Your Legal Bridge between Italy, Spain and Latin America

The Italian diaspora in Latin America — over 30 million descendants in Brazil, 1.5 million in Argentina, significant communities in Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile and Paraguay — creates natural commercial networks: trusted distributors, relational capital with consumers who value 'made in Italy', and cultural familiarity that facilitates negotiation. For Italian companies in fashion, agri-food and design, Argentina and Brazil are natural markets with consumers already predisposed to Italian brands.

GI protection in LATAM varies by country. In countries with EU trade agreements (Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru), the agreement may include recognition of European GIs. In Brazil and Argentina (future beneficiaries of the EU-MERCOSUR Agreement), current protection is more limited. The strategy we recommend combines: (1) registration as a collective or certification mark in each priority country; (2) opposition actions against registrations that usurp the geographical name; (3) coordination with Italian producer consortia for joint actions.

The most active Italian sectors in LATAM are: fashion and luxury (Gucci, Prada, Versace, Armani, Bulgari — present in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile), agri-food (Barilla, Ferrero, Lavazza, Campari), industrial machinery and automation (Leonardo, Fincantieri, SACMI, Danieli), energy (Eni, Enel Green Power in Chile, Brazil and Colombia), pharmaceuticals (Menarini, Recordati, Bracco), design and furniture (Brianza district groups with distribution across LATAM), and infrastructure (Webuild/Salini Impregilo).

The EU-MERCOSUR Agreement will protect a significant number of European GIs in Brazil and Argentina, including key Italian denominations (Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Prosciutto di Parma, Prosecco, Brunello di Montalcino, among others). When in force, it will also reduce tariffs for Italian machinery, textiles and agri-food, and open public procurement sectors. We advise Italian companies on how to position themselves strategically before the agreement takes effect.

We draft exclusive distribution, agency and franchise contracts adapted to the specifics of each Latin American jurisdiction. The most critical aspects for Italian distributors in LATAM are: brand image protection clauses, exclusive territory and termination conditions, minimum stock and sell-through obligations, returns and warranty treatment, and dispute resolution clauses (preferably ICC arbitration in Paris or Madrid). We coordinate with local lawyers in each country to ensure contracts are enforceable in the distributor's jurisdiction.

Yes. We are regular representatives at EUIPO and are ranked among the Top 25 representatives in Spain. We manage the full cycle: prior rights searches, EU trademark application, response to office actions, opposition management and registration maintenance. One EU trademark covers all 27 Member States including Italy, with a single application. All communication in English.

The GDPR applies when the Italian parent entity or the LATAM subsidiary processes personal data of EU individuals. In practice, this means: (1) any transfer of employee data from the Italian entity to the LATAM subsidiary requires SCCs or another transfer mechanism; (2) if the LATAM subsidiary processes data of European customers on behalf of the Italian parent, a data processing agreement (DPA) is required; (3) the LATAM subsidiary acting as an independent controller of European data may need its own GDPR compliance measures. We structure the group's data architecture to ensure full compliance.