Kern & Weyl

What Kern & Weyl does

Kern & Weyl is a Paris-headquartered intellectual property law boutique founded in 2012 by Tania Kern and Claire Weyl, both former Baker & McKenzie attorneys. The firm operates exclusively in IP law across nine interconnected service lines: trademarks, designs and models, patents, copyright, domain names, unfair competition, customs procedures, blockchain timestamping, and personal data / GDPR compliance. Service delivery combines advisory work with civil, criminal, and administrative litigation representation, including cross-border matters before French, European (CJEU), and international bodies (AFNIC, WIPO UDRP). Its primary client base consists of enterprise customers in fashion & luxury, automotive (e.g., Automobiles Citroën), health & pharmacy, new technologies (software, blockchain, NFTs, metaverse), and agri-food, with named mandates for Desigual and major French and American fashion houses.

The firm's underlying technical layer is intentionally limited to a specialized blockchain timestamping capability (built on Bitcoin blockchain via the Albou & Yana platform) that provides immutable proof-of-creation certificates for clients' creative works. Beyond this, Kern & Weyl does not operate proprietary software, platforms, or APIs; the product is fundamentally lawyer time. The Lyon office at 34 Cours Lafayette extends coverage into the Rhône-Alpes region, and the 2020 "Alliance IP" partnership with Italian firm CastaldiPartners and a 2024 business alliance with Marie Alazard's practice create a federated cross-border service model without formal merger.

The business model is classic professional services: hourly rates or fixed fees for IP advisory and litigation engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market relies on referrals, professional networks, industry conferences (AIPPI, INTA), analyst rankings (Legal 500 EMEA, Leaders League), and thought leadership publications, supported by a multilingual French/English/Italian team. The firm is founder-owned and privately held, with no external investment, parent company, or subsidiaries.

Name

Kern & Weyl

Legal name

Kern & Weyl

Website

https://kern-weyl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kern & Weyl is a Paris-based IP boutique law firm founded in 2012 serving fashion, luxury, automotive, and technology enterprises with trademark, patent, design, copyright, and litigation services, plus a blockchain timestamping offering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

akta.pro primary industry

Rights Enforcement & Anti-Piracy (Claims, Takedowns, Litigation Support) (MPAIABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Royalties, Rights & Revenue Management (on-chain royalties, splits, licensing, enforcement) (FSAPAFAC)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Trademark litigation
• Patent prosecution
• Anti-counterfeiting services
• GDPR compliance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Legal counsel and advisory services in intellectual property matters including trademarks, patents, designs, copyrights, domain names, unfair competition, customs procedures, blockchain, and personal data protection.
2. Litigation Services: Representation in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings related to IP infringement, trademark disputes, patent litigation, customs seizures, and unfair competition cases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kern & Weyl is a Paris-based intellectual property law boutique providing advisory and litigation services across trademarks, patents, designs and models, copyright, domain names, unfair competition, customs procedures, GDPR/personal data protection, and blockchain timestamping. The firm serves French and international corporate clients, particularly in fashion, luxury, automotive, health/pharma, agri-food, and new-technology sectors, with representation before civil, criminal, and administrative courts.

Product overview

Kern & Weyl is an intellectual property law firm (IP boutique) providing comprehensive legal services across all areas of IP law. The firm operates as a unified service offering rather than a modular product platform. The core portfolio consists of nine interconnected service lines: Trademark Services, Design and Model Services, Patent Services, Copyright Services, Domain Name Services, Unfair Competition Services, Customs Procedures Services, Blockchain Timestamping Services, and Personal Data/GDPR Services. These services are designed to work together to provide holistic intellectual property protection, enforcement, and compliance, with particular expertise in anti-counterfeiting, cross-border litigation, and emerging areas like blockchain and NFTs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trademark Services Comprehensive trademark legal services including registration, portfolio management, opposition proceedings, infringement litigation, and anti-counterfeiting actions before French and European authorities. For French and international corporate clients managing trademark portfolios.
• Design and Model Services Legal services for protecting product appearance through design registration, portfolio management, and enforcement against infringement, offering dual copyright/design protection. For corporate clients in product-design-intensive sectors such as fashion, luxury, and consumer goods.
• Patent Services Patent-related legal services covering invention protection strategy, patent contracts, employee invention matters, and patent litigation in mechanics, electronics, and chemistry sectors. For corporate clients in technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and manufacturing sectors.
• Copyright Services Copyright protection and enforcement services for literary, musical, film, and fashion sectors including contract drafting, negotiation, and pre-litigation/litigation support. For content creators, publishers, and corporate clients with copyright-protected assets.
• Domain Name Services Domain name protection, management, and dispute resolution services including cybersquatting actions through AFNIC and WIPO UDRP procedures. For brand owners and corporate clients seeking to recover or defend domain names.
• Unfair Competition Services Legal representation in unfair competition cases involving customer diversion, product denigration, trademark imitation, and parasitic competition, including pre-litigation and litigation support. For corporate clients facing competitive harm in the marketplace.
• Customs Procedures Services Anti-counterfeiting customs services including intervention requests, cooperation with customs authorities, retention assistance, and civil/criminal proceedings following customs seizures. For brand owners seeking to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the market.
• Blockchain Timestamping Services Blockchain-based timestamping and secure deposit services using Bitcoin blockchain technology for obtaining dated proof of creations, with certificate issuance and notary attestation options. For creators, designers, R&D teams, and corporate clients needing verifiable evidence of authorship or first-to-file dating.
• Personal Data / GDPR Services GDPR compliance services including data protection audits, action plan development, impact assessments, privacy policy drafting, cookie charter creation, and data protection contract preparation. For corporate clients needing GDPR compliance support across their data processing activities.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CastaldiPartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2020Strategic partnership forming 'Alliance IP' between CastaldiPartners and Kern & Weyl, combining expertise in IP law across both firms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cabinet Lavoix: Paris-headquartered IP boutique with deep patent expertise in mechanics, electronics, and life sciences. Comparable boutique scale and Legal 500 IP rankings.
• CastaldiPartners: Italian IP boutique and Kern & Weyl's strategic 'Alliance IP' partner. Closely aligned via formal partnership, serving fashion and luxury clients with cross-border Franco-Italian mandates.
• Regimbeau: Major French IP boutique specializing in patents, trademarks, and designs. Comparable vertical specialization in life sciences, luxury, and tech, and similarly ranked by Legal 500 EMEA for IP.
• Marks & Clerk France: French arm of the leading European IP firm, with similar trademark and design focus. Competes for the same French enterprise IP mandates with the added advantage of broader European network.
• Casalonga: Long-established Paris IP boutique with patent, trademark, and design practices. Closely comparable firm in terms of boutique structure and cross-sector IP coverage.
• Santarelli: Paris-based IP boutique focused on patents, trademarks, and designs. Competes directly for enterprise IP mandates with comparable boutique positioning and Legal 500 recognition.
• Plasseraud IP: Paris-based IP boutique with comparable trademark, patent, and design practices. Closest direct competitor in the French boutique IP segment, serving fashion, luxury, and life sciences clients with similar headcount scale.

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird: International full-service firm with a leading IP, media, and technology practice. Competes for higher-end French IP mandates and offers broader cross-border coverage that boutiques cannot match.
• August Debouzy: Paris-headquartered full-service firm with a notable IP practice. Competes for French IP mandates with broader service offerings than a pure boutique can provide.
• Hogan Lovells: Global law firm with a substantial IP practice in Paris. Competes for enterprise IP mandates — particularly in luxury, automotive, and life sciences — with significantly larger bench depth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kern & Weyl