Daniel Kraus is a Swiss lawyer and professor specialising in intellectual property and innovation law, combining academic excellence with extensive practical experience. After obtaining his law degree from the University of Geneva, he completed an LL.M. in European and competition law at King’s College London. He was admitted to the Geneva Bar and served as an academic assistant in European and international economic law, during which he completed a doctoral thesis on parallel imports of patented products. This work earned him the prestigious Walther Hug Prize for the best doctoral thesis in law.
Following several years in private practice with a firm focused on industrial property, Daniel Kraus joined the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern. Over a nine-year tenure, he served as Deputy Head of International Affairs and later as Head of Technical Cooperation, contributing significantly to international IP policy and capacity-building.
In 2004, he joined the University of Neuchâtel and was appointed Professor of Innovation Law in 2010. He played a leading role in developing the Interfaculty Master’s in Innovation and the Innocube Executive Training platform, which provides advanced training in IP and innovation law for professionals. He also teaches regularly at other institutions, including HEG-Arc, the University of Fribourg, and EPFL.
Alongside his academic work, Daniel Kraus has consistently practiced as an attorney in intellectual property law, advising clients across various sectors. In 2012, he was appointed deputy judge at the Swiss Federal Patent Court, further underscoring his legal authority in patent matters.
He is fluent in French, German, and English, and is known for his ability to bridge legal theory and practical application in both national and international contexts.
- PhD in Law, University of Geneva, 2003
- LL.M, King's College London, 1992
- AIPPI
- LIDC, member of the Swiss Committe
- INTA
- AROPI
- Geneva Bar, 1994
- All Swiss Bars
- Advises clients in the legal aspects of AI, software, micromechanics, watchmaking, green technologies, copyright, anti-counterfeiting, as well as design and branding.
