Education

• - Post-graduate degree in Industrial Property law at CEIPI (Strasbourg University) - 1991
• - Graduate Engineer of Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures (Lyon) - 1982

Practice description

Francis began his career in 1984 as a research and development engineer in the aerospace industry, particularly in an R&D department specialized in the field of software for gyrolaser inertial navigation systems as well as in the field of aircraft automatic control systems such as for the Airbus A320 aircraft.

In 1987 he specialized in Industrial Property Law and joined CASALONGA & ASSOCIÉS in 1991. He has been a partner since 2003.

He deals with patent prosecution in France and in Europe and all over the world, as well as opposition and appeal proceedings at the European Patent Office (EPO) in particular in the fields of electronics, microelectronics, software-related inventions and new technologies (NTIC).

Francis practices particularly in the field of semiconductors and integrated circuits both in terms of manufacturing processes and circuits, analog and / or digital architectures, and in the field of telecommunications and Internet technologies including mobile communication and contactless communication (NFC).

Francis is involved in patent litigation in France and abroad, where he joins a team of patent lawyers of CASALONGA AVOCATS. He regularly organizes and practices infringement seizure operations to find evidence of patent infringement.

Adjunct teaching / Professional organisations

Francis was tutor in the preparation course for the European Qualification Examination within the frame of the epi/CEIPI special courses in Strasbourg.

He is member of the French Patent and Trademark association (CNCPI “Compagnie Nationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle”), the European Patent Institute (epi), and the Licensing Executive Society (LES).

Publications

Francis Zapalowicz is co-author and periodically updates the chapter on the French legal aspects on patent protection for computer implemented inventions "Software Patents Worldwide" published by Kluwer Law International.

Languages

French, English, German