Alexandra DeNeve is Associate General Counsel, Brand Protection and Trademarks at New Balance Athletics, Inc., based in Boston, Massachusetts. She has over twenty years’ experience in all aspects of trademark acquisition, protection, and enforcement. Alex started her career in private practice, litigating patent, trademark, trade dress, and copyright matters, and managing trademark portfolios for her clients, in industries as diverse as consumer electronics, automotive and railroad, food packaging, software design, and film and publishing. She then moved to in-house trademark teams for companies in the sports, entertainment, and manufacturing/industrial goods industries. Alex received her law degree from Tulane University, where she served as articles editor for the Tulane Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. She is a native of New Hampshire, where she lives with her daughter and two rescue dogs.

Eileen Kellar serves as Corporate Counsel, IP at Amazon. In her role, Eileen advises business teams and stakeholders on a variety of trademark, copyright, and marketing-adjacent matters, ranging from global trademark prosecution, clearance, and enforcement to licensing, monitoring, and trademark, copyright, and brand marketing best practices and risk assessments. Eileen also provides IP and brand protection support, training, and guidance to internal teams and businesses. Prior to her role at Amazon, Eileen served as Corporate Counsel, IP at MasterClass and prior to that worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as a Trademark, Copyright, and False Advertising attorney. Eileen lives and practices in Los Angeles.

Nancy Nufio is the Legal IP Manager at Castillo Hermanos, parent company of Alimentos Maravilla, where she brings nearly a decade of experience in intellectual property. After beginning her career in a law firm, Nancy transitioned to in-house counsel four years ago, allowing her to develop a keen expertise in trademark prosecution and litigation, as well as acquisition and merger operations.

She is an Intellectual Property Professor at Universidad Rafael Landivar and also holds a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance and is a committed member of several professional organizations, including the International Trademark Association (INTA), the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), the ICC Guatemala IP Committee, and the Guatemalan Association of Intellectual Property (CAMPI).

Nancy's role at Castillo Hermanos, a company with over 19,000 employees, present in over 35 countries, has afforded her the opportunity to manage intellectual property portfolios across various jurisdictions, enhancing her ability to navigate complex international IP regulations. Her experience spans multiple industries, including food and beverages, real estate, recycling, consumer goods, and finance, equipping her with a deep understanding of the unique challenges each sector presents, protecting and fortifying corporate assets through innovative IP strategies.

Annie Allison is a counsel in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the New York office of Haynes and Boone, LLP where she helps clients to obtain, enforce, and leverage their valuable intellectual property assets.

Annie provides a broad range of transactional and litigation IP legal services including trademark prosecution, copyright clearance and registration, rights enforcement strategies, brand management and licensing for media, entertainment, fashion and technology companies.

Annie counsels clients on the management and enforcement of global trademark portfolios, represents clients in TTAB proceedings and related negotiations, and advises and assists on trademark-related issues in M&A transactions and corporate due diligence. She also counsels clients on advertising and social media issues as well as privacy and consumer protection matters and related regulatory compliance issues, including COPPA, GDPR and CCPA.

A former TV news producer and reporter, Annie advises on a variety of media and entertainment related matters, including brand licensing, merchandising, music licensing and royalty streams, television and film rights agreements (for both traditional and new media), book and film option rights, and rights of publicity issues related to film and television projects. She also assists clients with technology and intellectual property-related business transactions, including software development and licensing agreements and services agreements.

Leyla is the Haiti partner at Ideas Patents and Trademarks, a regional firm with offices spanning Central America and the Caribbean. With a solid 15 years of experience in the legal field, Leyla's journey began at the Canadian Department of Justice, where she played a vital role in handling complex cases in Regulatory and Commercial law. Her time in the public sector equipped her with a wealth of knowledge, and experience managing extensive legal documents and utilizing specialized databases to navigate intricate legal matters. 

In September 2014, Leyla moved to Haiti where she discovered her passion for Intellectual Property while working in the field. Leveraging her legal background, she swiftly became an essential asset to the Intellectual Property Sector in the Country, driven by her constant pursuit of improving processes and standards. 

Academically, Leyla holds Diplomas of Collegial Studies in Social Sciences with a Law Major from Vanier College, as well as a Paralegal Technology degree from O’Sullivan College and a certificate in law from Université de Montreal. Currently, she's pursuing a Bachelor of Law at Université Quisqueya in Haiti. Leyla's dedication to continuous learning and professional growth has led her to become part of the leadership team for the INTA Certificate Program. 

Outside of her professional endeavors, Leyla finds fulfillment in being a mother to her two daughters, aged 10 and 8, and moments spent with her supportive husband. She also nurtures her personal interests, finding solace and inspiration through her passion for running and her avid pursuit of self-improvement through reading. 

Kathy, a graduate of the University of Florida and the Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training, has nearly 38 years’ experience as an Intellectual Property Paralegal specializing in Trademarks.  She has spent her career in Trademark Paralegal/Administrator/Manager positions with three Fortune 500 companies (E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., VF Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline) and two AmLaw 100 law firms, including her current firm of more than 22 years, Cozen O’Connor, headquartered in Philadelphia.

Kathy has participated in a myriad of INTA events over the years, the very first being the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1993, the same meeting the United States Trademark Association renamed itself the International Trademark Association.  A proud Committee member every year since 1994, her Committee activities include the Model State Trademark Bill Committee, multiple stints on the Trademark Administrators Committee (including Chair and Co-Chair), the Publications Committee, the Leadership Development Committee and her current appointment, the Public Information Committee.  She was honored to Co-Chair the Trademark Administrators Conference Project Team with Paul McGrady in Washington, DC in the Fall of 2006 and served on the Annual Meeting Project Team that planned the Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California in May of 2011.  She has hosted many Roundtables and moderated enumerable Table Topics in addition to co-authoring several chapters of the INTA Resource, Trademark Administration, and several Fact Sheets on the INTA website.  Until three years ago, Kathy, her husband, Anthony, and their cats, Ripley and Riley, made their home in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area.  Today, they reside in historic Saint Augustine, Florida, enjoying the water, the sunshine and attending Florida Gator football games.

Shama Elliott is a Trademark Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).   She is responsible for managing PwC’s global trademark portfolio focusing on prosecution, registration, strategy, enforcement, and brand protection.  Prior to joining PwC in 2020, Shama worked on managing global trademark portfolios; and client training in brand protection and best practices for WarnerMedia and American International Group (AIG). 

Shama received her Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and her B.A. in Business Management from Monroe College with a specialization in Management and Operations.  

She has served on several INTA subcommittees both as member and a Co-Chair.  Shama is currently a Co-Chair of Trademark Administrators Outreach Committee and a member of the Programming Advisory Council.  She is passionate about IP and brand protection practices; and the synergy and evolution IP brings! 

Tracy is a Senior Trademark Agent with over 30 years of experience in trademark prosecution matters including trademark clearance searches, filing trademark and copyright applications, reviewing, and responding to substantive Trademarks Office objections, adversarial opposition proceedings, trademark licensing, summary cancellation, and trademark portfolio management issues. She provides strategic guidance to clients in Canada and around the world. 

She is the editor and co-author of the book Trademark Practice in Canada – a Practical Guide. 

Her significant experience and expertise over the past 30 years have led to leadership positions, as a speaker, author, member of professional organizations including INTA, ECTA and IPIC as well as Chair of various committees over the course of her career in the field of trademarks. 

Kristen Merker is a Manager, Trademarks and Brand Protection at Netflix, Inc. in Los Angeles, California. Kristen is responsible for all aspects of trademark and title clearance, global trademark portfolio management, TMO enforcement and brand protection, while also managing the trademark team’s operations, resources, and docketing procedures. Kristen has strong project management and organization skills which has been an asset to her career. Prior to joining Netflix in 2018, she worked as a Trademark Paralegal at Microsoft managing trademark clearance, prosecution maintenance and enforcement matters.  

Kristen received her Bachelors in Law and Justice from Central Washington University in 2009 and in 2017, she received a Project Management certificate from the University of Washington.  

She has served on the TMA Committee for one term as the Promotions Subcommittee Co-Chair and just started her second term as the Development Subcommittee Co-Chair. Kristen is passionate about advocating for destigmatising Mental Health conversations in the workplace and is eager to move the TMA Committee’s Mental Health initiatives forward these next few years.  

Tracy Cooke is the Paralegal Manager on Microsoft’s Global Trademark team.  She has nearly two decades of experience in global trademark practices with a passion for branding and operational excellence.  Supporting some of the world’s most valuable brands during her tenures at Tempur-Pedic, Amazon, EA, and now Microsoft, she excels at overseeing complex workflows and delivering strategic client-focused results.  Known for effective communication, presentation, and analytical skills, Tracy navigates the intersection of legal risks and business interests.  As a team leader, she collaborates with a diverse network of partners, internally and externally; providing education, advising on trademark policies and practices, developing budgets and operational efficiencies, and staying abreast of industry trends.  Tracy holds a BBA from Baylor University with a minor in Neuroscience.  Currently, she is serving as Co-Chair for the Development Subcommittee of the Trademark Administrators Committee.

Steve Cooper is a partner at the Connecticut IP boutique Ware Fressola Maguire & Barber and has been with the firm since 2008. Steve is a USPTO-registered patent attorney, and his practice primarily focuses on patent, design, and trademark drafting, prosecution, and portfolio management. Prior to joining Ware Fressola, Steve graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2007 with degrees in Biological Sciences and Anthropology, and graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2010 with Honors. In addition to serving as the co-chair of the Awards and Fellowships Subcommittee of INTA’s Young Practitioners Committee, Steve is the Operations Coordinator for the Brand Action charity initiative within the global IP community.  He is also a member of ECTA’s and its WIPO-Link and Patent Committees and is the Secretary of the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association in Connecticut.

As the Chief Governance Officer of INTA, Randi Mustello oversees the implementation and review of the Association’s governance structure and policies. She provides strategic advice and guidance to the Board and staff on opportunities and approaches for Association governance and compliance issues and performs ongoing review and recommendations to enhance the quality and future viability of the Board and the INTA member experience.  She is also the staff liaison for the Resources Group of INTA committees. Ms. Mustello holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. in English Literature from Manhattanville College. 

Pedro de Abreu M. Campos is an attorney at law with Di Blasi, Parente & Associados in Brazil and joined Di Blasi Parente’s Rio de Janeiro office in 2020. Pedro works in intellectual property litigation and consultancy, including patents, trademarks and copyrights. He is the coordinator of the ABPI Copyright and Personality Study Committee, a Member of the Special Committee on 5G, Technical Standards and Technological Innovation of OAB/RJ and a Co-Chair for the Awards and Fellowships Subcommittee of the YPC at INTA. Pedro is also the winner of the INTA’s Tomorrow’s Leader Award in 2021.

Sarah Staff is a Program Manager at Microsoft, specializing in digital trademark enforcement and has more than 12 years experience in intellectual property as a paralegal.  She is responsible for all of Microsoft's digital enforcement program across all brands working with multiple stakeholders across the business to ensure Microsoft's brand assets are protected.  Before joining Microsoft almost 10 years ago, Sarah was an IP paralegal at the firm Garvey Schubert Barer in Seattle.  Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Washington and an Advanced Paralegal Studies Certificate from Edmonds College. She is also actively involved in pro bono work and volunteers with the King County Bar Association's Neighborhood Legal Clinics as well as other organizations.  Sarah was the first recipient of the TMA of the Year award in 2023.

Tara Dressler is the Associate Director for Trademarks and Patent Administration at the University of Colorado, where she works within the System Administration Office under University Counsel. Tara has been a valuable member of the University since September 2007, initially serving as the IP Manager for the Technology Transfer Office. In 2015, she transitioned into her current role, bringing her extensive experience and expertise to the forefront of intellectual property management. Before joining the University of Colorado, Tara built a robust career as a senior trademark paralegal in Washington, D.C. Her legal career has been primarily focused on Intellectual Property.  Tara holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communications from Penn State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Maryland. Tara is serving her second term on the Trademark Administrators Committee and is one of the founding members who helped develop the TMA of the Year Award.

Tracy Cooke is the Paralegal Manager on Microsoft’s Global Trademark team.  She has nearly two decades of experience in global trademark practices with a passion for branding and operational excellence.  Supporting some of the world’s most valuable brands during her tenures at Tempur-Pedic, Amazon, EA, and now Microsoft, she excels at overseeing complex workflows and delivering strategic client-focused results.  Known for effective communication, presentation, and analytical skills, Tracy navigates the intersection of legal risks and business interests.  As a team leader, she collaborates with a diverse network of partners, internally and externally; providing education, advising on trademark policies and practices, developing budgets and operational efficiencies, and staying abreast of industry trends.  Tracy holds a BBA from Baylor University with a minor in Neuroscience.  Currently, she is serving as Co-Chair for the Development Subcommittee of the Trademark Administrators Committee.

Kara Fielder is the Senior IP Manager at Worldpay. With 20+ years of experience in the legal field, Kara has extensive experience in the area of trademark administration. Prior to her current role, Kara was the Global IP Manager at The Hershey Company. At Hershey, in addition to managing the company’s large global trademark portfolio, Kara managed Hershey’s IP paralegals, docketing team, outside counsel, and vendors. Kara is actively involved with the International Trademark Association (INTA) and is currently serving as the Chair of INTA’s Trademark Administrators Committee. She also serves as an Advisory Board member of Corsearch.

Rosa Jimenez is Intellectual Property Manager at Travel + Leisure Co., where she’s responsible for the management and protection of the company’s global intellectual property portfolio, trademark clearance and registration, trademark enforcement and protection, as well as intellectual property due diligence arising from corporate transactions. She has over 23 years of experience as a trademark professional.

Rosa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a Masters of Legal Studies from Arizona State University. She was born in Puerto Rico and loves spending time with her family, running, and reading.

Elyssa, CEO of Firm Forward, leverages her extensive IP and legal administration experience to provide strategic guidance to law firms globally. Starting as a trademark paralegal, she managed IP portfolios for renowned brands before launching Firm Forward in 2014. With her unique insights from the corporate sector, she aims to elevate business development and marketing strategies for law firms worldwide.

Jennifer has worked in the IP field for 20+ years and is currently the Assistant Manager of TM Paralegals and Assistants at Fish & Richardson P.C. She has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Emmanuel College, in Boston. In her free time, Jen can be found at her son’s wrestling meets, traveling, or just spending time with family and friends.

Nehal Madhani is the founder and CEO of Alt Legal, a company whose cloud-based IP docketing software supports thousands of organizations in preparing, managing, and monitoring millions of IP filings and deadlines daily. Before starting Alt Legal, Nehal practiced as an attorney at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. He is the vice chair of the International Trademark Association Trademark Administrators Committee and a member of the USPTO Trademark Public Advisory Committee. Nehal has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Certificate in Business and Public Policy from the Wharton School of Business, and a B.A. from Northwestern University.

Jennifer McKay is a counsel in Dentons’ Intellectual Property group. Jennifer is an intellectual property lawyer based in Ottawa with significant experience in managing both contentious and non-contentious trademark matters. Her areas of expertise include registration, licensing, opposition, availability opinions, transfers, domain names, summary cancellation proceedings and litigation. Jennifer’s clients range from start-ups and SMEs to Fortune 500 companies operating in a variety of industries including, fintech, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, banking, and energy.

Emily Quackenbush has 25+ years of trademark experience working in both the law firm and in-house environments.  While currently holding a Senior Trademark Position with a leading law firm, her experience also includes positions such as Trademark and Branding Portfolio Management and Director of Intellectual Property as well.  Emily works very closely with clients to ensure the best possible trademark service and brand protection.   

Emily is Director, TMA Certificate Program within the Trademark Administrators Committee.  She has served on INTA’s Trademark Administrators Committee for various terms dating back to 2014, while also having previously served on the Leadership Development Committee.

Constantin is a partner of Bird & Bird and an expert in the field of trademark law, for all questions concerning advertising and unfair competition law, copyright law and trade secrets. Constantin’s expertise in trademark law includes contentious and non-contentious matters, in particular international trademark launches, the management of large trademark portfolios and complex trademark disputes. Another focus of Constantin’s practice is advertising, in particular environmental advertising. He regularly gives advice on national and international advertising campaigns, based on his in-depth knowledge on a variety of technologies and specifics of environmental advertising, such as sustainability, the circular economy, the mass-balance approach, life-cycle-assessments, advertising with green energy, recycling, certificates for compensation of emissions and the use of alternative and renewable raw materials.

Irene Chang is a Trademark, Copyright and Marketing Counsel at HP Inc. In this role, she advises the Personal Systems and Marketing businesses on a wide array of trademark, copyright and marketing matters, including trademark prosecution, trademark portfolio management, brand enforcement, brand licensing, advertising and marketing compliance, conflicts and transactions involving trademarks, copyrights or marketing issues. She also develops and supports internal trainings and guidelines on various trademark, copyright or marketing issues; counsels the businesses on asset management; and regularly works with external ad agencies on issues involving marketing assets. Prior to joining HP, Irene practiced trademark, copyright, media and brand protection law at Perkins Coie LLP. Irene received her law degrees from Washington University in St. Louis (JD), National University of Singapore (LLM), and National Chengchi University in Taiwan (LLB). 

Ron Urbach (Partner/Co-Chair, Advertising + Marketing, Davis+Gilbert) has been a firsthand participant and leader in the history, growth and transformation of the advertising and marketing ecosystem — and the laws and rules that apply to it. He helps marketing-driven and advertising clients in almost every sector and subsector—including automotive, cosmetics, food, alcoholic beverages, retail, consumer health and much more—successfully navigate legal issues and challenges with practical business solutions. In the course of his career, Ron has seen industries and marketing practices emerge and adapt as technologies, regulatory frameworks and consumer needs change, making him a savvy guide to companies that must push the boundaries of business and law to remain competitive. Whether advising on creative development and packaging; claims, substantiation and promotions; or the latest in digital marketing, such as dark patterns and auto renewal, social media influencers and disclosures, leading-edge environmental advertising, and the new worlds of Generative AI, metaverse and NFT’s: Ron brings his same practical focus while presenting the latest developments on the newest innovation. To Ron, the law is more a tool than a restraint —and his deep involvement in the industry and government allows him to “look around the corner” and let clients know what’s coming next.

Ramakrishna Damodharan is an IP Attorney and has been in practice for more than 23 years. He is a registered patent, trademark, industrial design, geographical indications and new plant variety and grant of breeder’s right agent in Malaysia and has postgraduate degrees in Applied Chemistry and Law.

He has also been invited by international agencies such as International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation (ISTIC) which is under the auspices of UNESCO, Hong Kong Trade Development Center (HKTDC), Universiti of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) as well as various local government and private entities to deliver talks on IP matters.

He was appointed as an IP Expert by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and he has conducted training as a WIPO Expert in various countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam etc.

He was invited by Japanese Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA) to deliver a e-learning seminar on trade mark and design prosecution and litigation systems in ASEAN countries in English language – the first Asian to have done so. The seminar has been broadcast to more than 10000 patent attorneys in Japan.

Rama is the Managing Director of Adipven (M) Sdn. Bhd., a boutique IP firm based in Kuala Lumpur and one of the Directors of Robomy Sdn. Bhd. which is involved in the research and development as well as training on artificial intelligence.

Mr. Mark Vincent is a Principal at Spruson and Ferguson Lawyers with three decades of experience. Mark litigates IP disputes and advises on licensing, commercialisation, data protection, intellectual property law and strategy, often in complex areas of both law and technology.

Mark acts for local and multinational clients in patent, trade mark, copyright and trade secret litigation matters, often advising on cross-border strategic issues. Mark advises companies at all stages of growth on strategies to follow in registering, managing and enforcing IP, whether trade marks, patents, copyright, data or designs.

Mark’s acknowledged expertise in the area of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data protection is highly sought after by clients and has led to him being invited to speak at multiple industry events in Australia and across Asia Pacific.

Adjunct Professor Dr. Ana Elisa Monteiro Penteido graduated with a LLB degree from Brazil, LLM from the US and PhD from Australia. Ana is an expert in intellectual property theory, legal scholar and active researcher of new technologies and inventions focused on public policies on intellectual property foundations, my method is multi-disciplinary approach between hard science and humanities. I have authored a significant number of submissions to the Australian Parliament and IP Australia on matters of intellectual property public policy; and now I am also devoted to social policies affecting online education and protection of intangibles and ecological metrics.

Ana has experienced working with firms in Brazil, UK and Australia before she started lecturing in the Notre Dame University where she is currently working as an Adjunct Professor. She is focused on research, and advisory capacity in her areas of expertise connected to intellectual property theory, practice as well as promoting the university’s brand overseas. She is also actively working on international collaborations and guest speaker presentations. 

Professor Dr. Shambhu Prasad Chakrabarty is the Dean of the Department of Law, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata, India. He was the Head and Research Fellow prior to his current assignment. Shambu received his LL.B. & LL.M. from Calcutta University and Ph.D. from University of North Bengal.

He has taught and researched for over 18 years and has worked extensively in the area of IP Rights, Traditional Knowledge, Climate Change and Technology Law. Three Doctoral Scholars have been successfully co-supervised by him. He has authored and edited 7 books and wrote over 40 articles and book chapters including in the Liverpool Law Review, Environmental Management and is currently coediting two books that will be published this year. He acted as the Chief Editor of NUJS Journal of Regulatory Studies from August 2019-2022. He has presented research papers in more than 60 national and international conferences and invited as a resource person in more than 90 national and international events including the Government of India, Government of West Bengal, the Law and Society Association, Washington DC; Government of Western Australia; Australian National University; Notre Dame University, Sydney; Pattimura University, Indonesia; Daffodil International University Bangladesh; Tribhuvan University, Nepal, Binghamton State University, New York; University of Wroclaw, Poland, Nanyang Business School, Singapore. He has been a WIPO Academy Fellow to Malaysia in 2019. He was awarded with Gold Medal for winning Youth Parliament Competition organised by the Government of West Bengal.

Shambu is a member of the prestigious Law and Society Association, USA, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, UK and IPIRA.

Amanda Hyland is a partner at Taylor English Duma LLP in Atlanta, Georgia, where she chairs the firm’s trademark department and serves on the firm’s executive committee.  

Ms. Hyland focuses on intellectual property and media enforcement and litigation, trademark clearance, and portfolio management. She represents numerous publishers, authors, influencers, and household brands in disputes and enforcement matters in courts around the United States, as well as at the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board. She has twice been nominated for IP Litigator of the Year by Managing IP, and is ranked by Chambers, World Trademark Review, and numerous other institutions as a national expert in her field.  

Nick Guinn is a shareholder with Gunn, Lee & Cave, where he assists clients in all aspects of intellectual property, including litigation and prosecution. Nick prosecutes patent and trademark applications and routinely handles trademark proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Prior to Gunn, Lee & Cave, Nick served as a law clerk to Chief United States District Judge Fred Biery of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.  

He is a practicing professor of intellectual property law and advanced legal writing, and he frequently speaks on intellectual property and litigation issues. 

Katy Basile is a partner at Reed Smith LLP and in the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. She is also a member of Reed Smith’s firmwide Pro Bono Committee and DEI Committee. Katy has been active in INTA for many years, and currently is a member, and a past national-Chair, of the INTA Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court committee. 

Katy is highly regarded in her field. She began as a complex commercial litigator, went in-house handling trademarks and brands at Levi Strauss & Co. and Intel Corp., and returned to private practice in 2000. Katy continues in her long-standing role as primary outside counsel responsible for famous brands worldwide. She has extensive experience managing worldwide trademark clearance and prosecution, as well as domestic and multi-jurisdictional disputes. She has successfully used ADR proceedings to settle numerous trademark cases to her clients’ satisfaction. Katy has been recognized as a top professional in her field by a number of well-respected organizations including the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000, Legal 500 US, Who’s Who Legal, and International Who’s Who. She was named one of the Top 250 Women in IP and an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property and A Woman of Influence by the San Jose Business Journal. 

Brian is a founding partner of the firm and a registered patent attorney with over twenty years of experience advising clients on intellectual property matters in a wide variety of fields.

Brian's practice includes strategic counseling, domestic and foreign patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, and dispute resolution.

Brian also has considerable experience representing patent clients before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) and trademark clients before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

Working with a global network of foreign associates, Brian counsels clients on securing and safeguarding patents and trademarks in foreign markets and represents foreign companies seeking patent and trademark protection in the U.S.

Enrique is one of the most recognized lawyers in Central America. During his professional career, he has participated in some of the most important transactions and litigation cases in the region.

With more than 25 years of experience as a Lawyer and Notary in Guatemala, currently he serves as 
managing partner at Mollerlaw, his areas of expertise include Intellectual Property, Corporate Law, 
Specialized Litigation, and Tax Law, in which he has accumulated experience working with clients 
in the Retail, Infrastructure, and Energy industries. 

After founding Mollerlaw in 1996, he served as a Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) for 6 years and then 
returned to specialized private practice in 2020.

Enrique has been a part time university professor of commercial and corporate law for more than 
20 years, he has several degrees, among them, International Business from INCAE Business School, 
Tax Law from the University of Castilla La Mancha, he recently participated successfully in the 
Corporate Governance program at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania Business School. 

Giselle is a Partner of BLP in the San José office in Costa Rica. Her areas of expertise include Intellectual Property and Sanitary Registration of Products.

She has extensive experience advising local and international organizations in all aspects and processes related to the registration, protection, and defense of intellectual property rights, coordinating these processes throughout Central America via the BLP’s regional offices. She also represents clients in complex litigation related to trademarks, copyrights and anti-piracy. Additionally, she advises on the regulatory part related to the sanitary and phytosanitary registry of products before state authorities within their respective regional countries.

Clients recognize her extensive knowledge of Intellectual Property, including the regulatory environment. They have also praised Giselle’s advice as a key element in the performance of their businesses in Costa Rica. She is highly recognized in the practice of Intellectual Property by renowned legal publications such as The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, Latin Lawyer and Who’s Who Legal.

She became a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Professionals in Intellectual Property of Costa Rica (APPICR) in 2007. She also is or has been a member or a Board Director of the National Institute of Biodiversity (INBIO), the Committee of Intellectual Property of the Costa Rica Bar Association, and the Intellectual Property Subcommittee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) as well as the Illicit Trade and Security Committee and the Regulatory Improvement Committee of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP) In addition, she is currently a member of the Executive Committe of the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI) and has belonged to the International Trademark Association (INTA) since 2005. She heads the Judge´s Task Force of the INTA Enforcement Committee.

After serving as a director of the Intellectual Property area at Sfera Legal, she joined the BLP team as an associate in 2006 and was named Partner in 2014.

Ian received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (cum laude) and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering (cum laude) in 1990 from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee). He also received an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering in 1992 from the University of Miami (Coral Gables, Florida). In 2004 he received his J.D from Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia).

He began his professional career at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, where he worked in basic research in the area of clinical neurophysiology during 1993. In 1994 he joined Coulter Corporation (currently Beckman Coulter Inc.), in the Research and Development and the Product Development Departments, where he developed new technologies and designed medical instrumentation in the area of hematology until 1998, when he returned to Colombia.

In Colombia he joined a prestigious law firm where he worked at the patent department from October 1998 until July 2003, when he co-founded his own firm. In December 2010, Ian left his old firm to form a new firm raisbeck & castro.

Ian’s expertise lies in the prosecution and administrative, civil and criminal litigation of patents, trademarks, copyrights and plant breeder’s rights, as well as litigation against counterfeits and contraband, unfair competition and consumer protection. His experience includes being lead counsel in a patent infringement case obtaining the first ever first instance criminal conviction in Colombia, as well as his active participation in anti-counterfeiting activities for several industries, including pharmaceutical products and software. Ian has been called as an expert by the WHO for their IMPACT program in order to aid in the development of legal regulatory, civil and criminal guidelines to fight against the counterfeiting of medical products. Ian has led many committees in the IP field, including having directed the INTA Anti-counterfeiting Subcommittee for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce intellectual Property Committee.

Conny Schmitt is an attorney-at-law at Grünecker, Germany. She is a certified IP lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in the field of trademark and unfair competition law. She represents clients in a wide range of industries on issues that include prosecuting, enforcing and defending trademarks.

Jonathan has a great deal of experience in the development and management of trade mark portfolios for a broad range of clients. He is also a regular speaker on trade mark issues in various contexts including for INTA and WIPO.

He helps set up and maintain commercially relevant opposition strategies for his clients. Handling oppositions and appeals across many jurisdictions forms a significant part of his practice. He has particular experience in resolving disputes by negotiating commercially practical agreements on behalf of his clients.

Jonathan has long-standing relationships with many of his clients. His commercial understanding of their businesses helps him deliver sophisticated and appropriate advice. Clients like his grounded approach and his clear focus on practical and workable solutions. As a result of his work for multinational clients, he is experienced in IP issues across diverse commercial sectors including finance, pharmaceutical, medical, power systems, fashion, retail and tobacco. He is active in many other commercial areas as well, not least due to his extensive collaborations with SMEs.

Jonathan has been a contributing author of all three editions of Wolters Kluwer’s Concise European Trademark and Design Law, writing the commentary on about 30 Articles of the EUTMR and the corresponding provisions of the CDR. This book was recently divided into separate volumes for trade marks and designs. He has also been the Editor of a new international title in The Law Reviews series called The Trademarks Law Review since its launch in 2017, now in its third edition.

A Qualified Trademark Attorney since 2005, Peter is specialized in non-litigious IP consulting, trademark prosecution and enforcement. As EU counsel for several Global Brand Owners, he is involved in all stages of the IP value chain from analysing and advising on prior rights searches (trademarks and designs) to representation in EU and Italian Trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings. In addition to trademark prosecution, his day-to-day practice also involves drafting legal opinions, co-existence agreements and litigation support. Peter is currently a member of the INTA Programming Advisory Council.

Silvia Asioli is lead senior manager in the Intellectual Property Advisory Department of Baker McKenzie's Italy offices.

Silvia focuses on pre-filing, similarity and availability searches as well as trademark filing, prosecution and management. She also works on opposition procedures before the Italian Trademark Office and the European Trademark Office, Customs Surveillance applications, anti-counterfeiting issues, and the negotiation and drafting of settlement and coexistence agreements.

Silvia has extensive experience in Italian and European intellectual property law. She has represented clients in the food, fashion, textile, luxury goods, wine and spirits, engineering and white goods industries.

Liege Beschoren is a Professional Services Manager EMEA at Corsearch, France.