Olivia Bernardeau-Paupe
Partner | Paris
Olivia Bernardeau-Paupe

Olivia Bernardeau-Paupe advises international clients on intellectual property matters, particularly copyright, trademark, industrial design and unfair competition law. Her practice focuses on complex issues in national and multi-jurisdictional IP cases. Ms. Bernardeau-Paupe litigates for clients both before IP Offices and before French Courts. She also negotiates IP contracts both for standalone matters and in the context of global deals where she also intervenes with conducting due diligences. In addition,  she assists clients in the strategic management of their IP rights portfolios and their defense, notably against uses on the Internet, and regularly collaborates with Customs authorities.

Ms. Bernardeau-Paupe assists international clients from a wide range of industries, such as consumer goods, luxury goods (fashion and cosmetics), electronics (hardware and software), audio-visual, publishing, e-commerce, automotive and finance. She also actively represents clients in the life sciences sector, including the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Olivia Bernardeau-Paupe is recognized as a leading lawyer in trademark & copyright by Chambers Global 2024 and Chambers France 2024 where commentators described her as “outstanding - detailed, thorough, prompt and an excellent communicator. She is a staunch advocate for our brand and keenly understands the issues that are critically important". "She is great to collaborate with, flexible in her approach to cases, and demonstrates a sense of camaraderie. She is responsive, available, and brings flexibility and diplomacy to all exchanges." "I would not hesitate to recommend Olivia to anyone seeking IP representation in France." "She is super strategic and I like her a lot.”

Ms. Bernardeau-Paupe is also recognized as a leading trademark practitioner in World Trademark Review’s WTR 1000 2024 & 2025 edition and is “highly recommended” by Leaders League 2024.

Ms. Bernardeau-Paupe is an active member of the legal community, mentoring young lawyers and teaching trademark law as it relates to the Internet as part of the University Diploma “Digital Technologies” as well as trademark law for the “LL.M. International Business Law” course, both held at the prestigious University of Panthéon-Assas. She regularly writes articles, particularly she has been the author of the French copyright law chapter in Lexology’s Getting the Deal Through, today Lexology Panoramic, since 2019 and was in charge of the chapter on French regulations of the luxury and fashion industries in 2021 and 2022. Ms. Bernardeau-Paupe has also been a contributor from 2016 to 2023 on IP and customs issues for the French legal review Communication Commerce électronique.

Key Matters

  • Advised Poxel, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, on its non-dilutive financing agreement with OrbiMed for US$50 million via the monetization of a portion of Poxel’s future royalties and sales-based payments from TWYMEEG® sales by Sumitomo Pharma in Japan.
  • Represented and defended a Canadian clothing manufacturer in the context of infringement of its trademark rights as well as acts of parasitism by a competitor leading to a victory on the merits before the Paris Judicial Court.
  • Represented and assisted a Cyprus-based investment management firm in the defense of its trademark rights in France.
  • Represented and assisted both a US and a German photograph agency in the context of a litigation brought by the heir of a famous French photograph, with dispute settled favorably to our clients.
  • Regularly advising clients in relation with employee-inventor’s IP issues.
  • Holding tailor-based seminar to a pharmaceutical client on the regulation of parallel imports of pharmaceutical products in France.
  • Representing and advising a major sports league in the context of the defense of its trademark rights in France.
  • Represented and assisted a major telecommunication company with all its trademark issues in France, including a dispute over domain names that settled favorably to our client.
  • Advising a major pharmaceutical laboratory in the context of the launch of a new advertising campaign in France.
  • Represented a leading UK car manufacturer in a dispute litigation alleging infringement of music rights.
  • Assisted a leading U.S. life sciences company in a major multi-jurisdictional dispute over the use of trademarks on the internet against one of its direct competitors.
  • Defended a major German manufacturer of medical implants in multi-jurisdictional litigation involving the infringement of its trademark rights, including non-traditional trademarks, on its flagship product.
  • Represented a U.S. company in the medical device sector in the defense of its intellectual property rights in the European Union before the launch of a major new product.
  • Representing a major fast-food group based in the United States in the defense of its intellectual property rights, particularly in relation to litigations for trademark infringement and parasitism.
  • Assisting a leading U.S. luxury cosmetics group on the availability and defense of its intellectual property rights, including various litigation matters to secure recognition of the reputation of some of its major trademarks in France and the prohibition of the use of secondary signs.
  • Defending a leading video game company in the defense of its rights in litigation initiated by copyright holders alleging infringement.
  • Advising and representing a leading U.S. IT company on various trademark matters, including availability of trademark rights and litigating its trademark and copyright rights.
  • Clients across various industry sectors (luxury, consumer goods, electronics) before customs authorities to stop the importation of counterfeit products.

Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm

  • “Recommended Individual” – Silver – France WTR 1000 2024 & 2025
  • Rising Stars – France – Intellectual Property: Trademarks and DesignsThe Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Industry Focus: Luxury Goods – FranceThe Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Rapide aperçu de la réforme de la protection des dessins et modèles — Blog de l’Usine Nouvelle (December 15, 2024)
  • Loi sur les influenceurs et santé, un premier bilan — Blog de l’Usine Nouvelle – (August 2, 2024)
  • 2024 Copyright Guide - France Chapter — Lexology (May 1, 2024)
  • Importations parallèles de médicaments : les droits des titulaires de marques face au reconditionnement — Blog de l’Usine Nouvelle (June 23, 2023)
  • 2023 Copyright Guide - France Chapter — Lexology (May 11, 2023)
Services Industries
    • Nice Sophia Antipolis University School of Law, Master’s Degree, French Dispute Resolution, 1995
    • Nice Sophia Antipolis University, Master’s Degree, International Law, 1996
    • Hofstra University School of Law, Certificate, Comparative and American Law, 1997
    • The George Washington University Law School, LL.M., Patent and Intellectual Property Law, 1999
    • Paris
    • New York
    • English
    • French
    • APRAM (Association Française des Praticiens du Droit des Marques et des Modèles)
    • AAPI (Association des Avocats en Propriété Industrielle)
    • AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle)
    • INTA (International Trademark Association)