Insider: May 2022
Welcome from our new President
President’s welcome
My sights are set on four goals.
There are four key areas that I plan to focus on during my term as President.
First, rights of representation before the UK IPO was identified by the membership as being the most important live issue for CITMA’s focus.
We have done a lot of the groundwork in formulating our campaign and we will be working towards a positive change for you and all users of the UK IP system.
CITMA will continue to support the IPO in the delivery of the One IPO transformation project, working with it to ensure the best outcome is achieved.
This scheme aims to make the IPO’s services significantly more technologically advanced and user friendly, which will benefit both the owners of IP rights and trade mark practitioners.
The next generation of Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys will see significant benefits in taking advantage of their full advocacy and litigation rights. I will work to further empower newly qualified practitioners in making use of these rights.
Finally, I want our profession to continue to grow its international focus. Strengthening ties with WIPO, EUIPO and registries and professional bodies across the globe will be vital to helping our profession to continue to thrive in a global IP system.
I look forward to working with all of you on these ambitions and continuing the work of advocating for the trade mark profession.
Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, CITMA President
Council representatives have been chosen
During a contested election in March, 12 of our members were elected to sit on our Council for a term of two years, joining eight other members elected in 2021.
The 12 members who received the most votes, and are therefore elected for the 2022–2024 period, are:
- Ese Akpogheneta, BATMark
- Oscar Benito, BioNTech
- Tania Clark, Withers & Rogers
- Daniel Hardman-Smart, Stobbs IP
- Sanjay Kapur, Potter Clarkson
- Chris McLeod, Elkington + Fife
- Kate O’Rourke, Mewburn Ellis
- Maggie Ramage, Edwin Coe
- Kelly Saliger, CMS
- Ervina Vasiljevic, Reckitt Benckiser
- Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, Baker McKenzie
- Catherine Wiseman, Barker Brettell
The 20-strong Council operates as our governing body and oversees the business of CITMA. It also admits new members, makes the final decision on policy and sets our strategic direction. For full details go to citma.org.uk/election
Providing the student perspective
Gail Nicol of Cameron Intellectual Property has been selected as the new Student Representative. Gail is currently training to become a Trade Mark Attorney at Queen Mary University of London.
CITMA aims high
Our Events Manager, Sarah Vaughan, has raised hundreds of pounds for the London Legal Support Trust by abseiling from the ArcelorMittal Orbit in Stratford, London. The Trust supports legal access in London and the South‑East. Learn more at citma.org.uk/svabseil
In Memoriam: David Lutkin
We were saddened to hear of the death of David Lutkin on 14th March 2022. David was the President of CITMA from 1987 to 1989 and had been a member of CITMA since the late 1960s. Read more at citma.org.uk/dlutkin
Let’s lunch again
Following a two-year pause, our Christmas Lunch will return on 2nd December 2022 at the refurbished Royal Lancaster, London. Find out more at citma.org.uk/xmas2022
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