Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río

Practice Areas

• Intellectual Property (trademarks, patents, copyrights, designs)

• Advertising & Marketing Law (advertising compliance, consumer protection, image rights, promotions)

• Commercial Law (contracts, unfair competition)

• Civil & Commercial Litigation

• Dispute Resolution (arbitration, mediation)

Career

Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río is a Partner at Falconi Puig Abogados with over 25 years of experience in Intellectual Property, Advertising & Marketing Law, Commercial Law, and Complex Litigation. He advises and represents both domestic and multinational clients in industries such as banking, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and technology, consistently combining strong transactional expertise with robust litigation and dispute resolution capabilities across Latin America.

In his Intellectual Property practice, Carlos Alberto is recognized for structuring and executing strategies that enhance and protect the value of intangible assets. He frequently manages trademark and patent portfolios for leading companies, directs due diligence processes, negotiates and enforces IP contracts, and represents clients in infringement proceedings and regulatory disputes. His experience also extends to contracts involving access to genetic resources and biodiversity, ensuring that compliance obligations are aligned with clients’ commercial objectives.

As an authority in Advertising & Marketing Law, Carlos Alberto counsels advertisers, agencies, media companies, trade associations, producers, celebrities, influencers, and digital platforms. His practice covers advertising compliance, consumer protection, image rights, promotions and lotteries, e-commerce, and licensing. He is highly regarded for his ability to review and clear advertising campaigns, ensuring compliance with sector-specific regulations and mitigating risks of fines, sanctions, or reputational damage. Falconi Puig Abogados is the exclusive Ecuadorian member of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA), where Carlos Alberto served on the Global Executive Committee until 2021, reflecting his international recognition in this area.

Beyond client representation, Carlos Alberto has been a lecturer in Intellectual Property law at Ecuadorian universities since 2005 and is actively engaged in discussions on sports law, combining his professional expertise with his personal passion for sport.

Professional Memberships

• International and national speaker at various forums organized by institutions such as: WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), INTA (International Trademark Association), ASIPI (Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property), GALA (Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance), TJCAN (Court of Justice of the Andean Community), IDLO (International Development Law Organization), and LES (Licensing Executives Society).

• Member of several intellectual property associations including INTA, ASIPI, IPO, and AIPLA.

• Member of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) since 2009, and served as Executive Committee Member, Vice President, and later President for the Americas (2017–2020).

• Consultant to the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property (IEPI), as part of the technical cooperation agreement signed with the Inter-American Development Bank, for the training of judges, prosecutors, and customs authorities (2002–2004).

• Advisor to the Ecuadorian Business Committee on intellectual property matters during the Free Trade Agreement negotiations between Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and the United States (2004).

Clients

Carlos Alberto advises leading multinational and domestic companies across highly regulated sectors, including Mexichem in chemicals, Galenicum in pharmaceuticals, Cervecería Nacional in consumer goods and beverages, and Latina Seguros in insurance. He also represents strategic players in advertising and media such as Publicis and InfolawGroup, as well as major Ecuadorian corporations like Banred in financial services and Homecenters in retail.

Work Highlights

Financial Services – Trademark Opposition: Represented one of Ecuador’s leading banks in opposing the registration of a generic financial term as a trademark. The IP Office upheld the opposition, and when the applicant appealed claiming rights in another class, Carlos Alberto successfully argued that such rights could not extend to unrelated services. The rejection was confirmed, safeguarding the bank’s interests and protecting the use of a generic industry term.

Confectionery Industry – Nullity Action: Advised a major confectionery company in Ecuador after a competitor registered a confusingly similar chocolate trademark that had been overlooked by prior counsel. Carlos Alberto filed a nullity action based on infringement of the client’s prior rights. The action was accepted, the competitor’s appeal was rejected, and a confidential settlement was reached ensuring the contested mark would no longer be used in Ecuador.

Coffee Industry – Cancellation for Non-Use: Represented a leading Ecuadorian coffee company in efforts to restore exclusivity over the term ORO, which had been lost due to third-party registrations. While these marks were registered, none were in use for coffee. Carlos Alberto initiated cancellation actions for non-use, recently obtaining a favorable partial cancellation restricting one registration to “pasta,” advancing the strategy to reclaim exclusivity in the coffee sector.

Industry Sector Expertise

Carlos Alberto has advised and represented clients across a wide range of industries, including:

Pharmaceuticals – defense of patent rights and regulatory matters.

Beverages & Food – trademark portfolio management and litigation.

Retail & Consumer Goods – anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, and large-scale trademark prosecution.

Technology & Telecommunications – patent and copyright enforcement, complex litigation.

Automotive – industrial design registrations and IP enforcement.

Entertainment & Sports – anti-counterfeiting operations, copyright management, and dispute resolution.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Ecuador

Languages Spoken

Spanish

English

Italian