David Lutkin

31st Mar 2022

We are saddened at the passing of former ITMA President David Lutkin.

David, who passed away on 14th March 2022, was President from 1987 – 1989.

His funeral service will be held on 11th April 2022 at 3:30pm at Easthampstead Park Crematorium (South Road, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham, Bracknell, RG40 3DW) followed by refreshments at The White Lion in Yateley. All are welcome to both.

His family are requesting no flowers, but donations to their chosen charities - the RNLI and the RSPB. Click here for more details, on David’s memorial page

Eric Ramage has kindly shared some words in tribute to David. 

I first met David in 1971 when he and Ray Sheridan interviewed me for a job with AA Thornton.  

David and I were about the same age but he had been an Ordinary member of what was at that time the Institute of Trade Mark Agents for about three years, having qualified by examination when working with Haseltine Lake (which at that time was based in Chancery Lane) before he had reached the minimum age of 21 to be elected as an Ordinary member of the Institute.  

To put David’s achievement into context I qualified at the ripe old age of 25, in the March 1972 exams after I had joined David at AA Thornton.  

I eventually moved to Liverpool and David joined Reckitt and Colman where he became Group Trade Mark Agent and head of department where he subsequently invited me to join him as his deputy where we both remained for the next 5 years.  

In the latter part of the 70s David was invited to join BP where he became head of trade marks.  

Several years later when I was a partner in Beck Greener in Lincoln’s Inn I persuaded David to join me which happened to be about the time he became president of ITMA.  

During his time as president David worked closely with another David, the ITMA treasurer David Evans to turn ITMA’s fortunes around which they did very effectively if not to universal applause. 

David and I did not always agree.  I was particularly wary of his plan to bolt the ITMA AGM on to the ITMA ‘International Conference’ and to hold an open meeting for delegates immediately after (or as I insisted on saying, “at the same time as”) the AGM.  

But, as with so many of his plans, it worked.  

ITMA got the use of the conference hall for its AGM (the bulk of the expense being absorbed by the Conference because of the immediately follow on open meeting) and more Ordinary Members than ever before turned up.  

Previous AGMs had often consisted of a few members of council turning up to stand in the office of the then president before adjourning to the nearest pub. 

The new AGM which lasted about 10 minutes, seamlessly became an open meeting at which both Ordinary and Overseas members could voice an opinion, which segued into a drinks reception, and when did trade mark agents of our generation ever turn down a drinks reception?  

While at Beck Greener David not only handled client trade mark problems but took over the training of a young lady who was at that time working for one of our good clients and who would go on to become President of ITMA, (and my wife).  

Although David stayed with Beck Greener after I left to set up my own practice he subsequently worked with Rothmans International as head of trade marks and with Mathys and Squire before he decided to set up his own practice in 1997, “David Lutkin Associates” which David transferred to a London law firm when he first became ill about 15 years ago and to whom he became consultant.  

David’s wife Janet told me in a recent telephone conversation that they were 15 good years for her and David.  David leaves his lovely wife Janet and two equally lovely daughters and two grandchildren.  

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