In the Zohn: Abion hires ex-FIFA lawyer for brand protection

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

In the Zohn: Abion hires ex-FIFA lawyer for brand protection

Daniel Zohny.jpg

Daniel Zohny, former head of IP at world football governing body FIFA, has joined Abion as its global head of brand protection

Intellectual property services company Abion has hired Daniel Zohny as its new global head of brand protection, the company revealed today, March 4.

Zohny, who will also be the country manager for the company’s Switzerland office, has more than 15 years of experience.

He spent 10 years at FIFA where he was responsible for managing brand protection strategies for major competitions including the FIFA World Cup.

Zohny was also featured in Managing IP’s Top 50 Most Influential People in IP list in 2022 owing to his IP and brand protection work on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Zohny said he was excited by the opportunity to apply his global experience to the “dynamic” Swiss market.

He added: “Abion’s client-centric approach and cutting-edge technology platform offer an ideal foundation for redefining IP and brand protection services. I am eager to contribute to a vision that disrupts traditional legal frameworks, offering comprehensive, tech-driven solutions for our clients.”

The hire marks the latest development in a year of fast-paced change for Abion, which was called Brandit.

In February, Managing IP reported that Brandit and tech-based brand protection company Ports Group had joined forces. They later rebranded as Abion.

In April, the company hired two lawyers from Keltie to lead a new UK office. Among them was Azhar Sadique, who became the first partner ever to leave the firm.

Most recently, Abion launched a Dubai office and hired two ex-Clyde & Co lawyers to lead it.

Magdalena Bonde, CEO of Abion, said: “Daniel’s exceptional track record and visionary leadership in managing and protecting brands are exactly what Abion needs to advance our mission in Switzerland and beyond.”

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Value-added services give in-house counsel the satisfaction that they are getting more value for money, while law firms get the opportunity to win more work
A team at Boies Schiller Flexner is advising shoe company Kizik and parent company HandsFree Labs in the dispute
Nokia’s latest enforcement actions against Geely and Transsion joining Via LA’s AAC pool were also among the top talking points
Benjamin Kelly, the firm’s fifth IP partner hire in a little over one year, has experience in patent and trade secret disputes involving complex technologies
Half-year Talent Tracker data shows Pierson Ferdinand was among the most prolific hirers in the US, while in Europe, there has been a notable UPC swing
Exclusive data reveals in-house counsel want external legal advisers to build better client relationships and add value beyond routine work
Brett Sandford acted for Perplexity AI, which fended off the threat of a preliminary injunction to launch an AI-powered web browser
Stephen Yang joins us for our ‘Five minutes with’ series to explain why his role requires him to wear many hats
The complaint follows a declaratory ruling issued by the England and Wales High Court last month that said Samsung is entitled to an interim licence
Tobias Hahn explains how the firm's multi-jurisdictional setup enabled it to secure an injunction on behalf of Fujifilm relating to defendant Kodak’s non-UPC activity
Gift this article