Welcome to the latest instalment of Managing IP’s ‘Five minutes with’ series, where we learn more about IP practitioners and professionals on a personal and professional level.
This time, we meet György Pintz, founder at Pintz & Partners in Budapest.
Someone asks you at a party what you do for a living. What do you say?
I usually say: ‘I help people protect what they create’. I am a patent and trademark attorney, but I was originally trained as a mechanical engineer and have been an inventor myself, so my work sits at the meeting point of technology, business and law. If the person is still interested, I add that I have spent more than 40 years listening to people explain how they intend to change the world. That usually starts an interesting conversation.
Talk us through a typical working day.
There is no completely typical day, which is one reason I still enjoy the work. I usually begin with some exercise and a quiet look at the matters that genuinely need my attention. The rest of the day may include discussions with colleagues, calls with clients and foreign associates, and reviewing patent, trademark or contentious matters.
Since founding Pintz & Partners more than four decades ago, my role has gradually become a mixture of client strategy, quality control, mentoring and developing the firm.
When possible, I make time for exercise. Table tennis is excellent training for legal practice: watch carefully, react quickly and think one shot ahead. In the evening, I try to leave the law behind and spend time with my family.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I am involved in several cross-border patent and trademark matters where technical detail, legal strategy and commercial timing all have to fit together.
I am also spending time on the continued development of our online European IP services. Clients expect sophisticated legal work, but they also expect the process to be simple, quick and transparent. Making IP protection easier to access without making the advice superficial is an important challenge for our firm.
Does one big piece of work usually take priority or are you juggling multiple things?
Definitely juggling multiple things. IP practice is perhaps closer to table tennis than chess: strategy matters, but the ball comes back quickly, often with unexpected spin.
The challenge is to recognise which issue needs an immediate response and which deserves a slower, carefully prepared approach.
What is the most exciting aspect of your role and what is the most stressful?
The most exciting part is entering the world of a new invention, technology or brand. In the course of one week, you may learn about several completely different industries and meet people who have invested years of work in bringing an idea to life. Helping them protect that work remains very satisfying.
The most stressful part is the responsibility. In IP, a missed deadline or a poorly chosen sentence can affect rights that took years to create. Calm organisation is therefore not merely an administrative skill; it is part of providing good legal advice.
Tell us the key characteristics that make a successful IP lawyer or practitioner.
Curiosity comes first. You must genuinely want to understand how a technology, product or business works.
Then comes precision, because a single word can change the scope of an IP right.
A good IP practitioner must listen carefully, explain complicated issues in plain language, remain calm under time pressure and be honest when a strategy has limitations. Clients should receive a practical answer, not simply a summary of the law.
Finally, never stop learning. After more than four decades in this profession, I still encounter technologies and legal questions that are new to me.
What is the most common misconception about IP?
Many people think IP is mainly paperwork and certificates, or that it is relevant only to large companies. In reality, it is about business choices: what to protect, where to protect it, when to act and how the rights will support the company’s wider objectives.
A patent cannot make a weak idea strong, but poor IP planning can allow a strong idea to be copied or lost. Good advice at the beginning is usually much less expensive than trying to repair a problem later.
What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by inventors and entrepreneurs who remain curious and determined after hearing the word ‘no’. Their willingness to continue experimenting is a reminder that progress rarely follows a straight line.
My family is equally important. Having four children teaches you patience, perspective and the ability to adapt. Travel, skiing and time in the mountains also help me think clearly. The mountains remind you that preparation matters, but so does knowing when conditions require you to change course.
If you weren’t in IP, what would you be doing?
Probably something involving engineering or teaching, and perhaps both. I began my career as a mechanical engineer and have been an inventor myself, so I would still want to build, design or improve something.
Teaching has also always appealed to me. Knowledge becomes more valuable when it can be explained clearly and shared with others. I also wrote an IP Law textbook for one of the law schools I suspect I would still find a way to combine technology, practical problem-solving and people.
Any advice you would give your younger self?
Do not postpone time with your family until work becomes quieter. Work rarely becomes quieter by itself.
I would also tell myself to ask more questions, listen longer and choose people with integrity. Expertise grows one matter at a time, but trust takes years to build and only minutes to lose.
What is your motto in life?
Keep your word, keep learning and keep moving.
At Pintz & Partners, we also have a motto that captures how we try to practise: ‘Patent and trademark law in black and white.’ For us, that means giving clients clear, practical advice without unnecessary complication. IP law can be complex, but our job is to make the choices and consequences understandable.
