Modiano was formed immediately after World War II, in 1950, and since the beginning it has devoted itself to the international aspect of Intellectual Property Law. The founder, Dr. Guido Modiano, who has lived and studied in several European countries and in the US, is fluent in English, German, French and Italian . Moreover, his technical background and his vast knowledge of the legal aspects of the Italian and the German Legal System have enabled him to successfully focus his expertise on both International and European IP matters. It is the systematic passing on of this knowledge to all of the Modiano Attorneys which has probably been the determining factor of our growth. In 1978, when the European Patent Convention was ratified and the EPO began its activity in Munich , our sister firm Modiano Josif Pisanty & Staub was established. In 1996 our sister firm Mark Pat Modiano was among the first to file the new Community trademarks application with the Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), in Alicante (Spain).