Get to know our history

About us

Leaders in intellectual property in Venezuela and Latin America

Our philosophy and history

For more than 100 years, Bolet & Terrero has led with a style of intellectual property management that combines traditional values such as integrity and loyalty, with modern values and practices that recognize the importance of the client as well as the development of a network of strategic partners.

In 1915, Venezuelans Leopoldo Terrero and his first cousin Julio Bolet, founded the patent and trademark firm Bolet & Terrero in Caracas. It was the first such firm of its type in Venezuela. Leopoldo and Julio, having lived for many years in the USA, had returned to Venezuela just prior to starting the business.

A few years later, at the start of the second decade of the 20th century as Venezuela was becoming a global oil power, Bolet & Terrero played an important role in protecting the brands and patents of the companies starting to do business in the country.

Julio Bolet died in 1935, without leaving any offspring. Leopoldo Terrero died in 1944, leaving three children, Leopoldo, Carolina, and Euripides. The latter and younger of the three took over control of the firm and remained in this position uninterrupted for the next 49 years. Following the initial difficult post-war years, he was eventually able to achieve the regional growth and expansion that he had envisaged.

In 1999, current managing partner of Bolet & Terrero, Manuel Polanco, started a process of modernization, both in terms of updating the firm’s systems and processes as well as raising the academic and professional standards of its employees, all with the aim of transforming Bolet & Terrero into a firm prepared for the challenges of the future.

Bolet & Terrero continues to be a leading firm in intellectual property in Venezuela and Latin America, due in no small part to more than a century’s worth of eventful and exciting experience in the field. Bolet & Terrero offers legal services of the highest quality in all areas associated with intellectual property and has particular strengths in the key areas of this field such as the registration, management, and defense of trademarks, patents, and copyright, as well as combatting IP piracy.

In 2021, aware of the changing trends in IP, Bolet & Terrero undertook a significant expansion in personnel as well as restructuring of its operations. It welcomed several new lawyers, including two highly experienced IP professionals at partner level, Luis Henriquez and Rafael Ortin, with a particular focus on the broader IP market, such as new technologies, entertainment, entrepreneurship, among others. Through this exciting development, Bolet & Terrero started a new phase in its distinguished history, becoming the largest intellectual property firm in Venezuela, and the best-equipped team for serving clients in a new IP era.

Company Purpose

Provide high-quality, creative, innovative, effective, and efficient legal services to our clients in intellectual property and related areas, by bringing together a team made up of the most talented professionals in the field.

Company Policy

  • Satisfy the needs and expectations of our clients.
  • Act within legal and regulatory frameworks.
  • Focus our attention on the training of human resources.
  • Promote the continual improvement of its service delivery.

A challenging and exciting 100-year history in the field, developing the necessary strengths for the effective management of intellectual property