What IXAS Conseil does

IXAS Conseil is a French intellectual property law firm founded in 1989 in Lyon by Michel Gaucherand and reshaped in 2005 when Dr. Martin P. Schmidt joined as managing partner. Operating as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) under French law, the firm maintains four offices across France — Lyon (headquarters), Paris, Marseille, and Besançon — and is staffed by a small team of qualified IP attorneys including chemists, engineers, and lawyers, supported by administrative and paralegal staff. The firm holds dual French, German, and European IP qualifications (INPI, DPMA, EPO, EUIPO) and maintains active memberships in leading professional bodies such as CNCPI, EPI, FICPI, AIPPI, INTA, LES, and EPLIT.

The firm offers a comprehensive IP service portfolio covering patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, copyright, contracts, and litigation, organized around two practice groups: technical innovation and patents, and trademark/design law, contracts, and litigation. Services include prior art searches, patent drafting and prosecution, trademark clearance and filing, design registration, IP audits, freedom-to-operate studies, IP strategy consulting, and representation before French, German, and European IP offices. International coverage is delivered through a worldwide network of correspondent IP law firms built over two decades.

IXAS Conseil serves a horizontal mix of individual inventors, start-ups, SMEs, mid-market companies, large multinational corporations (some publicly traded), and public research organizations across France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, the United States, and the UAE. Revenue is generated through professional services fees based on hourly rates (€200–360), fixed fees for standardized procedures (€250–€2,400 per task), and project-based arrangements. The firm has been continuously recommended by Legal 500 EMEA/Paris since 2008 and by Décideurs Guide-Annuaire in multiple years between 2008 and 2014, indicating established market positioning within the French boutique IP segment.

Name

IXAS Conseil

Legal name

IXAS Conseil

Website

https://ixas-conseil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IXAS Conseil is a French intellectual property law firm with four offices (Lyon HQ, Paris, Marseille, Besançon) providing patents, trademarks, designs, copyright, contracts, and litigation services to inventors, start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, and public research organizations across Europe, the USA, and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Fees: Legal advisory and representation services in intellectual property matters including patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, copyright, contracts, and litigation. Fees based on hourly rates, fixed fees for standard procedures, or project-based arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

IXAS Conseil is an intellectual property law firm providing end-to-end IP services across patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, copyright, IP-related contracts, prior art searches, IP audits, IP strategy consulting, and IP litigation. The firm represents clients before the French (INPI), German (DPMA), and European (EPO, EUIPO) IP offices, and coordinates international matters through a worldwide network of correspondent IP law firms. Services are delivered by qualified IP attorneys (Conseil en Propriété Industrielle) holding dual French/German/European qualifications and supported by technical paralegals.

Product overview

IXAS Conseil is an Intellectual Property law firm offering a comprehensive suite of IP services organized around its core practice areas: patents (Brevets d'invention), trademarks (Marques), designs (Dessins et modèles), domain names, copyright, contracts, litigation, prior art searches, audits, and IP strategy. The firm serves as a 'one stop shop' for France, Germany, and Europe, providing both traditional IP representation services and strategic consulting to help clients create sustainable economic value through their IP assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patents (Brevets d'invention) Complete patent services including prior art searches, patentability studies, drafting and filing patent applications in France, Germany, the EPO, and WIPO, prosecution, portfolio management, renewal fees, infringement analysis, and defense through opposition or litigation.
• Trademarks (Marques) Trademark clearance searches, filing and prosecution in France, Germany, the EU, and internationally through WIPO; monitoring of third-party trademarks, opposition proceedings, portfolio management, and license and assignment contracts.
• Designs (Dessins et modèles) Design registration services including prior art searches, French and German national deposits, Community designs via EUIPO, international filings, administrative procedure monitoring, and defense of design rights.
• Domain Names (Noms de domaine) Domain name availability analysis, legal interference assessment with existing trademarks, dispute resolution through arbitration procedures, and domain name transfers.
• Copyright (Droit d'auteur) Copyright legal advice, drafting of assignment and license contracts, copyright deposit services (Soleau envelope, notary registration), foreign copyright registration (including in the United States), and infringement actions.
• IP-Related Contracts (Contrats) Drafting and negotiation of IP-related contracts including confidentiality agreements, research agreements, collaboration and consortium contracts, license agreements, technology transfer, assignment, co-ownership, and franchise agreements.
• IP Litigation (Litiges) IP litigation services including representation before INPI, DPMA, EPO, and EUIPO, strategic conflict analysis, freedom-to-operate studies, validity assessments, amicable settlement negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and coordination of judicial proceedings.
• Prior Art Search (Recherche d'antériorité) Comprehensive patent and technical literature searches using keyword, patent classification, and company name strategies; state-of-the-art reviews, IP rights status analysis, and competitive technology monitoring.
• IP Audits (Audits) IP audits including organizational audit of R&D and intellectual property functions, patent and trademark portfolio audits, due diligence audits, and financial evaluation of IP rights and technology portfolios.
• IP Strategy Consulting (Stratégie en propriété industrielle) Strategic intellectual property consulting including integration of project-market perspectives, innovation process guidance, strategic decision support meetings, and portfolio management of patents, trademarks, and contracts.

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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNCPI (Compagnie Nationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle)coreOthersFrench professional organization for Industrial Property Attorneys. IXAS Conseil is a member and subject to its code of conduct and ethical rules.
• EPI (European Patent Institute)coreOthersInstitute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office. IXAS Conseil is a member and subject to its professional code of conduct.
• Patentanwaltskammer (German Patent Attorneys Chamber)coreOthersGerman professional organization for Patent Attorneys. IXAS Conseil employs German patent attorneys who are members.
• FICPI (Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle)coreOthersInternational Federation of Industrial Property Attorneys. IXAS Conseil is a member and accepts its ethical and professional rules.
• AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle)minorOthersInternational Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property. IXAS Conseil is an active member.
• INTA (International Trademark Association)minorOthersInternational Trademark Association. IXAS Conseil is an active member. CEO Dr. Martin Schmidt attended INTA Annual Meeting 2017 in Barcelona.
• LES (Licensing Executives Society)minorOthersLicensing Executives Society. IXAS Conseil is an active member.
• EPLIT (European Patent Litigators Association)minorOthersEuropean Patent Litigators Association. IXAS Conseil is an active member.
• Worldwide Network of IP Law Firms and AttorneyscoreOthersNetwork of reliable and efficient IP law firms and attorneys built up over two decades for representing clients in jurisdictions beyond France, Germany, and European offices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird: International law firm with a sizable IP practice group serving technology and life sciences clients — overlapping on IP services for enterprise clients but operating at a much larger firm scale.
• Novagraaf: European IP service provider with offices across the continent, offering patent/trademark prosecution and IP strategy — comparable services and European cross-border positioning.
• Hoffmann Eitle: Major Munich-based European patent firm with strong technical specialization matching IXAS's chemistry/engineering focus — comparable on technical depth but materially larger.
• Marks & Clerk: Largest UK-headquartered IP law firm with extensive European presence, offering patent and trademark prosecution plus IP litigation — overlapping service mix but at significantly larger scale than IXAS Conseil.
• Hogan Lovells (IP practice): Global law firm with a sizable IP practice (formerly Hogan & Hartson / Lovells) — overlapping enterprise IP clientele but at a vastly larger full-service scale than IXAS Conseil.
• Bardehle Pagenberg: Leading German/European IP firm specializing in patent prosecution, litigation, and trademarks — directly comparable on technical specializations but with much broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Regimbeau: Major French IP law firm with deep patent/trademark practice across Paris and regional offices, serving similar large-enterprise and SME clients — a leading French IP boutique peer.
• Cabinet Lavoix: French IP law firm with offices in Paris, Lyon, and other French cities, providing patent/trademark/design services with strong technical specialization — highly comparable footprint and client base to IXAS Conseil.
• Plasseraud IP: Paris-based French IP law firm offering patents, trademarks, and designs with multi-jurisdictional prosecution — the most direct comparable to IXAS Conseil in terms of size, French origin, and IP-only focus.
• Cabinet Beau de Loménie: Long-established French IP law firm with Paris and Lyon offices covering patents, trademarks, and designs — directly comparable French IP boutique with similar technical depth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 IXAS Conseil