Christopher P. Bussert is Senior Counsel in the Atlanta office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. He has more than 40 years of experience in helping clients protect and defend their intellectual property assets. Mr. Bussert represents clients in trademark, franchise, copyright, and unfair competition litigation, including proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and in licensing and trademark clearance and prosecution matters. He has written and spoken frequently on a wide range of intellectual property subjects. Among other things, he served as co-editor-in-chief and co-author of The INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HANDBOOK: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR FRANCHISE, BUSINESS AND IP COUNSEL (ABA 2016) and is a chapter co-author of FUNDAMENTALS OF FRANCHISING (ABA 4th Ed. 2015), MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS OF FRANCHISE COMPANIES (ABA 2d Ed. 2014), and ANNUAL FRANCHISE AND DISTRIBUTION LAW DEVELOPMENTS 2014 (ABA 2014) and has authored and co-authored more than two dozen articles published in The Franchise Law Journal, The Franchise Lawyer, The Trademark Reporter, and The IP Strategist, among others.

Chris has been active for a number of years in various Bar organizations most notably the ABA Forum on Franchising for which he served as a member of the Governing Committee, co-chair of the 2016 Annual Meeting, and editor-in-chief of The Franchise Law Journal, and The International Trademark Association, for which he served as Education Committee Chair, Chair of the 2004 Annual Meeting and a member of the editorial board of The Trademark Reporter. Chris has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America (twice as Atlanta Lawyer of the Year in Franchise Law), Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, and in the International Who’s Who of Trademark Lawyers, Franchise Lawyers and Business Lawyers, has been named as a Legal Eagle by Franchise Times (and was named to its 2023 Hall of Fame Class), was listed in World Trademark Review’s “The Trademark Experts’ Experts’” and in its annual guide to the top 1000 trademark practitioners in the world every year since its inaugural publication. He currently serves on the editorial board of the IP Strategist.

Angelo Mazza counsels clients in developing brand protection and enforcement strategies, and works extensively with law enforcement on IP related crimes. He has trained over 63,000 law enforcement officials including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.    

An issue impacting every brand, Angelo is at the forefront of anticounterfeiting issues and has an awareness of global industry trends. He develops an understanding of his clients’ business goals, and creates comprehensive solutions to address current anticounterfeiting issues and prepare them for future challenges. Angelo has developed a niche focus on internet matters. Managing the firm’s Internet Enforcement Program, he works with associates, brand protection specialists and researchers to monitor counterfeit activity including online marketplaces and sites, social media platforms and other emerging technologies.  He also handles UDRP proceedings and traditional domain name disputes. Angelo interacts regularly with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and actively participates in US Chamber of Commerce efforts to implement policy changes and best practices.

Aysen Kunt is a registered trademark and patent attorney with over 19 years of experience before the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. Aysen counseled a wide range of multinational and local clients for all aspects of their IP portfolio management, including availability and clearance searches, prosecution works, administrative oppositions and appeals, settlement negotiations, transactions, maintenance, and patent validation and national phase applications. She is a member to INTA since the beginning of his career and has been attending Annual Meetings regularly since 2008. She is in the Famous and Well-Known Trademarks Committee and leading the Genericide Subcommittee.

Miranda is an Intellectual Property Associate Attorney based in Houston. Her practice primarily focuses on branding, global IP portfolio advice and management, and domestic and foreign trademark prosecution. She is an LL.M. candidate at the University of Houston in the Information and Intellectual Property law program focusing on licensing, IP and entertainment law issues. Her passion for branding began with her internship in the legal department of the PGA TOUR.

Sacha Colquhoun is the Manager, Business Development at the International Trademark Association. She has held this position for four years and is responsible for building a BD Team that delivers impactful networking opportunities that enhance member engagement. As a certified meeting planner with over ten years of experience, she leverages her extensive background in meeting and event planning, to oversee all offsite events and the BD programming at all INTA meetings and conferences, ensuring these experiences foster meaningful connections among registrants and  enables them to achieve their business goals and objectives.  

Faith Butts is a seasoned legal professional with over 20 years of experience at DIRECTV, where she currently serves as the IP Lead Paralegal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morris Brown College and a Paralegal Certificate from UCLA School of Law, specializing in Corporations and Litigation.  

 In addition to her corporate role, Faith is the founder of Faith’s Footprints, a non-profit organization focused on building self-esteem and confidence in adolescent girls and young women.   

Faith lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and three children.

Carla Lee is an experienced intellectual property professional with over 10 years in the field. She currently serves as the Trademark Paralegal Manager at Mewburn Ellis LLP in London.   

Carla earned her CITMA Paralegal Qualification in 2016 and continues to excel in managing trademark operations and supporting IP initiatives.

With over 15 years of experience in the Trademark & Copyright Department at Cantor Colburn LLP, Crysta Lemon has spent the last five years serving as Manager and Senior Paralegal.  

 She is actively involved in the INTA TMA Mentoring Program and currently serves as Co-chair of the Culture Subcommittee within the INTA Trademark Administrators Committee.

Stacy Puleo is a seasoned trademark professional with over 20 years of experience in intellectual property. Her diverse expertise spans multiple industries, including entertainment, confectionery, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.   

In her role, Stacy focuses on trademark operations and mentoring. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.

Bárbara Castro is an in-house lawyer at Mercado Libre, graduated from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), with a postgraduate degree in Intellectual Property from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ) and a Master's in Media Regulation and Streaming Platforms from Fundação Rui Barbosa. She is currently a Senior Lawyer in the Intellectual Property area of Mercado Libre's legal department.

Dorothy Agoglia is currently a Principal Trademark Specialist at Medtronic, Inc.  She has worked in the trademark field in both corporate trademark departments and IP firms for over three decades, protecting such prominent brands as Medtronic, Lacoste, Izod, Monet, and Starter.    She has served as a member of the Trademark Administrator’s Committee and is now working with the In-House Practitioner’s Committee at INTA.

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).

Larisa Colton is Global Trademark Counsel for Yum! Brands, where she directs the trademark protection and enforcement strategy for KFC and Pizza Hut International. She has been a tireless supporter of INTA for years, having served both on the Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008, and the Association’s Foundation Board for over 10 years. She has served on two Presidential Task Forces and received INTA’s 2019 Service Award for the Advancement of Association Objectives.

Amelie Chen is currently a Brand Protection Counsel at New Balance. She graduated from East China University of Political Science and Law, with a degree in Intellectual Property Law. She has a unique combination of in-house and outside counsel experience in intellectual property management and brand protection strategies in China.

Mr. Thadhani is an advocate and a patent attorney in India, and handles a wide spectrum of commercial disputes, predominantly patents, trade marks, copyrights, and design. His experience coupled with academic knowledge renders him an in-depth knowledge of the subject, as well as equips him with a specialized and business strategy-oriented approach in the field. 

Rachel completed her pre-registration pharmacist training in Singapore and attained her registration there while working as a hospital pharmacist. Returning to Kuala Lumpur and obtaining registration locally, she also has had experience working in the medical centre and retail pharmacy settings.

She then joined Adipven in 2021 as an Intellectual Property associate, advising clients on matters concerning patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights and geographical indications.

Megan Ryder is a registered Australian trade mark attorney and the Practice Group Leader of the Trade Marks Group at Madderns Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys. Megan has practised exclusively in the area of trade marks for over 15 years and assists clients to protect, manage and defend their brands in Australia and internationally. She has the privilege of working with businesses across a broad range of industries and has particular expertise in the food and beverage sector, especially wine. Megan is consistently recognised as a leading trade mark professional for prosecution and strategy work in the annual “World Trade Mark Review” and was an integral part of the team awarded “Australian Trade Mark Firm of the Year” at the Global IP Awards for 2020 presented by IAM and the World Trademark Review.
Megan is a Fellow of the Institute of Patent and Trademark Attorneys (IPTA) and has served on the IPTA Council since 2023. She is also an active member of the IPTA Trade Marks, Designs and Indigenous Knowledge Committee, the Media and Communications Committee, the Education Committee and the IPTA Annual Conference 2024 SubCommittee. Megan is also a member of the International Trademarks Association (INTA) Geographical Indications Committee.

He served clients from China and other countries/regions, including well-known non-Chinese brands, such as, SAMSUNG, Wm Wrigley Jr, Ritz-Carlton, and well-known Chinese brands, such as, Mengniu and Mercury textile. He likes studying law and reading. He treats every client and every case earnestly and does his utmost to safeguard the interests of the clients. He is devoted to providing quality and professional legal advice and service. Mr. Zhu also has rich experience in drafting and reviewing contracts/agreements in relation to agency, trademark assignment, OEM, hired work, NDA, trademark co-existence, and so on. In the above work, he endeavors to promote the parties’ reaching an agreement, attaches attention to details, safeguards the interests of the client, assists the client to avoid risk, sufficiently informs the client of the risks, and promotes smooth transaction.

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.