Get to know Eugenio
Eugenio J. Torres-Oyola is a Capital Member, Managing Partner of the firm and Co-Chair of its Intellectual Property Practice Group. He concentrates his practice on intellectual property and technology, and entertainment law.
Since 2001, Eugenio has been an adjunct professor of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law where he has taught elective courses in Patent Law Practice, Cyber Law, and International Patent Law Practice. He is currently teaching an Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic course that is certified by the USPTO under its Law School Pilot Program for patents and trademarks. Eugenio has published multiple articles relating to intellectual property and/or internet law and is a frequent and prominent speaker at events and seminars relating to intellectual property, technology, and internet law. As a result of his widely recognized knowledge and experience in intellectual property and technology law, he is actively involved in leadership positions in several associations or groups promoting the development of the technology industry in Puerto Rico. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Internet Society of Puerto Rico, the Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation, and Piloto Labs. Eugenio is an active promoter of high impact entrepreneurship and angel investing in Puerto Rico. He has collaborated for many years with Grupo Guayacán as well as other non-profit entities such as the Puerto Rico Science and Technology Trust, Small Business Technology Development Center, Puerto Rico Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, and the Young Entrepreneurship Education System in furthering entrepreneurship on the Island. He also assisted in the development of an Innovation and Entrepreneurship platform for the 2012 Gubernatorial Election in Puerto Rico.
Prior to becoming one of the founders of Ferraiuoli in 2003, Eugenio was an associate at McConnell Valdés, where he was member of the Environmental Law Practice Group and the Intellectual Property Law Practice Group as well as a founding member of the Internet and Patent Law Practice Group. He is a founding member and a member of the Board of Directors of EO Puerto Rico Chapter and he is also a member of YPO’s Puerto Rico Chapter. In addition, following his time in McConnell Valdés he was the proprietor of Torres-Oyola Law Offices and concentrated his practice in intellectual property law.
Why Ferraiuoli?
Ferraiuoli is the most dynamic, innovative, and forward thinking firm in Puerto Rico. We are a large law firm, yet our clients have full access to all of our partners and get the attention of first generation owners who have the utmost passion for what they do. All of our partners are leaders in their field and well respected in Puerto Rico’s legal community. However, as business owners ourselves, we keep our costs very competitive and work with our clients to develop alternative fee arrangements.
Why do your clients come to you?
Clients typically come to me because I and my team are generally recognized as the number one option for IP protection and enforcement in Puerto Rico. Every person in the know in our technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem recognizes that we have the knowledge, the infrastructure and the man power to handle any matter, no matter how complex. In that sense, we cater to all, from the individual inventor or artist, to the emerging entrepreneur, to the large local company, to the multinational corporation.
What do you find most rewarding?
At Ferraiuoli IP, we have done what our clients do, create. We have been instrumental in the development of an IP legal services market that previously only existed out of necessity rather than a focus on IP. We are pioneers and have done things here that no Puerto Rico law firm had ever done before. We act as lead counsel in patent cases and argue Markman Hearings not only in the Puerto Rico District but before various district courts in mainland US and serve as speakers and resources not only here, but across the world.
Looking forward, what you see?
Our economy is going to explode soon and those with the staying power and foresight will collect that harvest. If one has invested and focused on areas with a bright future, one will be more successful than ever. I believe Puerto Rico’s economy will be knowledge driven in the future and Ferraiuoli will be a spearhead for that.
- Trademark Portfolio Management for Diageo, world’s largest producer of spirits
- Argued Markman Hearing in video surveillance technology case
- Argued Markman Hearing for wireless service provider authentication and subscription management technology
- Argued Markman hearing for enhanced telephone services and peer to peer network dynamic hosting technologies
- 3:11-cv-01555-SCCEON Corp, IP Holdings, LLC v. AT&T Mobility LLC, patent infringement case
- 3:13-cv-01658-PAD Master Lock Company, LLC v. Toledo & Co., lead counsel for defendant in patent infringement case
- Patent prosecution counsel for Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
- Patent prosecution counsel for Ana G. Mendez University System
- Dennis M. Rivera v. The Coca-Cola Company, et al., 3:13-cv-01426-PAD, copyright infringement case
- The Estate of Rafael Leavitt-Rey v. Samuel Marrero-Gónzalez et al., 3:16-cv-02769-RAM, copyright infringement case
- Adjunct Professor – University of Puerto Rico Law School 2001-2015, developed IP & Entrepreneurship Clinic certified by the USPTO under its Law School Pilot Program
- Things to Take Into Account Regarding Advertising Law, Sales and Marketing Executives Association 2015 Conference, San Juan, PR
- Developments in Education and Teaching, INTA Annual Meeting 2015
- Software Patents: H3 Conference, November 2014
- Patents in Puerto Rico, Quest for Global Competitiveness, March 2014
- Brand Enforcement in Social Media, INTA Internet Conference, March 2013
- Intellectual Property Rights in Cyberspace Webinar, Inter American Association of Accountants-IT and Technical Systems Committee, April, 2012
- Legal Conflicts: Internet, Social Media and Intellectual Property CLE, Sacred Heart University; San Juan, PR, December, 2011
- Trademarks and Domain Names; Interamerican Intellectual Property Association; Santa Cruz Bolivia; November, 2011
- Software Patents, Puerto Rico College of Engineers and Surveyors, San Juan, PR, November, 2011
- Cyber bullying and Internet Safety Summit, Parenting Resources; September 2011
- Patents and Intellectual Property; Puerto Rico Small Business Technology Development Center’s Innovation and Technology Center; Bayamon, PR; September 2011
- Patents of Invention CLE Program; University of Puerto Rico Law School, August 2011
- The Power of Angel Investing, Guayacán Venture Accelerator, June 2011
- Protecting and Commercializing Intellectual Property, Research Centers in Minority Institutions UPR Medical Sciences Campus, March 2011
- Intellectual Property on the Internet Webinar, Interamerican Accounting Association, March 2011
- Patents: How the Pressure to Publish Affects Rights Over Inventions in Academia, March 2011
- University Based Technology Assessment and Commercialization, Grupo Guayacan and IC2 Institute University of Texas at Austin, San Juan, PR, January 2011
- Intellectual Property Protection on Software Developments, Microsoft Innovation Center, San Juan, PR, January 2011
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- Co-author, Puerto Rico Chapter of GALA’s International Advertising Law Book, April 2015
- Co-author, Puerto Rico Chapter on Intellectual Property, LATINLAWYER 2013 and 2014
- Co-author, Puerto Rico Chapter, Oceana Trademark Practice & Forms Publication, Released June 2011, 2012 and 2013
- Co-author, Puerto Rico Chapter, Getting the Deal Through (2012, 2013), Law Business Research, Ltd.
- Co-author, The Intellectual Property Review, 1st-4th Edition, Puerto Rico Chapter 2012-2015, Law Business Research Ltd.
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Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business Entrepreneurship Development Program, 2009
- University of Puerto Rico School of Law, J.D., 1998
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S. in Environmental Engineering, 1993
Bar Admissions
- US Patent and Trademark Office
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Supreme Court of the United States
- S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Affiliations
- American Intellectual Property Law Association, Latin America Committee
- International Trademark Association (INTA), Member of Internet Committee since 2012-2016
- INTA Member of Brands & Innovation Committee 2016-present
- Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Intellectual Property Constituency
- National Association of Patent Law Practitioners
- American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section
- European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA)
- ECTA Member of Anti-Counterfeiting Committee 2016-present
- Federal Bar Association, Intellectual Property and Communications Law Sections
- Interamerican Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI)
- ASIPI Alternate National Delegate for US, 2012-present
- ASIPI Patents Committee (2012-2015)
- ASIPI Information Technology Committee (2009-2012)
- Association of Intellectual Property Firms
- Hispanic National Bar Association, Intellectual Property Committee
- Board of Directors EO Puerto Rico Chapter
- Board of Directors Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation
- Board of Directors Piloto Labs
- Board of Directors Internet Society Puerto Rico Chapter
- Best Lawyers Advisory Board
- University of Puerto Rico Intellectual Property Institute
Professional Recognition
- From 2010 to 2013, Chambers & Partners Latin America ranked Eugenio as a Band 1 attorney in Intellectual Property for Puerto Rico, in 2014 he was recognized as a Star Individual, the only attorney in Puerto Rico with such recognition in any practice area. He has retained that ranking in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
- Fellow Hispanic National Bar Association / Microsoft Intellectual Property Institute 2017.
- World Trademark Review 1000 (2015-2017)
- Who’s Who Legal: Trademarks 2013-2017, only Puerto Rico lawyer recognized
- Who’s Who Legal: Patents 2017 (only lawyer in Puerto Rico)
- Recognized by Best Lawyers® International, as a Best Lawyer in Puerto Rico for Intellectual Property Law (2013-2015)
- Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year Intellectual Property Law 2014-15
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2010 by the Puerto Rico Sales and Marketing Executives Association.
