Celebrating Black History Month
with CITMA
Wednesday 13 October 2021
12.30 – 1.30 pm
The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) kindly invited IP Inclusive supporters to their free webinar to mark Black History Month in October 2021. Together they celebrated the diversity in our profession and the positive contribution made by ethnic minority IP – in particular trade mark – professionals.
Black History Month is a celebration of the achievements and contributions of black people in the UK and around the world. It is important that we, as a profession, continue to highlight those that are role models to prospective attorneys and colleagues alike.
The theme this year is “Dig deeper, look closer, think bigger” – things we should all be doing to put right both past and present injustices. The panel on this webinar discussed what Black History Month means to them, who inspires them and what we can do to increase access to the profession.
Delegates had the chance to hear real-life stories and about the role models that inspired them. The speakers also discussed obstacles they had faced and overcome on their professional journeys and helped us understand how diversity enhances organisations in the wider profession.
Meet the speakers
Doris Akufo-Addo, Stobbs
Doris is a CITMA Paralegal at Stobbs IP, recently joining from EIP after a collaboration between the two firms. Having worked internationally, in the Middle East, primarily in the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and in the UK, Doris has vast experience in dealing with trade marks on a global scale. Doris has over 20 years’ knowledge and experience in the essential importance of the paralegal support role within trade mark departments.
Doris has a long-term commitment in her career as a CITMA Paralegal, enjoying the broad role supporting the trade marks team to achieve high-quality output for clients with her expanding knowledge across IP on a variety of matters.
Joseph Letang, Dehns
Joseph is a Partner in Dehns’ Trade Mark Group and is a UK Trade Mark Attorney. Having obtained an Honours degree in Law, Joseph joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2009. Immediately prior to joining the firm Joseph spent two years working for a specialist firm of Trade Mark Attorneys where he trained under the then President of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
Joseph has experience prosecuting trade mark applications in the EU (EUTM), UK and worldwide in all areas of industry for small businesses, multi-national corporations and solicitors with clients who need specialist assistance with trade marks. In addition to obtaining trade mark registrations, including filing applications and dealing with any related official objections/oppositions, Joseph advises on searching and clearing trade marks for use, registrability, infringement, passing off and domain name disputes.
Carol Nyahasha, Baron Warren Redfern (chair)
Carol is a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney with extensive experience both in industry and private practice. Her expertise includes brand management, advising on trade mark filing strategies and dealing with UK, EU, US and International trade mark contentious and non-contentious matters.
Carol has experience managing a wide range of portfolios for clients in various sectors including tech start-ups, FCMG, finance and fashion. Before entering private practice, Carol worked in-house for 3 years with PepsiCo’s trade mark team in Dallas, USA. Carol is part of the IP Inclusive community.
James St Ville, 8 New Square
James is a barrister at 8 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, specialising in intellectual property. He has been involved in the work of IP Inclusive since 2019 and is a member of its governing body, IP Inclusive Management.
He is a chartered engineer and was awarded a 1st in engineering at St John’s College Cambridge, where he was a founder of the St John’s College Fund for South African Education and active in the early work of the Cambridge University Group to Encourage Ethnic Minority Applications (GEEMA). When group leader of the Optical Communications Networks Team at GEC-Marconi Research and then as a barrister, he acted as a mentor for would-be engineers and lawyers in the City & Islington College “Mentor Programme” helping black sixth-form students develop the self-confidence, motivation and skills to go on to higher education and a wide range of careers.
His private passions include playing jazz flute, fringe theatre and new music. He has been a board member of Clod Ensemble theatre and dance company since 2009 and, since 2018, chair of the trustees of the Alfred Fagon Award, the UK’s leading award for black playwrights of Caribbean and African descent.
Follow-up resources
CITMA have published a report of the event, summarising the key points discussed. You can read that here. The webinar recording is available here.
Registration
This webinar was free of charge and open to all IP professionals, whether or not CITMA members.