Apostolos Dakanalis

Apostolos Dakanalis is a Trade Mark Partner at HGF with over 15 years' experience, advising clients on the protection, management and enforcement of trade marks and designs. He entered the profession in 2008, qualified as a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney in 2012. He also passed the Irish Trade Mark Agent exam in 2021.

Apostolos advises on the full lifecycle of trade mark protection, from clearance, filing and portfolio development through to enforcement, disputes and commercial exploitation of IP assets. He has extensive experience handling contentious and non-contentious trade mark matters, including opposition and cancellation proceedings in several jurisdictions and frequently negotiates settlements and co-existence agreements. He also advises clients on design matters, from filing to freedom-to-use and enforcement.

He manages substantial trade mark and design portfolios across the UK, Europe and internationally, supporting businesses ranging from fast-growing brands to established multinational organisations. He works with clients across a broad range of sectors, including retail, consumer goods, automotive, aviation, technology and financial services.

Apostolos is known for his pragmatic and commercially driven approach and works closely with his clients and their in-house teams to facilitate their preferred outcomes and to secure, maximise and defend the value of their intellectual property in highly competitive markets.

• Apostolos advises several leading global luxury brands on trade mark enforcement and brand protection strategies before the UKIPO and EUIPO. Many of these matters have a significant cross-border dimension, requiring the coordination across multiple jurisdictions and the development of consistent, commercially aligned strategies. His practice encompasses all aspects of contentious trade mark work, including opposition, invalidity and revocation proceedings, as well as the negotiation of coexistence agreements and settlement arrangements. Apostolos works closely with in house counsel to develop enforcement strategies that protect and strengthen brand value while balancing commercial objectives, risk and cost considerations.
• Apostolos advised a major international airline on the branding and trade mark aspects of a significant new service offering. The engagement involved conducting clearance and availability assessments across key jurisdictions, developing and implementing a global trade mark filing strategy and advising on brand launch risks. The airline successfully secured protection for a number of core trade marks in the UK and the EU, including resolving third-party objections before the EUIPO. The matter required close alignment of IP strategy with the airline's wider commercial objectives, ensuring robust protection for a new business product.
• Apostolos advised a business in the field of consumer electronics to secure design for a number of designs for a new range of products. The filing strategy included national applications and applications through the Hague System. He has extensive experience securing and maintaining design protection in the UK, EU and globally, enabling clients to launch and expand innovative product lines with confidence.

• BSc(Hons), Biological Sciences - The University of Edinburgh - 2002
• MSc, Management of Intellectual Property - Queen Mary - 2006
• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law - Queen Mary - 2006

• UK Register of Trade Mark Attorneys - 2012