Having hosted several AIPLA events in the past, LexOrbis, in association with the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), presented this year’s Women in Intellectual Property Virtual Global Networking Event. As a long-standing member of the AIPLA – Women in IP Committee, Ms. Manisha Singh, Managing Partner at LexOrbis, hosted the event on September 30th. More than 100 professionals, based in pan-India, attended the session which was conducted via Zoom. A variety of Intellectual Property law practitioners like in-house counsels, government representatives, independent lawyers, and educators enjoyed a panel of brilliant minds that shared their insights on this year’s topic- ‘Challenges and Opportunities brought out by the New Normal’.
The objective of the discussion was to share and inspire each other through effective communication of ideas, and possible solutions to the issues brought about by the pandemic.
The event began with a Welcome Note & Theme Address, followed by the introduction of the moderators and the panelists. The panel discussion revolved around the following main issues:
- Does the new normal of remote working extends new opportunities to women IP professionals?
- Although functional connectivity with the internal and external environment has been achieved, thanks to technology, but is the present level of connectivity sufficient for leadership and team mentoring roles?
- Businesses are highly affected by GDP drop. Do we expect this new environment to bring enhanced focus to IP to gain competitive advantages?
The panel was moderated by Ms. Bharati Nadkarni (erstwhile chief IP counsel for Sun Pharma, India and currently, the Founder of Appropriate IP Services) and Ms. Gauri Kumar (India Consultant for INTA). The speakers, which consisted of the below panelists, discussed their personal experiences and the adaptability of their organizations to the new normal:
- Dr. Sudha Kannan, Head- Patent Cell and Knowledge Centre, Aditya Birla Science & Technology Co. Pvt Ltd
- Ms. Chitra Iyer, Director and Licensing Program Leader- India, Philips IP & Standards
- Dr. Usha Rao, Assistant Controller of Patents & Designs, Intellectual Property Office
- Ms. Lakshika Joshi, AVP Legal and Global Lead IP Counsel, Altran Technologies
- Ms. Roma Arora, Joint General Manager Legal, Havells Group
- Ms. Vijayalakshmi Malkani, Sr. IP & Brand Protection Counsel, Hindustan Unilever
The panelists shared their observations on the sub-topics of the discussion – how their organization has adjusted to the new normal; the approach they had adopted to keep their team motivated; and ideas on how to create robust business connections virtually. The webinar received excellent feedback from the participants. Successfully breaking the barriers of communication and restrictions imposed by the pandemic, LexOrbis concluded the event on a positive note.