Ana-Maria Baciu - SIMION & BACIU

Ana–Maria Baciu

Managing Partner

Practice areas:

Intellectual Property
Gaming & Gambling
Consumer Protection and Advertising
Life Sciences
Technology & Media
Dispute Resolution

Phone: +40-31 437 80 13 Mobile: +40-722 256 758

Expertise:

Ana-Maria Baciu is a regulatory and intellectual property lawyer, assisting clients in various industries, including retail, FMCG, gambling, IT, e-commerce and life-sciences, for more than 20 years. Before setting up SIMION & BACIU, Ana-Maria has been heading the intellectual property practice, as well as co-heading the gambling, consumer and advertising practices at the largest and oldest law firm in Romania.

Licensed as a European trademark and design attorney, Ana-Maria is advising clients on the full spectrum of intellectual property aspects, both contentious, such as disputes over the validity of intellectual property rights, trade mark / design / patent infringement claims or plagiarism, and advisory work, such as re-branding strategies, transactions, IP rights transfers, licensing or franchising, advice on IP portfolio management and complex IP due diligence, as well as registration / filing / prosecution strategies and anti-counterfeiting work.

In the gaming field, Ana-Maria has been advising industry stakeholders, operators, suppliers, as well as industry relevant associations, on the whole range of regulatory and operational gaming aspects, to include representation in front of the National Gambling Office.

Complementary, along the years, she developed specific capabilities in the life sciences sector, with a focus on assisting pharmaceutical manufacturers on compliance and regulatory aspects.

Ana-Maria oversees and contributes to, at strategic decision level, the dispute resolution engagements that focus on the practice areas of her specialization.

Known on the market as a representative presence in task forces, events, in front of public authorities such as the Consumer Protection Authority, discussing consumer protection issues for businesses directly facing consumers and trade associations, Ana-Maria has been acting as Deputy Chair of the AmCham Trade Legislation Task Force for the 2020-2022 and 2022-2024 mandates, respectively. Her contribution to advancing AmCham’s advocacy agenda in this field during her tenure, and not only, have been highly commended and acknowledged by the key stockholders – details HERE.

A regular contributor to specialized publications and lecturer on gaming, IP, social media and digital matters, Ana-Maria is also a trainer on intellectual property aspects, delivering tailored sessions to various departments of large multinational companies.

Accolades

Ana-Maria is recognized as Leading Individual by Chambers and Partners (Band 1) in Intellectual Property and is acknowledged as a Global Market Leader for Gaming & Gambling Law by the same publication. Also, she is ranked as a Leading Individual in Intellectual Property and in the Gambling Law Area by Legal 500.

In addition, she is one of the only two lawyers acknowledged for gaming law in Romania by Who’s Who Legal (WWL). Also, Ana-Maria is recognized as a Trademark Star and is the only Romanian lawyer included in Top 250 Women in IP, by Managing IP/IP Stars, included in this rankings for the seven year in a row. Complementary, she is included among the WTR Global Leaders, by World Trademark Review, and ranked as Top Trademark Professional by WTR 1000 (Gold Band). Furthermore, in the patents field, Ana-Maria is acknowledged as Recommended lawyer by IAM Patent 1000.

Also, Ana-Maria is a Winner of the Client Choice Award for Gaming in Romania, presented by Lexology.

In June 2023, Ana-Maria won the Romania Practitioner of the Year distinction awarded by Managing IP, becoming the first Romanian lawyer to be awarded this distinction during the Managing IP EMEA Awards ceremony.

Testimonials

Ana-Maria Baciu is a trailblazer in the Romanian IP scene. Her robust background in regulatory law helps her advise companies in the pharmaceutical industry. (IAM Patent 1000, 2023)

Ana-Maria Baciu (…) terrific advisor on regulatory affairs related to Romania. (…) good contacts at the regulator and always has the answer at hand or can find the answer in a short time. (Legal 500, 2023)

Ana-Maria Baciu and Cosmina Simion are both exceptional at what they do with complementary skill sets which make them the best. (Legal 500, 2023)

Ana Maria Baciu is one of the most admired IP experts in the market. (Chambers and Partners Europe, 2023)

Ana-Maria has extensive knowledge of the market and of the new legislative initiatives. She always provides practical legal advice. (Chambers and Partners Europe, 2023)

Ana-Maria is not only very experienced but is also very smart and responsive. (Chambers and Partners Europe, 2023)

She is technically excellent across the board and a savvy industry operator. (Chambers and Partners Global, 2023)

She is a go-to person in the Romanian market. (Chambers and Partners Global, 2023)

Ana-Maria is an effective, professional and reliable attorney, who is extremely strong at handling complex cases and negotiations. She is strategic, precise and she truly cares for her patrons. (WTR1000, 2023)

Ana Maria Baciu is one of the most admired IP experts in the market. (Chambers and Partners, 2022)

Bucharest-based Ana Maria Baciu is well regarded for her considerable experience acting for a wide range of gaming international industry clients on complex regulatory matters. (Chambers and Partners, 2022)

Ana Maria Baciu is exceptionally proactive and a really experienced gaming lawyer. (Legal 500, 2022)

With Ana-Maria, you can always trust that your problem is in good hands and that no detail will be omitted. Her problem-solving skills and IP expertise distinguish her from others and mark her out as one of the best. (WTR 1000, 2022)

Ana-Maria Baciu (…) is appreciated as a lawyer who offers “very accurate advice that is business-oriented” and ensures “knowledge, style and flair” in her approach. (Who’sWhoLegal, 2022)

Ana-Maria Baciu and [Cosmina Simion] are the go to gambling and IT lawyers in Romania. Both very experienced, success driven and extremely knowledgeable. The associate in their team that stands out is [Andrei Cosma]. (Legal 500, 2021)

Ana-Maria Baciu is absolutely amazing: she has great knowledge, very good business understanding, solution oriented, high ethic standards and much more. She is definitely the best in this field. (Legal 500, 2021)

Ana Maria Baciu advises a high-profile clientele on a variety of trade mark-related matters, including infringement and registration. She is described by sources as “a very good IP lawyer who is very business-oriented.” (Chambers and Partners, 2021)

One of the best IP lawyers in Romania”, the versatile Baciu attracts warm plaudits: “Her advice is proactive and easily implemented, and she provides a very prompt service. She is extremely business-oriented, has a flexible approach and is a good negotiator and mediator. (WTR 1000, 2021)

Ana Maria Baciu of Simion & Baciu is described by clients as a “strong negotiator” with a “very good understanding of the client’s needs.” (Chambers and Partners, 2020)

Ana-Maria Baciu is a powerful leader in IP law, with high professional and ethical standards. In addition, she values personal relationships, which makes her relationship with clients very valuable. (Legal 500, 2020)

Co-founding partner Ana-Maria Baciu has built up a stellar market reputation as a result of her 20 years of cutting-edge trademark experience. “As a skilled and sharp attorney with a focus on the pharmaceutical arena, she provides professional advice at a high level. Ana-Maria is an excellent all-around IP professional.” (WTR 1000, 2020)

[Cosmina Simion and] Ana-Maria Baciu are a great double-act. They work together seamlessly to pick up client queries and requests and ensure first class service delivery. (Legal 500,2020)

The deep and extensive knowledge of Ana Maria Baciu [and Cosmina Simion] is unparalleled and this helps any business significantly in constant issues that surface from time to time. (Legal 500, 2020)

[…] lawyer Ana-Maria Baciu, now at Simion & Baciu, draws on two decades of practice to add value with her tremendous regulatory expertise. (IAM Patents, 2020)

A versatile patent strategist with expertise in gaming, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, Baciu […] comes into her own when thorny regulatory and compliance issues crop up. (IAM Patents, 2019)

Education:

University of Bucharest Law School, LLB

Licensed European Trademark and Design Attorney

Memberships and Affiliations

Bucharest Bar
Romanian National Chamber of Industrial Property Attorneys
International Trademark Association (INTA) (former Member of the Anticounterfeiting and Parallel Imports Committees)
International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), General Member

Languages:

Romanian – native speaker

English – business proficiency