Mahinda Haradasa is recognised as one of Sri Lanka’s leading trademark lawyers, bringing decades of experience in trademark registration, enforcement and brand protection. As Precedent Partner at Varners, he has advised multinational corporations, local businesses and emerging brands on developing, protecting and enforcing valuable trademark portfolios. His practice combines deep knowledge of Sri Lankan trademark law with extensive commercial experience, enabling clients to safeguard their brands while supporting long-term business growth.
Called to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 1977, Mahinda Haradasa has more than four decades of experience across corporate, commercial and intellectual property law, with trademark law forming a core area of practice. His professional qualifications include admission as a solicitor in England & Wales together with Australian legal qualifications, allowing him to advise clients on cross-border trademark strategies and international brand protection. Throughout his career, he has also served in advisory positions for government institutions and state-owned enterprises, bringing valuable commercial and regulatory insight to trademark matters.
Mahinda leads Varners’ trademark practice, advising clients throughout the entire lifecycle of trademark protection. His work includes trademark clearance searches, registration of domestic and international trademarks, opposition proceedings before the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka, cancellation and invalidation actions, portfolio management and trademark renewals.
He regularly advises on trademark licensing, assignment agreements, franchise arrangements, coexistence agreements and brand acquisition transactions. His practice also focuses on protecting clients against infringement, passing off, counterfeit goods and unauthorised use of valuable brands through administrative proceedings and litigation before Sri Lanka’s commercial courts.
Brand protection extends beyond registration, and Mahinda has extensive experience enforcing trademark rights through civil litigation, administrative proceedings and anti-counterfeiting strategies. He advises businesses on monitoring trademark portfolios, investigating infringement, customs enforcement measures, cease-and-desist actions and court proceedings designed to preserve brand value and consumer trust.
His commercially focused approach enables businesses to resolve disputes efficiently while maintaining strong protection for valuable intellectual property assets.
Under Mahinda’s leadership, Varners has acted in significant trademark disputes involving both domestic and international brands. The firm’s work in trademark opposition proceedings, infringement litigation and complex commercial disputes demonstrates substantial experience in protecting valuable brand assets across multiple industries.
His wider commercial practice also enables him to advise clients on trademark issues arising during mergers and acquisitions, business restructurings, licensing transactions and public-private partnership projects, ensuring trademark rights are effectively integrated into broader commercial strategies.
Mahinda and Varners are consistently recognised by leading international legal directories for their intellectual property and commercial law expertise. Chambers and Legal 500 have highlighted the firm’s capabilities in advising domestic and international clients on complex intellectual property matters, including trademark protection and enforcement.
Through international collaborations and relationships with foreign counsel, Varners also assists clients with coordinated cross-border trademark protection strategies, supporting businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions.
Mahinda combines extensive litigation experience with strong commercial and transactional knowledge, allowing him to provide practical trademark advice that aligns with business objectives rather than focusing solely on legal compliance. Whether assisting startups with protecting new brands or advising multinational corporations on complex enforcement strategies, he develops solutions that balance legal protection with commercial realities.
His experience across corporate law, regulatory matters and intellectual property enables him to identify trademark risks early and implement strategies that support long-term brand growth.
Trademark protection in Sri Lanka requires careful planning, timely registration and effective enforcement. Businesses frequently encounter challenges involving conflicting trademark applications, counterfeit products, online infringement, parallel imports and unauthorised brand use. Early registration and proactive portfolio management are essential to preserving exclusive rights and avoiding costly disputes.
Specialist trademark lawyers also play a critical role in conducting availability searches, preparing effective filing strategies, responding to office actions, managing opposition proceedings and enforcing rights through administrative and judicial remedies.
Mahinda advises clients across a wide range of industries, including consumer products, apparel, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, manufacturing, telecommunications, financial services and technology. His clients include multinational corporations, established Sri Lankan businesses, startups and foreign investors seeking trademark protection in Sri Lanka.
His work includes trademark portfolio management, brand licensing, due diligence for acquisitions, infringement actions and strategic advice on protecting valuable brand assets throughout the business lifecycle.
A registered trademark is one of a business’s most valuable assets. Working with an experienced trademark lawyer helps ensure brands are properly protected from the outset while reducing the risks of infringement, registration disputes and loss of valuable rights.
Specialist trademark advice can assist businesses with selecting protectable brands, securing registrations, enforcing rights against infringers and integrating trademark protection into broader commercial and expansion strategies. Mahinda’s extensive experience enables clients to protect, strengthen and maximise the long-term value of their brands.
Mahinda Haradasa has established himself as one of Sri Lanka’s leading trademark lawyers through decades of experience advising clients on trademark registration, portfolio management, brand enforcement and commercial transactions. His combination of legal expertise, commercial insight and international perspective enables businesses to protect and grow valuable brands with confidence. For companies seeking trusted trademark counsel in Sri Lanka, Mahinda offers a proven and authoritative choice for comprehensive trademark protection and enforcement.
Mahinda Haradasa is a leading Intellectual Property lawyer in Sri Lanka and Precedent Partner at Varners. Called to the Bar in 1977, he has decades of experience across IP, corporate transactions and public‑private projects and holds cross‑jurisdictional qualifications in England & Wales and Australian jurisdictions.
He works in trade mark and patent prosecution, opposition proceedings, anti‑counterfeiting enforcement, IP litigation, brand protection, portfolio management, licensing, technology transfers and IP aspects of mergers & acquisitions.
He represents local conglomerates, multinational companies, consumer goods and apparel brands, pharmaceutical firms, telecommunications providers and financial institutions, and is often retained for IP due diligence, enforcement campaigns and IP clauses in commercial agreements.
Under his leadership Varners has handled high‑profile, multi‑jurisdictional trade mark disputes (including a dispute involving Crocodile International and a global brand) and advisory work on major PPPs and corporate conversions. He and the firm are consistently ranked in directories such as Chambers and Legal 500.
His rare combination of early‑stage transactional experience (including pioneering BOOT/BOO and PPP projects) and long‑standing IP litigation practice allows him to marry commercial, regulatory and project finance perspectives with pragmatic, business‑oriented enforcement and licensing strategies.
Challenges include trademark and patent prosecution backlogs, cross‑border counterfeiting, and practical enforcement of injunctions and damages. Specialist counsel provides coordinated administrative filings, strategic litigation and commercial planning to protect reputational and economic interests—services Mahinda and his team provide to clients.
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