What Belonging to INTA Means to Me: Maria Cecilia Romoleroux

Maria Cecilia Romoleroux is a Partner at CorralRosales in Quito, Ecuador, and has been an INTA member since 1995. She spoke with the INTA Bulletin about what belonging to INTA means to her and how her firm benefits from INTA’s services throughout the year.

Why is your organization an INTA member and how does it benefit from membership?
Our firm is very active in international work, both inbound and outbound. As an international organization with members coming from every part of the world, INTA fits perfectly with our international needs and profile. Our firm is regularly at the forefront of intellectual property (IP) developments in Ecuador, and INTA provides us with a platform to share our achievements and expertise with other trademark professionals. This is particularly useful in what is a fast-moving and global profession.

How long have you been an active INTA member and what does belonging to INTA mean to you?
I have been an active member since 1995. For me personally, INTA means being involved in very significant projects, being in contact with clients and friends, and getting to know more people. Most recently, to me INTA means benefiting from the experience and expertise I have gained over the years and giving something back to a profession that has given me so much in terms of professional experiences, friendship, and personal achievements. This past year I have been very lucky to receive various awards and acknowledgements, and I am sure these have much to do with my involvement with INTA.

Outside of the Annual Meeting, in what other ways do you make use of your membership throughout the year?
Aside from participating at the Annual Meeting and the Leadership Meeting, INTA has proven very useful; for example, in terms of assisting our local clients in their needs to expand internationally. We have a local client, Pacari, that requires contacts not only for IP-related matters, but also other issues, and INTA has proven to be very helpful in accessing the necessary contacts to allow them to grow internationally, now having reached over 50 markets. Pacari is the first Ecuadorian company to join INTA.

In a nutshell, why should trademark professionals join INTA?
One of the great things about the trademark profession is its international scope, and INTA is at the forefront of bringing that richness and diversity together in one place. If trademark professionals want to experience everything that the profession has to offer, they should get on board with INTA! If you are not actively participating in INTA, you will not be able to experience all the IP world has to offer. Also, INTA provides opportunities for women to participate and develop in leadership positions and speaker roles. I find value in these opportunities and I appreciate that the Association I belong to supports diversity.

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