Teuten Lawyers was founded in 2004 and arises from the desire of its founders to provide a fully integrated service to its clients in all aspects of Intellectual Property law. From the moment a new product or brand is created the firm assists its clients in designing an appropriate strategy for the long term protection of the IP rights arising, including obtaining any necessary registrations with Patent, Trademark or Copyright offices around the world, advising on licensing or franchising of those rights in order to obtain maximum added value and subsequently protecting those assets, through litigation if necessary.
At all times the aim of our firm is to provide our clients with solutions to their problems in a way which best protects their long term interests and permits them to get on with their daily business.
The firm provides personalised assistance and works in close relationship with its clients in order to understand better their business needs and strategic plans. Our service at all times is intended to be efficient and cost-effective, but without sacrificing professional quality. To this end we use state of the art technology, which can tie in to our clients’ own data bases and electronic file systems.
The founders of our firm
are all British or Uruguayan lawyers with over 10 years practical experience in the area advising national and international clients. They are frequent attendees at local and international conferences and members of the leading worldwide professional associations. Teuten Lawyers’ policy is that all members of staff should be continually updating their professional area of expertise and that the firm should be one where everybody has an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, based solely on their dedication and ability.

After working in a large law practice in London, Mark Teuten moved to Uruguay in 1990. Since that time he has specialised in advising a large number of international clients on the protection of their IP assets, most particularly in the trademark field.

Mark is the first lawyer to be simultaneously qualified in the UK and in Uruguay. This background means he is uniquely placed to advise clients coming from countries with different legal systems.

Mark is a member of INTA, ASIPI, The Law Society of England and Wales, The Uruguayan College of Lawyers and The Uruguayan Association of Industrial Property Agents. He is a frequent attendee at local and international conferences on the IP area.

Mark is fluent in English and Spanish.
B.A. Law Nottingham University
Solicitor in England and Wales
Trademark and Patent Agent in Uruguay
Lawyer in Uruguay


José-Luis Ponzoni specialises as an adviser in the civil law area, particularly relating to real estate transactions and in the commercial field, particularly relating to the formation of companies. He also advises on the formation, administration, evaluation and execution of investment projects, with special knowledge of the regime covering Duty Free Zones in Uruguay.

José-Luis is also a specialist mediator and arbitrator of the Uruguayan Association of Notary Publics, having trained in the Fundación Libra in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

José-Luis is a member of the Uruguayan Association of Notary Publics and the Conciliation and Arbitration Centre of the Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce.

José-Luis speaks Spanish, English and Portuguese.
Notary Public
Trademark and Patent Agent
Teuten Lawyers offers a full service, including searches in our own database - which is updated daily to include applications filed 24 hours previously - filing and prosecuting applications
to registration and post registration procedures, including maintenance, monitoring, exploitation and enforcement. The firm has a network of associates around the world who assist in
advising and protecting clients with international interests.
The firm offers an on-line service for renewals at a highly competitive price.
Our firm provides a comprehensive service across the whole technical spectrum. We routinely offer advice on matters of patentability and validity. We also advise on inventions, trade secrets, industrial designs and business methods, assisting the client in
preparing an appropriate and cost effective strategy for protecting his creations. If patent rights are in dispute we offer a full litigation service in the local courts. We also prepare and prosecute applications around the world via our network of associates.
In view of the fast growing number of granted patents in Uruguay, as of 2001 when pharmaceutical products became patentable, the firm offers a computerised service for annuity payments at a highly competitive price.
New plant species are protected in Uruguay via a sui generis system as foreseen by the UPOV Convention. Applications are filed at the National Seed Office (INASE).
Members of the firm are authorised to file applications and have experience in filing and prosecuting applications and the subsequent protection of the rights
obtained, via litigation if necessary.
The firm has a special computerised system for annuity payments.
Members of our firm have wide experience of litigating before the local courts at all levels. The general policy of the firm is to use litigation as a last resort when it has not been possible to reach a settlement or where the circumstances of the case leave the client with no option but to litigate.
Hence we try to resolve matters amicably wherever possible and are open to the use of arbitration and mediation, in which members of the firm have specific training and experience.
Specifically in IP matters, we will typically draft and send cease and desist letters and follow such
correspondence up with civil and/or criminal proceedings. In appropriate cases we can also obtain ex-parte injunctions to protect IP rights from infringement. Members of the firm have particular experience in combating counterfeiting.
In addition to Trademarks, Patents, Copyrights and Plant Rights, we can advise on and litigate where necessary in cases of: unfair competition, comparative publicity, consumer protection, internet issues, trade secrets, product liability, licensing, franchising, labelling, due diligence, IP audits, distribution agreements, trusts.
The firm advises on all commercial aspects of a business which are IP related. We aim to have a close relationship with our clients and to be able to respond quickly and
professionally to their requirements.
We aim to provide our clients with the most appropriate juridical solution for them to be able to obtain maximum benefit from their businesses which have an IP input. At all times the firm takes a business based approach, but at the same time one that has a solid legal grounding. For example we can consider the advisability of filing a patent application as opposed to protecting the underlying knowledge by way of trade secrets. We have experience of drafting
and executing franchises and advising on IP aspects of publicity campaigns, particularly, for example, in the area of comparative publicity.
In the area of trusts - only recently recognised under Uruguayan law - we can advise on their appropriate use as a vehicle to act as the owner of an IP portfolio.
In all matters our firm’s aim is to provide creative and common sense legal advice which supports our clients businesses, whilst enabling them to get on with what they do best - developing new products and ideas.