Young Practitioner Spotlight: Oscar Herrera

Oscar Herrera, Comte & Font, IP Legalsa, Guatemala

Legal advisors must have empathy to understand the needs and represent the interests of their clients. The intellectual property (IP) professional must also have knowledge and sensitivity about creations of the mind. Thus, when two of your greatest passions are law and the creation of art, the IP path follows naturally. This has been the case for Oscar Herrera (Comte & Font, IP Legalsa, Guatemala), an artist who discovered the perfect mix while studying in his third year of law school at the Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Mr. Herrera began practicing in 2013 and worked at several renowned IP law firms, but it was ultimately at Legalsa that he was given the opportunity to consolidate his interests. There, he leads the IP practice group along with Partner Karina Calderon, and advises diverse clients from the creative world, including artists, publicists, entrepreneurs, and developers of new technologies. In addition, he actively advises entrepreneurs and presents at conferences through his involvement with Startups Legalsa, the Municipal Centre for Entrepreneurship in Guatemala City and the Innovate Entrepreneur Summit.

A young practitioner, Mr. Herrera recognizes that IP goes hand in hand with technology. He encourages practitioners to develop “the ability to understand the industry and clients’ needs by adapting to the changing world and the new technologies that will be emerging.”

Mr. Herrera has participated in academic activities as counsel and judge, and as a visiting professor in courses on IP and other skills. He advises law school students and recent graduates to “participate, get involved, and be curious about the IP world, and find a mentor to help develop their potential.” This should be pursued with passion and dedication, qualities he considers to be the key to success.

As an active INTA member, he also recommends that young practitioners take advantage of all the Association’s available tools and resources, such as the INTA Bulletin and The Trademark Reporter, and especially to “create connections with the wide network of professionals that INTA offers.” He has participated in various events organized by INTA, such as conferences, virtual events hosted by the Young Practitioners Committee, and Speed Networking.

When Mr. Herrera is not working with trademarks, he finds inspiration in natural elements such as water and fire to create paintings with alcohol and resin-based inks, and he collaborates with organizations dedicated to the defense and promotion of the LGBTQ+ community.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.

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