Luis Marín-Tobar

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property

Competition / Antitrust

Corporate / M&A

Career

Luis Marín is a partner of Lexvalor Abogados, he leads the Competition/Antitrust and Intellectual Property practices at the firm.

With more than 15 years of experience, Luis regularly advises renowned clients in strategy and litigation for the defense of intellectual property rights in Ecuador. He also provides assistance in the implementation of complex IP agreements, including franchising, distribution, and licensing agreements. He has wide experience in anti-counterfeiting programs including border measures and large-scale seizure of goods.

In the competition and antitrust field he assists clients in cases involving alleged abuse of dominance, restrictive agreements, and cartels, as well as merger control notifications and unfair competition.

Professional Memberships

Senior Director of the Ecuadorian Association of Intellectual Property (AEPI).

Chairman of the Intellectual Property and Competition Committee of the Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce (ECAMCHAM). 2019-2021.

Vice-Chairman of the Intellectual Property Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). 2018-2020.

Member of the Ecuadorian Association of Intellectual Property (AEPI).

Member of the anti-piracy committee of the International Trademark Association (INTA).

Member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property (IEPI) 2014-2017.

Publications

“Pharmaceutical patents and access to public health”. Graduate Thesis - Universidad San Francisco de Quito, December 2007.

"The internationalization of competition law & policy: implementing a new competition law in a developing country”. Final Graduate Paper – Georgetown University Law Center, May 2010.

“The facebook era: the increasing value of intangibles”. Marcasur International Magazine. February 2011.

“International franchising”. Marcasur International Magazine. March 2011.

“A colonial conflict: rights to trademarks belonging to well-known haciendas”. Marcasur International Magazine. March 2011.

“Cancellation of well-known trademarks due to lack of use”. Marcasur International Magazine. May 2011.

“Constitutional actions frustrate enforcement of IP rights in Ecuador”. Marcasur International Magazine. June 2011.

“Ecuador’s national assembly approved first competition law”. Marcasur International Magazine. October 2011.

“Tweets and twitter: Ecuador’s IP conflicts deriving from the social media”. Marcasur International Magazine. February 2012.

“Assignment of exclusive rights for soccer clubs to Ecuadorean soccer federation” Marcasur International Magazine. February 2012.

“Ecuadorean customs and trademark office confronted with constitutional measures contradicting IP law” Marcasur International Magazine. March 2012.

“Ecuador´s judicial transition and the collateral effects on IP Law” Marcasur International Magazine. March 2012.

“The evolution of antipiracy in Ecuador and Latin America” Marcasur International Magazine. May 2012.

“Ecuador’s new competition legislation must be handled with care” - The 2012 Guide to Competition and Antitrust” - International Financial Law Review (IFLR), September 2012.

“Ecuadorean competition authority initiates sector-wide inquiries in the pharmaceutical, food and banking industries”. Marcasur International Magazine, April 2013.

“Competition regulation in Ecuador”, Oxford University Press, Journal of Competition Law & Economics, June 2013.

“Ecuador’s initial phases of competition law implementation”. American Bar Association, International Antitrust Bulletin, July 2013, Vol. 2.

“Debate regarding denial of access to exhibition of a documentary by a local cinema chain”. Marcasur International Magazine, September 2013.

“Proactive role of Ecuadorean customs in antipiracy efforts”. Marcasur International Magazine, January 2014.

“Lessons from the first year of competition law in Ecuador”, Competition Policy International, February 2014.

“Ecuadorean Superintendent for the Control of Market Power’s New Fines, Industry Regulations and Developments in Merger Control”. American Bar Association, International Antitrust Bulletin, March 2015.

“The Merger Control Review: Ecuador”. 6th Edition, September 2015.

CPI: Ecuadorean Merger Control Regulation. July 2015.

CPI: Tendencias en Competencia: Una visión histórica de la regulación de la competencia deslelal en el Ecuador. January 2016.

The Legal Industries Review: La Investigación de prácticas desleales ahora con mayor claridad. January 2021.

Competition Policy International: Merger Control and the Implementation of Remedies in Ecuador: A Case Study from 2012-2021. August 2021.

The Legal500: Country Comparative Guide Ecuador Fintech. November 2021.

The Legal Industries Review: El valor de lo intangible: Las marcas y los datos en el mundo. May 2022.