CITMA Autumn Conference

Stepping into the future

Develop your knowledge, connections and passion for your profession at our Autumn Conference in Birmingham.

With time to learn with your colleagues and to share your own views, as well as engaging with cutting-edge expertise on the most quickly developing areas of the trade mark industry, this event is the pinnacle of our learning opportunities.

From the principles of anti-counterfeiting and geopolitics to how trade marks are emerging as a driving force in the world of NFTs, we will cover all of the most urgent questions facing our industry today.

We will combine traditional talks and panels with our roundtable discussion session on NFTs, which will bring together both learning and networking.

This is an intricate and rapidly changing area for IP, and you will have the opportunity to engage in small group conversations, guided by our expert facilitators, in order to best understand where we find ourselves.

In the inspiring environment of the Library of Birmingham, your industry will get together to enjoy all the benefits of learning and developing collectively - an invaluable opportunity to benefit from your peers’ knowledge and experience.

Drinks reception

Follow our day of industry-leading learning, the conference will be rounded off with an onsite drinks reception, taking place in the library’s mezzanine area.

This is the ideal time to continue to network, reflect on the day’s sessions and unwind with your colleagues.

CPD

Alongside the high value networking and development that the conference will offer you, you will also gain five hours’ CPD.

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding in a wide range of areas, including:

• Best practice in opposition, invalidity and revocation
• Anticounterfeiting and geopolitics
• Security interests, transactions and assignments

Programme

Download programme

	Time		Titles	Speaker
	8.45am		Registration with light refreshments
	9.45am		Introduction	Keven Bader, CITMA
	9.50am		Welcome	Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, CITMA
	9.55am		UK case law update	Jonathan Moss, Hogarth Chambers
	10.30am		Iceland: The first oral hearing before the EUIPO Grand Board	Sally Britton, Mishcon de Reya
	11.05am		Tea and coffee break
	11.35am		Good practice on opposition, invalidity and revocation	Heather Harrison, UK IPO
	12.10pm		Promoting greater support for paralegals and access to the profession	Carol Nyahasha, Elkington + Fife Kane Ridley, Keltie
	12.35pm		Lunch
	1:35pm		NFTs – what are they and how are IP rights in them infringed?	Alex Watt, Howard Kennedy
	3pm		Tea and coffee break
	3.30pm		Anticounterfeiting and geopolitics	Tom Nener, Pinsent Masons
	4.05pm		Security interests over trade marks and related transactions	Mei Mei Wong, DLA Piper
	4.40pm		Close	Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, CITMA
	Until 7pm		Drinks reception

Speakers

Carol is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Elkington and Fife LLP and has over 20 years of experience in the IP profession, gained both in-house (in the US) and in private practice.

Carol is very passionate about increasing diversity and inclusion in the IP profession.  She sits on the CITMA council and is an active supporter of IP Inclusive where she serves as Project Lead and mentor for the Careers in Ideas Mentoring Scheme. Carol also sits on the IP Inclusive Advisory Board.

Kane Ridley, Keltie LLP

Kane leads Keltie’s Trade Mark Paralegals, Administrators and IP Renewal specialists. As part of this function Kane oversees all aspects of Trade Mark prosecution from filing through to renewal.

Kane facilitates the review of in-house workflows and implements updates to ensure best practice of internal systems. A core part of the strategic review of Keltie’s Trade Mark management services involves assessing emerging technologies and implementing automation to best fit the business.

Kane was co-opted to the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) Paralegal Course Working Group in 2016 and regularly lectures on the course.

He is also a member of the CITMA Paralegal Committee and is currently serving a second term as the Paralegal Representative on CITMA Council. Kane is also a member of the International Trade Mark Associations (INTA) Trade Mark Administrator Committee.

Alex Watt, Howard Kennedy

Alex is a Partner at Howard Kennedy whose practice tends to involve commercial legal work in IP-centric businesses, such as licensing, gaming, egaming, franchising and publishing. He is particularly well-known for his commercial work with brands, and particularly in their growth and commercialisation. 

He also does a lot of work within the art world, within which he advises galleries, auction houses and the artists themselves - and recently that work has included a lot of work in the crypto sphere with NFTs and the digital art or assets they relate to.

Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, Baker McKenzie

Rachel is a Partner at Baker McKenzie, and CITMA's President.

Rachel has worked with clients in a broad range of different fields, including pharmaceuticals, finance and fashion, as well as assisting NGOs in a number of sectors on a pro bono basis.

She also has considerable experience in advising on IP and regulatory issues involving parallel trade in the EU, particularly in the context of the life sciences sector.

Mei Mei Wong, DLA Piper

Mei Mei is a Partner in the Capital Markets and Structured Investments team at DLA Piper.

She has been a part of the London team since moving to the UK in 2014 from Melbourne, Australia.

Mei Mei represents corporates, financial institutions, funds and government institutions across a wide range of domestic and cross border transactions, with a particular focus on corporate, acquisition/leverage, and structured finance and restructuring matters.

She has advised leading funds and financial institutions on taking and perfecting security over trade marks.

She has been recognised by Legal500 as a "Rising Star" for Bank Lending (2022) and by Best Lawyers as "One to Watch" in Banking and Finance (2023).

Venue

Our Autumn Conference will be taking place in the Library of Birmingham. Making use of a cabaret-style round table setup, this will be a collaborative opportunity to learn from and with your industry colleagues.

The library opened in September 2013, at a cost of £188.8 million, and is very easily accessible from the city’s main train stations.

This cultural hub at the heart of the city is home to Europe’s largest collection of books, sitting next door to the Birmingham Repertory theatre.

Carbon offset

We take our responsibility to the environment seriously and our pledge to become net zero is a key factor.

We are offering the chance to offset your travel to and involvement at our conference with a one-off £1.50 donation – this will be used to fund sustainability projects across the globe via Ecologi.

Cost

Delegate fees

• £325 member rate
• £400 standard rate

Meet your exhibitors

Safety

We are committed to ensuring a safe environment at our events and will continue to review and act on the latest NHS and government coronavirus advice and guidance.

For your safety there will be additional measures in place and we will let you know about these ahead of the event.

If you do have any symptoms of coronavirus we will ask you not to attend.

Please note:

• Payment online via debit or credit card only; proforma invoices are not available.
• Full terms and conditions apply.
• Closing date: 28th September 2022

More events