CITMA Webinar: Out in the Office

A CITMA webinar

for LGBTQ+ History Month: Out in the Office

Wednesday 28 February 2024

12.30 – 1.30 pm

The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) kindly invited IP Inclusive supporters to their free webinar investigating the barriers that LGBTQ+ professionals may face to being open about their sexuality or gender identity at work.

They identified the steps that employers and workplaces can take to ensure that the professional environment is inclusive and supportive, enabling people to be themselves and to feel comfortable offering alternative perspectives and ideas.

They also considered:

• The impact of visible LGBTQ+ role models in the workplace
• The progress that we have seen in the workplace, and where our energies should be focused next
• The gap between inclusive policies and procedures, and tangible action

Learning outcomes

• Understand the steps firms can take to develop a culture which allows everyone to be themselves
• How to ensure that progress doesn’t end with a written policy
• The value of diverse perspectives and experiences in the workplace
• How LGBTQ+ professionals, whether or not they are currently out at work, can be supported

Meet your speakers

Triona Desmond, Pinsent Masons, is an active member of the CITMA Council and is also on a number of committees. These include the Women in IP and IP Out communities of IP Inclusive. She is also a Stonewall Educational Role Model.

Jack Kenny is a Trade Mark Attorney at ASOS.com, managing the IP strategies for the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands. Prior to joining ASOS in 2022, he worked at Marks & Clerk for seven years, including a secondment to Toronto. Outside of the office, he enjoys singing and acting in local theatre productions in London.

Anne Wagner joined Abel + Imray in 2018. Prior to joining Abel + Imray she worked in the Arts and Entertainment Sector primarily as a Circus Rigger. Her rigging experience necessitated an understanding of Construction Law and LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations). Anne gained court experience through her voluntary work with the Personal Support Unit at the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre.

Follow-up resources

You can access a recording of this webinar at https://www.citma.org.uk/resources/events/event-videos-presentations/lgbtq-webinar-feb-24.html.