Four examples show how our solutions are truly integrated and able to generate effective results.
The client: an innovative company active in the industrial robotics sector, 35 employees, with a strong export orientation.
The problem: the company discovered that a former technical collaborator had registered in his own name a patent developed internally during the working relationship and had started offering similar products to direct competitors.
The client’s motivation: urgent need to stop the spread of confidential know-how and recover the rights to the patent.
Team involved: legal department specialized in industrial property, patent technical consultants, labour law experts.
Method: an interdisciplinary task force was set up, integrating contractual and regulatory analysis with a forensic examination of the stolen corporate data.
Phase 1: Contract review and evidence collection
– Examination of the collaboration agreement to identify confidentiality and invention ownership
clauses
– Collection of emails, draft designs and internal digital traces.
Phase 2: Legal actions
– Formal cease-and-desist letter requesting cessation of use and assignment of the patent
– Urgent application under art. 700 of the Italian Code of Civil Procedure to obtain interim injunction against the use of the patent and know-how
– Criminal complaint for embezzlement and violation of art. 623 of the Italian Criminal Code.
Phase 3: Actions before UIBM and EPO
– Application challenging ownership of the patent
– Opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office.
90 days: court injunction against the use and marketing of derivative products.
6 months: reassignment of the patent to the rightful owner (the company).
+45%: increased trust from industrial partners.
Evolved relationship: from emergency consultancy to ongoing partner for contracts and IP compliance.
This case reinforced the conviction that contractual prevention and a multidisciplinary approach are the most effective tools against the misappropriation of intellectual property. Contract models are continually being strengthened and preventive digital audit plans further developed.
The client: a company focused on connecting healthcare professionals and patients for home services and online consultations, supporting them in integration and development at IT and legal level.
The problem: during the creation of the marketplace platform, critical issues emerged regarding ownership of copyright in software developed by third parties, GDPR compliance in the management of health data and website compliance with applicable regulations, along with the identification of the most suitable contractual (commercial) model.
The client’s motivation: to develop a platform compliant with data protection, IP and employment law.
Team involved: experts in intellectual property law, lawyers specialized in commercial law, data protection, software and compliance.
“The challenge was to support an innovative digital project in the socio‑healthcare sector”.
Phase 1: Contracts and IP
– Drafting a development agreement providing for full assignment of copyright, including future
versions.
– Verification of the absence of open-source code with viral licences (e.g. GPL) not compatible
with the project.
Phase 2: Data protection compliance
– Implementation of a privacy by design policy in line with arts. 25 and 32 of the GDPR.
– Drafting and issuance of user information notices and DPAs with cloud and technical providers.
– Records of processing activities and DPIA for health data.
Phase 3: Model implementation
– Training for the internal team on data minimisation and incident management
100% compliance with intellectual property and data protection under national and European regulations.
Platform certified by the external DPO and ready for onboarding of public and contracted healthcare facilities.
Full and documented ownership of the code and proprietary algorithms.
Strengthened reputation during pitches and fundraising with investors.
In high‑risk contexts such as healthcare, the combination of IP management and privacy compliance must be integrated from the design phase. This experience led to the strengthening of interdisciplinary protocols for digital start‑ups.
The client: a company operating at international level.
The problem: supporting the client in managing exceptional/disastrous events.
The client’s motivation: the client turned to LexBlast for assistance in both legal and process analysis, at national and international level.
Team involved: professionals from the Data Protection team (contract management) and Information Security.
The team worked synergistically, identifying not only risks linked to exceptional natural events and malfunctions, but also suitable contractual solutions that would meet market expectations while protecting the client in the event of a negative exceptional event. Integrated methodologies developed over time through shared experience enabled the provision of solutions integrating the different disciplines involved. Multidisciplinary brainstorming meetings made it possible to achieve the objective quickly while also minimising client effort.
Concrete actions by phase/area of intervention:
– Analyse the client’s business processes.
– Identify business events/threats that could cause very serious and/or irreparable damage to the company’s core business.
– Assess possible risk scenarios arising from those threats.
– Identify possible solutions to minimise loss of business operations.
– Define actions, including communication towards the reference market.
– Update contracts to regulate exceptional events.
Specific contribution of the different departments:
– Process analysis and risk/threat identification for the client’s business.
– Assessment of risk scenarios and definition of solutions and communication/contractual measures.
Quantitative indicators (turnover increase, cost reduction, delivery times, etc.): – Reduction in emergency management times.
Qualitative benefits:
– Greater efficiency, client satisfaction and strategic positioning.
– Increased awareness within the company, adoption of risk assessment methodology in decision-making, greater efficiency in incident management.
– Evolution of the relationship with the client: launch of ongoing support activities, verification and updating not only of management systems but also support in assessing business risk scenarios and external communication.
What we learned:
Teamwork across different professional profiles enabled the delivery of high‑level interdisciplinary
support.
This activity confirmed and consolidated that the joint work of the professionals involved allows the launch and management of complex and innovative consultancy projects that would otherwise be impossible to follow.
Il lavoro di squadra con professionalità diverse ha permesso l’erogazione di un supporto interdisciplinare di alto livello.
Questa attività ha confermato e consolidato che l’attività congiunta dei professionisti coinvolti permette l’avvio e la gestione di progetti di consulenza complessi ed innovativi che diversamente sarebbe impossibile seguire.
The client: a national company in the fashion sector, medium‑large in size (> 50 employees and 50 million turnover), in the process of operational digitalisation.
The problem: after termination of a contract for the development of a customised management software, the software house refused to release the source code, reused it in other projects and claimed ownership.
The client motivation: to recover exclusive access to the developed software and protect technological investments.
Team involved: IT engineers, lawyers specialized in intellectual property, IT technical consultants, experts in ICT outsourcing contracts.
Method: in‑depth analysis of the services agreement and software versions, coordinating legal aspects with technical expertise to demonstrate economic and functional ownership of the code.
“We acted as a single team: lawyers and technicians spoke the same language to protect the client.” – Avv. L. Ferri, Legal Coordinator.
Phase 1: Contractual and technical analysis
– Review of the IP clause in the contract (absence of explicit assignment → interpretation in favour of the client).
– IT technical opinion and partial reverse engineering of the code to verify its origin and uniqueness.
Phase 2: Out‑of‑court and in‑court action
– Legal notice requesting delivery of the source code pursuant to arts. 2222 and 2576 of the Italian Civil Code.
Phase 3: Defence of IP ownership
– Reference to the principles governing works made on commission: if not otherwise agreed, software ownership belongs to the client.
– Appointment of a technical expert (party‑appointed expert) to certify development according to the client’s specifications.
Within 45 days: issue of an interim order prohibiting the software house from using the code.
Delivery of the source code with documentary backup and repository.
Full recovery of rights to use, modify and assign the software.
Execution of a new framework agreement for future IT supplies with strengthened IP and escrow clauses.
In high‑risk contexts such as healthcare, the combination of IP management and privacy compliance must be integrated from the technical design stage.
This experience further strengthened interdisciplinary protocols for digital start‑ups.
