparted on local practices of courts and IP offices in the region. This training and knowledge has resulted in some ground-breaking regional decisions, with intellectual property legislation starting on the desks of Lall & Sethi offices, be it decisions on well-known and famous marks, version recordings in music, unique region-specific John Doe and Anton Pillar type search and seizure orders. All litigation including drafting and court appearances are handled by experienced in-house litigators.

Lall & Sethi prides itself on having one of the best IT systems in the world. The firm’s IP management software, developed in-house, ensures that timely responses are sent and deadlines are strictly adhered to. The docketing systems have minimal manual interface, virtually eliminating human errors. An assembly line approach ensures that each task is undertaken by a member of staff who is thoroughly familiar with the task having undertaken it multiple times after being imparted top level training. When it comes to client reporting, it is possible for a client to monitor the work on real time basis by requesting password-protected access to the database where all files are completely digital. An optional fixed fee schedule ensures that the cost benefits of repetitive services on bulk files and use of efficient systems is passed on to the client. The client has full knowledge of, and access to, the administrative staff, often communicating with them on a first-name basis.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Trademarks: 

L&S provides the complete range of services in the field of trademarks including filing and prosecution of applications including applications under the Madrid treaty, oppositions and cancellation proceedings; searching and watching services; renewals; drafting of licenses, assignments, registered user agreements, franchise agreements; IP audits and initiating and pursuing civil, criminal and administrative enforcement actions.

Patents:  

The patent practice at Lall & Sethi encompasses a complete package offering the services of watching and searching including opinions on validity, enforceability and infringement, filing and prosecution of patent applications, pre-grant and post-grant proceedings, dispute resolution, strategizing and advising, portfolio management, and enforcement of patents. The patent professionals of the firm have wide-ranged experience in drafting applications of various technologies and liaising with inventors, technical experts and in-house patent counsels in the preparation of specifications. The firm also helps its clients devise a patent strategy across various jurisdictions. The firm is capable of handling patents from varied fields including chemistry, polymers, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceutics and related subject matter, mechanical, electrical and electronics, telecommunication, IT and software, medical devices, packaging and related subject matter.

Copyright: 

L&S provides a complete range of services in the field of copyright including filing and prosecution of applications and pursuing civil, criminal and administrative enforcement actions. L&S was responsible for the anti-piracy operations in India of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), a consortium of the seven leading Hollywood studios. By strategically using a combination of criminal, civil and administrative enforcement procedures film piracy levels were brought down throughout India by several percentage points.

Designs:  

L&S provides a complete range of services in the field of designs including filing and prosecution of applications; cancellation proceedings; searching services; drafting of licenses and assignments; IP audits and pursuing civil and administrative enforcement actions.

Geographical Indications: 

L&S provides a complete range of services in the field of Geographical Indications including filing and prosecution of applications and pursuing civil and administrative enforcement actions.