IP Inclusive has lined up some expert speakers to help us examine why equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) still matter to the IP professions, and how we can continue to champion EDI when the case for it is being eroded from so many directions.
Together, we’ll be asking:
- How would our businesses – and the wider IP sector – fare if we stopped caring about EDI?
- Would there be any personal impact?
- How should we approach EDI as the landscape around us and the business incentives evolve?
- Who will be our allies in this?
- How do we balance today’s EDI issues with the need to run a thriving and productive business, keep our clients happy, manage risks and look after our employees?
- And how do we react to current pressures whilst still taking a longer-term view?
Their keynote speaker, Daniel Winterfeldt MBE KC (Hon) from the InterLaw Diversity Forum, will start by sharing the insights he’s gathered from across the legal sector, both in the UK and beyond.
They'll then host a panel discussion, with input from IP professionals here and abroad – from private practice, in-house and regulatory backgrounds – looking at how these issues are playing out in the IP professions and how we can help one another maintain momentum in the fight for EDI.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Gwilym Roberts, Chair of Kilburn & Strode and co-lead of our senior leaders’ diversity think tank.
Who’s it for?
Though led by the think tank, this event is open to all IP Inclusive supporters. The discussions will be of particular value to people in senior leadership and management roles – but everyone is encouraged to invite a guest or two, perhaps from a different role or career level, to gather a wider range of perspectives and help spread the word back in your own organisations.
Bring your questions too; there will be time for a Q&A session with the panellists, plus networking with refreshments – both before and afterwards – for the in-person attendees.
Where and when?
This hybrid event is being kindly hosted by Kilburn & Strode from their London office at 84 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8NL. You can attend either in-person or online. However, there won't be a recording, and Chatham House rules will apply to the panel discussion.
The main event – and the online broadcast – will run from 6 to 7 pm. In-person attendees are welcome to join from 5:30pm and to stay for refreshments and networking afterwards.
Meet the speakers
Gwilym Roberts, Kilburn & Strode (moderator)
A dedicated supporter of IP inclusive, and with over 30 years in the profession, Gwilym Roberts advises clients on all aspects of the patent process including IP audit and capture, IP filing strategies and patent portfolio management techniques. He acts for a range of clients including individuals, SMEs, universities and spin-outs through to multi-nationals, and handles a broad and diverse range of cases before the UK Patent Office, EPO and WIPO.
As well as being a Visiting Professor at Queen Mary University of London, Gwilym is Honorary Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), President of the British group of UNION and co-host of the podcast Two IPs in a Pod alongside CIPA’s Lee Davies. He is proud to have recently been designated the UK’s only patent attorney “Eminent Practitioner” by Chambers, and is passionate about ensuring that senior leaders across the profession support and drive the EDI agenda.
Daniel Winterfeldt MBE KC (Hon) (keynote speaker)
Managing Director & General Counsel for EMEA and Asia, Jefferies
Founder & Chair, InterLaw Diversity Forum
Daniel Winterfeldt is the General Counsel for EMEA and Asia at Jefferies. He is an experienced General Counsel and a senior corporate and securities lawyer with over 27 years of experience in London and New York.
Daniel founded the Forum for US Securities Lawyers in London in 2006 to address US securities issues in the London market across law firms, banks and intermediaries. In 2008, he founded the InterLaw Diversity Forum to promote meritocracy and inclusion for all diverse, under-represented and socially disadvantaged groups in the legal sector.
In 2020 Daniel was appointed Queen’s Counsel Honoris Causa (Honorary QC) for his contributions to capital markets in England & Wales through the Forum for US Securities Lawyers in Londonand for his contributions to diversity, inclusion and culture in the legal sector through the InterLaw Diversity Forum; he was named an MBE for “Services to Capital Markets, to Equality and to Diversity in the Legal Profession”.
Dr Katerina Kolyva, CEO, Education and Training Foundation; IPReg Board member (panellist)
Dr Katerina Kolyva is the Chief Executive Officer of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), the professional body for Further Education and Skills in England. Katerina brings a wealth of experience from a career spanning education and research, healthcare regulation and membership sectors.
Prior to joining ETF, Katerina was the CEO of the Council of Deans of Health and held Executive Director roles in policy, registration and education with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK after spending a career in education strategy and evaluation in the European Commission and Parliament in Brussels and Luxembourg.
Having completed a PhD in European studies, Katerina has worked as a lecturer and researcher in universities across Europe and the Middle East. Katerina also has non-executive leadership experience as a charity trustee and college governor. She is currently a trustee of the Intellectual Property Regulatory Board and chairs the women CEO group at the Association of CEOs of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO). She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Leadership Fellow at St George’s House.
Bobby Mukherjee, BAE Systems plc (panellist)
Dr Bobby Mukherjee is Chief Counsel for IP & Technology Law at BAE Systems plc and President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) as of January 2025. A qualified UK and European patent attorney with over 29 years of experience, he heads one of the UK’s largest in-house IP teams at the FTSE 30 company BAE Systems.
As Past President of the IP Federation (2012-2014), Bobby played a key role in the UK IP Act 2014 and was instrumental in securing favorable terms for the UK’s accession to the CPTPP trade agreement. He holds degrees from Cambridge (Natural Sciences, Physics) and Oxford (DPhil in High Temperature Superconductors), with his career focused on global patent protection in the physics field.
Bobby has been recognised as a Corporate IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property since 2015, received the Legal 500 UK Individual of the Year 2019 award for IP, and has been listed among the world’s leading IP strategists by IAM Strategy 300 for three consecutive years (2022-2024).
Cyra Nargolwalla, Plasseraud IP (panellist)
Cyra Nargolwalla is a French and European Patent Attorney and Board Member at Plasseraud IP, where she has been practising for over 30 years.
She places particular importance on inclusion and diversity in her professional environment. A long-standing advocate on these issues, she co-presides the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the CNCPI (the French Patent and Trademark Attorneys Association).
Her commitment extends internationally through her involvement in the D&I Committees of: the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO),the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi), and AIPPI.
Cyra contributed to the development of the D&I Charter adopted by epi, and co-authored several publications at IPO, including the “White Paper on European Diversity in IP” and the “Allyship, Mentorship, and Sponsorship Practical Guide”, published as part of a collaboration with ADAPT.
More information on Cyra Nargolwalla’s profile can be found on the Plasseraud IP website: plass.com.
Etienne Sanz de Acedo, INTA (panellist)
Etienne Sanz de Acedo is CEO of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and of the INTA Foundation.
Mr Sanz de Acedo joined INTA in July 2013. He is known for leading the Association and its members through several challenges, including disruptions posed by emerging technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic, and for fostering global collaboration around the key issues facing brand owners in an ever-evolving marketplace. He frequently discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the metaverse, advocating for the adaptation of IP laws to keep pace with these advancements.
Presenting IP as a revenue-generating resource, and not simply a cost centre, Mr Sanz de Acedo has highlighted the importance of integrating IP into business strategies. He encourages entrepreneurs to incorporate IP considerations early in their business plans and to leverage tools for effective IP portfolio management. He also stresses the need for policymakers to better understand the value of IP, particularly its contributions to national economies, research and development, and social welfare.
Mr Sanz de Acedo has been commended for his focus on belonging and inclusion within the IP community, as well as his efforts to engage small and medium-sized enterprises in IP discussions. In speeches and interviews, he often emphasises the evolving landscape of IP and its critical role in the global economy.
Registration
This event is free. So are all IP Inclusive resources. That said, they do need money to keep the show on the road, so if you enjoy the event please consider contributing. For more information, visit the IP Inclusive fundraising page.
