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 2026

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

Managing IP speaks with up-and-coming women lawyers at five law firms about fighting imposter syndrome, maintaining work-life balance and why real representation matters
Kilpatrick’s managing partner for San Francisco discusses taking the longer route to partnership, the importance of female mentors, and strengthening office culture
Home-working and grace periods at IP offices have been announced, while Managing IP understands Iran’s IP office is out of service
With INTA 2026 just two months away, London-based IP practitioners offer tips on making the most out of the city
New platform, which covers SEPs for the Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 standards, includes 10 patent owners
The Texas-based IP litigation hires take King & Spalding’s partner appointments from pre-merger Winston & Strawn up to 12 this year
Sunny Su explains how her team overcame challenges with orchard evidence collection to secure a favourable plant variety decision from China’s top court
Flexible working firm continues trajectory from 2025 with appointment of Matthew Grant and Letao Qin
Anousha Davies, associate and trademark attorney at Birketts, unpicks how the university’s reputation enabled it to see off a proposed trademark for ‘Cambridge Rowing’
IP lawyers, who say they are encouraging clients to build up ‘tariff resilience’, should treat the risks posed by recent orders as a core consideration in cross-border licensing
Gift this article