Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.

Nuno is a partner at the IP firm J. Pereira da Cruz and a founding partner of the related law firm Pereira da Cruz e Associados. He focuses his professional activity on IP contentious matters and, as a lawyer, on consultancy and litigation in the field of various IP rights, including anti-counterfeiting and border measures.

As well as practicing in Portugal, Nuno also has experience in IP prosecution and litigation in other Portuguese-speaking countries – particularly in Angola.

He serves on the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee and the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. He is currently chairman of the IP Commission of ICC Portugal. Nuno works in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish.

Mr. John Ndirangu Kabare, a national of the Republic of Kenya, joined ARIPO on 1 March 2002 as a Patent Examiner and was promoted to Senior Patent Examiner in 2011, a post he held until his appointment as Intellectual Property Operations Executive on 1 March 2016.

Mr. Kabare is responsible for providing strategic support to the Director General by overseeing and coordinating the development of appropriate systems, procedures, controls, strategies and work programs for the provision of efficient and effective delivery of IP rights through the Division’s functional areas i.e. Search and Substantive Examination Department as well as the Formalities Examination Department.

Mr. Kabare is a seasoned IP Rights Expert with over 22 years’ experience in the Intellectual Property (IP) rights management field.

He previously worked for the Biotechnology Trust Africa in Kenya as an IP Officer, the Kenya Industrial Property Institute as a Patent Examiner and Frigoken Limited as Quality Control Manager, prior to joining ARIPO.

Mr. Kabare holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree in Food science from the University of Nairobi and is in the final stages of the Master of Business Administration Degree from Women’s University in Africa. He has attended various regional and international professional courses in IP rights management regionally and has also facilitated various symposiums on IP related matters.

Ms. Amanda Lotheringen joined the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1993 and is currently Senior Manager, Copyright and IP Enforcement, at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).  In 1999 she took responsibility for the implementation of the Counterfeit Goods Act, No. 37 of 1997, and oversaw the declaration of the first counterfeit goods depot.  She was also involved in the training of law enforcement officials across government departments to implement that Act.  Ms. Lotheringen was nominated as Vice-Chair at the first meeting of WIPO’s Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) held in Geneva in 2003 and also chaired the ACE in 2015 and 2016.  She holds a degree from the Rand Afrikaans University in Development Economics and an Honors degree in Economics.

Nancy is the Managing Partner of Samuriwo Attorneys, a dedicated IP firm that is based in Harare, Zimbabwe. She specializes in IPRs covering Zimbabwe as well as member states of the African Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

She is a past Chairperson of the ARIPO Working Group which evaluates the performance of ARIPO’s Harare and Banjul Protocols and suggests ways of improving the performance of the IP registration systems under both Protocols.

She has written papers and presented extensively on IP issues. She sits on several corporate Boards advising on IPRs and is a current member of INTA’s African Global Advisory Council. 

With, multi-sectoral experience Nancy has a fresh take on IPR issues including anti-counterfeiting matters. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law, two Masters degrees in IP and Oil, Gas and Mining law respectively and is currently studying towards an MSc in Climate and Development Law with the University of London to leverage her IP skills.

Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.

Abay Feleke is a founder and managing partner at IPELA Consultancy Service, a firm based in Ethiopia providing a wide range of service in the areas of Trademark, Patent, Industrial Design, Utility Model protection and enforcement and corporate matters. He was former Trademark & Industrial Design examiner at Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office.

Abay is a lawyer and licensed trademark Agent in Ethiopia. And he advises and assists international and local clients on intellectual property protection and enforcement measures.

Nora Ho Tu Nam is a lawyer at IPvocate Africa, a boutique law firm specialised in protecting, managing and enforcing intellectual property rights all over Africa from Mauritius. She focuses on anti-counterfeiting matters in Africa and has an in-depth knowledge of the law and practice of the enforcement of intellectual property rights. 

She is a published author, having written chapters in edited books, journal articles, reports and book reviews. Her 2020 publications include co-authoring an article on the real problem of fakes in Africa: enabling factors and advice to right holders and an article on counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Africa in the times of COVID-19. Both have been published by the Oxford University Press Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

She previously worked in South Africa and The Gambia, thereby bringing in a solid knowledge of the African continent. She holds a doctorate in law from the University of Pretoria.

Ms. Fridah is the Acting Executive Director of ACA, a State Corporation under the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development. ACA is mandated to combat counterfeiting and trade in counterfeit goods in Kenya.

Ms. Fridah has a wealth of experience in Intellectual Property Enforcement spanning over 10 years. She has served the Authority since its inception. Prior to her current position, Ms. Fridah previously served as the Head of Corporate Services within ACA having grown through the ranks due to her exemplary performance.

Ms. Fridah holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Nairobi and is a member of Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya. Her passion is in empowering young innovators through the protection of their IP rights and promotion of local manufacturing through enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Lorna is the founder of CFL Advocates and is in charge of the IP practice at the firm.

She has a wealth of expertise in IP prosecution, maintenance, audits, risk management, anticounterfeiting, contentious IP and commercial IP services across East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Somaliland, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan), ARIPO and OAPI.

She is currently a member of the INTA Board of Directors, the Co-chairperson of the INTA Africa Global Advisory Council and the chairperson of the Africa and Middle East subcommittee of the INTA Anticounterfeiting Committee. 

Lorna has been recognized in several international leading legal directories including Chambers Global, Managing IP, WTR1000, World IP Review and Client Choice awards for her professionalism and commitment in the IP field. 

Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.

Obafemi heads the Brand Protection Practice as well as the FMCG Sector of Jackson, Etti & Edu, a prestigious law firm recognised locally and internationally as having the foremost IP practice in Nigeria and a flourishing Africa practice. 

Obafemi has a solid background in commercial litigation and has grown into a leading light in IP litigation, rights protection and enforcement, espousing recondite points of law and fundamental principles in the Nigerian IP jurisprudence. He also regularly interfaces with regulatory and enforcement bodies on the protection of IP rights.

Obafemi holds an LLM.IP from the University College London and a PGD in International Copyright Law from King's College London. As a strong voice in IP practice, he was also elected as the President of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria in December 2020 and currently serves on the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee of the INTA.

Mr. Maurice Batanga is holder of:

• A Degree in Private Law obtained in 1986 at the Faculty of Law and Economics of the University of Yaounde
• An MA and a Doctorate in International Relations awarded by the Institute of International Relations of Cameroon in 1988 and 1991 respectively.

Mr. Maurice Batanga is the Director of Legal Affairs Department at the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), in Yaounde- Cameroon. He has been working in this organization since 1996.  

He is also a Lecturer in the Academy of Intellectual Property that was created in 2005 in OAPI. Prior to joining OAPI, Mr. Maurice Batanga, who is a Diplomat, served at the Ministry of External Relations of Cameroon, from 1991 to 1996.

He participated as a student, at a training program on IP at the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies of the University of Strasbourg in France.

Olusola Ogundimu is one of the leading faces of IP law in Ghana. Her practice, Integrated Legal Consultants, founded in 2007, remains at the forefront of IP matters in Ghana providing services to local and international clients some of which include Fortune 500 companies 

Olusola is responsible for securing the registration of several leading international brands with both the Nigerian Trademarks Registry and the Ghanaian Trademarks Registry and has registered a significant number of patents and industrial designs. She has also advised and litigated on intellectual property rights and anti-counterfeiting matters.

A graduate of The University of Ile Ife in Nigeria, Olusola was admitted to the Nigerian Bar and Ghanaian Bar in 1992 and 2007, respectively and has since worked with and in various capacities in Ghana; Sierra-Leone (Wright & Co and Fourah Bay College: 2003-2005); and Nigeria (Aluko & Oyebode: 1994 – 2001).

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Ghana Bar Association, the International Bar Association  and  the International Trademark Association.

Braam Schoeman’s career started as a legal advisor with the South African Police Service. As such he predominantly dealt with High Court litigation matters against the Police. His last 4 years in the Police were dedicated to coordinating anti-counterfeit efforts between the public and private sectors and assisting with the compiling of a training manual for anti-counterfeit enforcers.

From the Police, he moved to the music industry to establish a national Music Anti-Piracy Group for the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry). He spent 8 years in the roll as the Anti-Piracy manager during which period he and his team removed all visible music piracy from the streets of South Africa while utilizing technology to identify peer-to-peer file sharers, predominantly uploaders.

From the music industry, he moved to S. C Johnson & Son (SCJ) where he was appointed as the Brand Protection manager responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa. As such he has established an enforcement network across Africa combating counterfeit SCJ products. Some of his successes include having eradicated counterfeiting of SCJ products in Kenya & Uganda to less than 1%. To date he is still frequently requested to address regional, operational & educational workshops hosted by Interpol, WIPO and the WCO.

Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.

Mr. Issam Benhssine has ten years of experience working in the legal field. He served as a lawyer at the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office between 2010 and 2018, promoting intellectual property rights for both creators and innovators and dealing with anticounterfeiting measures and procedures at the national, regional and international levels.

In August 2018, Mr. Issam Benhssine founded IB FOR IP, an abbreviation of Issam Benhssine for Intellectual Property, an intellectual property firm based in Casablanca, Morocco. IB FOR IP provides a full range of legal services covering counselling, registration, prosecution, licensing and litigation related to intellectual property rights. 

Mr. Issam Benhssine holds a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in intellectual property from the University of Turin (2015/2016). He is a member of INTA Anticounterfeiting Committee, Middle East and Africa Subcommittee, since January 2020. Mr. Issam Benhssine is the author of several articles in the field of intellectual property.

Mohamed obtained his Bachelor of Science from Boston University – School of Management in 2013. He later obtained his LLB and LLM from BPP University in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Mohamed joined Eldib & Co, a regional law firm with branches across Africa, in 2014 specializing in corporate and intellectual property law.

In his corporate law practice, Mohamed has assisted in various contracts for high profile clients worldwide. At Eldib & Co he handles litigation claims on behalf of multinational companies in instances of counterfeit products appearing in the market. Mohamed is a member of the International Trademark Association’s Anti-counterfeiting committee and a co-chair in the Middle East General Advisory Counsel.

Franck Pradier joined Novartis Global Security in 2014 and has been focusing on the fight against falsified medicines since then, occupying several different positions of increasing responsibilities. In his current role, Franck not only leads several projects related with this topic, but also acts as the Anti-Counterfeiting Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the Europe and Middle East region. Franck holds a Master’s degree in Business Intelligence since 2010 and is a Certified Fraud Examiner – CFE degree since 2016.

Born in Wrocław, Poland and a dual Polish/Danish national, Nathan Wajsman was educated at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and later undertook graduate studies in the USA, earning a PhD in Economics from the University of Florida and an MBA from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Dr. Wajsman was named Chief Economist of the EUIPO in May 2011. He has been with the agency since 2007, previously working in Finance and Quality Management. 

Prior to joining the EUIPO, he spent 20 years working in the private sector. A stint as a forecasting analyst at an electric utility in Florida was followed by a career in telecommunications and finance industries in the USA and several European countries, including positions with AT&T in the USA and Belgium, Swiss Reinsurance Company in Zurich, and Claranet Benelux, a managed hosting and internet service provider in the Netherlands.

Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.

Prior to joining the Word Customs Organisation, Maurice Emiola had a 13-year career in various positions at Benin Customs, including heading up the rapid intervention service, also known as the “mobile brigade,” with responsibility for the Atlantic and coastline, and was the spokesperson for Benin Customs administration, just prior to his departure from Benin Customs.

In September 2016, Maurice Emiola relocated to WCO headquarters in Brussels and joined the team responsible for the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Health and Safety Programme in the Enforcement and Compliance Sub-Directorate.

In 2018, he held the position of Director, Policy and International Relations Director, Directorate General of Customs and Indirect Taxes, Benin.

Today, Maurice Emiola holds the position of Technical Officer, IPR, and health and safety programme manager in Compliance sub directorate in WCO.

He has participated in several WCO operations against illicit medicines, such as ACIM and Mirage. He is now the main coordinator of the STOP Operation, the WCO immediate response against illicit trafficking of medicines, vaccines and medical supplies linked to COVID-19 pandemic. 

Holly B. Lance is an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  As a member of the Enforcement team, Ms. Lance provides technical advice, analysis, and expertise on domestic and global intellectual property enforcement issues. Ms. Lance’s portfolio is Sub-Saharan Africa, and she promotes and advocates for improved protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the region through capacity building and technical assistance programs.  

Prior to joining the USPTO, Ms. Lance was in private practice, where she focused on trademark, copyright and internet law issues, including counseling, trademark and copyright prosecution, enforcement and litigation.

Ms. Lance holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Cultural Anthropology and Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.  She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Darren Olivier has over 20 years of experience in brand protection and intellectual property commercialization. He is an IP adviser to the Zulu royal family and sits on the editorial board of the University of Oxford’s Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice. He also writes as Afro Leo on the Afro-IP blog, which he founded. He is a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law and dual qualified South African and English solicitor and is a member of INTA. He holds a B.Com LLB.

Maysa Razavi has worked with the International Trademark Association (INTA) on the frontline of the war against counterfeits for the past nine years. As the External Relations Manager for Anticounterfeiting at INTA, Maysa leads the organization’s anticounterfeiting policy worldwide. She also is the staff focused on international amicus intervention for the Association. Her work has involved a wide range of industries from pharmaceuticals to fashion. Maysa is a graduate of New York Law School (J.D.) and New York University (B.A.).

Law Studies in Saarbrücken and Salamanca. After obtaining the qualification for holding judicial office (German Second State Examination), he practiced as a lawyer with Forrester, Norall & Sutton (now: White & Case) in Brussels, Belgium. From 1997 to 2001, he served as a staff legal advisor for European Union law and German law for the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, Lausanne, Switzerland. 

In 2001, Mr Schneider joined EUIPO to work as a lawyer in the Legal Department. Apart from representing the Office in more than 800 cases before the European Court of Justice, he took over different responsibilities in various departments of the Office (Cancellation, International Cooperation, DPO). In 2020, he assumed the role of Deputy Project Leader for the AfrIPI project, a Commission project aimed at strengthening IPRs in Africa which is co-funded and implemented by the EUIPO. 

Vanessa is the founder of FERGUSON ATTORNEYS a South African Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting specialist law firm. 

For more than two decades, Vanessa has been assisting clients from all industries and areas in respect of both traditional and non-traditional IP protection and enforcement, including anti-counterfeiting measures, both in South Africa as well as key African territories.

Vanessa furthermore holds the position of Immediate President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – 2019-2020, member of Council, as well as the Anti-Counterfeiting and Education committees.  Vanessa serves as a member of the INTA (International Trade Mark Association) Middle East & Africa Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

She is the co-author with Marius Schneider of the book “Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa”, published by Oxford University Press in May 2020. 

With a strong passion and belief in education and capacity building, Vanessa works closely with government bodies and industries in South Africa and is actively involved in the training programs for law enforcement, customs and other role players in anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement measures. 

Marius is the founder and director of IPvocate Africa, a law firm focusing on the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights all over Africa. He assists clients, including multinationals from Europe and North America, in setting up and enforcing their IP strategy across Africa.

Marius is the co-author with Vanessa Ferguson of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the OUP publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (third edition in progress) and a Consulting Editor of the OUP Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

He is a lawyer at the Brussels bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser in Mauritius. He serves on the INTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the EUIPO Observatory and the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Marius works in English, French, German and Dutch.