INTA Honors Volunteers for Their Support of the Association and Advancement of Trademark and IP Law
11-Nov-2012
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NEW YORK, NY - The International Trademark Association (INTA) announced the winners of its annual President’s and Volunteer Service Awards.
According to the Association, the President’s Award recognizes leadership and innovation in trademark and IP related law, and is presented to individuals whose contribution has advanced INTA’s mission and had a lasting impact on the Association.
Louis T. Pirkey, of Pirkey Barber LLP and Peter Harvey, of Harvey Siskind LLP share the 2012 President’s Award.
Pirkey made his mark on the Association as far back as 1988 when he sat on the Trademark Review Commission, an INTA group responsible for substantial revisions to US federal trademark law. Over the years he has served on numerous committees, task forces and finally the Board of Directors.
Harvey has dedicated much of time to INTA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) projects and Panel of Neutrals, the Association’s specially trained trademark mediators. He has also served on the International, Forums and Meetings Committees. In 2002, he co-chaired the Annual Meeting Committee and has since served on the Board of Directors and as INTA Counsel.
INTA’s Volunteer Service Awards honor those who go beyond their regular duties as INTA Volunteers in service of the Association and the broader public.
Olof Fickert, of Balder IP Law is the winner of the Advancement of Trademark Law Award. Fickert has represented INTA on various occasions in Latin America to promote the Madrid Protocol. Most notably, he joined an INTA delegation that went before the Mexican Senate, which a month later voted to approve the country’s accession to the Madrid Protocol.
John C. McElwaine, of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP wins the award for Advancement of Committee or Subcommittee Objectives. As Chair of the New gTLD Registry Issues Subcommittee of the Internet Committee, McElwaine led the INTA’s review of the 1930 new gTLD applications during ICANN’s public comment period, which enhanced the Association’s leadership role on ICANN issues.
Jeremy Newman, of Rouse Legal and Graciela Perez de Inzaurraga, of Hausheer Belgrano & Fernandez are the recipients of the Advancement of the Association Award.
Through his ongoing support of INTA’s advocacy efforts on customs regulations and practices in the EU, and his presence at many government-level meeting in the EU, Mr. Newman has helped to raise INTA’s profile on important customs issues.
Perez de Inzaurraga has presented INTA’s Model Examination Guidelines to trademark office examiners in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. These presentations have rapidly improved cooperation between INTA and these countries’ trademark offices.
Richard B. Biagi, of Neal & McDevitt LLC and Geri Haight, of Mintz Levin Cohen Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC share the award for Pro Bono Services Provided by Individuals.
Biagi counsels Bugles Across America, a nonprofit organization that provides volunteers to play at veterans’ funerals. Most recently, when the BBA became involved in a trademark and domain name dispute, his efforts resulted in the swift relinquishment of offending domain names.
Haight has donated more than 1,400 pro bono hours to the Human Rights Campaign, managing their trademark prosecution and enforcement issues. Most notably, she helped the HRC overcome refusal by the USPTO to register a number of trademarks and associated designs.
The award for Pro Bono Services Provided by Organizations goes to Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP. In 2011, the firm established a Pro Bono Institute to encourage pro bono work among its in-house law departments and partnered with Lawyer’s for the Creative Arts to connect its attorneys with IP related cases.
INTA congratulates the award winners for their achievements. The Awards Ceremony took place today at INTA’s Leadership Meeting in Orlando.
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a worldwide association of member companies and firms that support and advance trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce.