Fastidious and Unflagging: The 2021 INTA President’s Award Winners

Pravin Anand, Anand and Anand Advocates, India

The recipients of the 2021 President’s Award are Pravin Anand, managing partner, Anand and Anand Advocates, New Delhi, Delhi, India, and Iris Quadrio, partner, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. INTA announced the winners of all its 2021 awards during the Annual Meeting Virtual+ in November, culminating in the reveal of the President’s Award recipients on the final day of the Meeting.

Mr. Anand has been a practicing attorney since 1979 when he joined Anand and Anand Advocates. His countless accomplishments include several landmark intellectual property (IP) cases that have maintained the protection of creatives and led to the extensive growth of India’s IP jurisprudence.

A dedicated INTA volunteer, Mr. Anand served on the Association’s Board of Directors from 2006-2008 and has served on myriad committees, project teams, and task forces.

Iris Quadrio, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal, Argentina

Ms. Quadrio has been practicing at Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal—the largest law firm in Argentina—as a partner since 1998. A longtime active member of INTA who served on the Board of Directors from 2006 to 2008, she has a long history of receiving well-deserved accolades for her volunteer work at the Association.

Ms. Quadrio received INTA’s Volunteer Service Award for the Advancement of the Association in 2009 for “guiding the formation and leadership of the Latin America Council,” as well as for her involvement in legislative initiatives and collaborative efforts in the region. Earlier, in 2004, she was recognized with the Volunteer Service Award for Advancement of Committee or Subcommittee Objectives for her role as chair of the Trademark Office Practices Committee, Examination Subcommittee.

Here, the two President’s Award winners reflect on the evolving IP landscape, share some of their biggest INTA accomplishments, offer advice for up-and-comers in the field, and more.

The past two years have significantly changed the way we live and act both personally and professionally. What does this award mean to you, particularly in a time of turbulence and uncertainty?
Iris Quadrio (IQ): The value of belonging to the INTA community acquired a greater dimension in the pandemic. In fact, the precious network of INTA friends and colleagues very much helped me to navigate these challenging times. In this context, receiving this prestigious award gave me immense joy and reaffirmed for me that being an active and committed INTA volunteer is an incredibly rewarding experience. The award was a booster, giving me renewed energy to continue participating in committee work in what appears to be very exciting times for our innovative and forward-thinking Association.

Pravin Anand (PA): Things did slow down recently. Mentoring through virtual interactions cannot be the same. Real learning happens in the courtroom, by watching cross-examinations, by attending client meetings and conferences, and by being in the library. Webinars are great and virtual court is great, but it’s nothing like the physical thing.

What the award has done is to create a new surge of energy and enthusiasm. Rather than staying at home, this award has inspired me to push ahead, within the limits of safety, with the things that have slowed down.

What do you see as the crucial issues facing IP stakeholders today? How do you see this changing in the next five to ten years?
PA: One crucial issue today is the declining respect for the creative process and, as a result, for IP. It is important for people to realize the value of creators, on account of whom we all enrich our lives not only through instruction and learning, but entertainment and development of our cultural values.

Another issue is the speed in the disposal of IP prosecution and enforcement. There is a need to prioritize IP and not see it as secondary to other branches of law. This also involves creating the right infrastructure, using manpower and technology and imposing time limits on arguments and other tasks which make up the litigation process. It is important to constantly review the process and remove bottlenecks.

In the next five to ten years, I envision the Internet playing an even more central role in catching IP infringers. To get them to pay is going to require the development of a whole new set of skills and technologies, including better investigative capabilities.

IQ: Key IP issues have been showcased in the many events held during the last couple of years. New technologies, brand restrictions, artificial intelligence (AI), corporate social responsibility, and the value of brands and data have monopolized online conferences and webinars. Over-and-above these issues, I believe it has become increasingly important to have a serious discussion about the protection of data as an IP asset and its evolution into an IP right in the future.

In what appears to be a rapidly changing IP world, we will certainly continue to see more of these topics as part of the agenda. In addition, changes in society, politics, and culture and the ever-increasing importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to reshape the way consumers look at brands. It will be crucial, for all IP stakeholders, to support and accompany the adjustment of brands to this new environment, where they are now expected to take a stand and compromise, leaving any neutral roles behind.

Can you describe the INTA-related accomplishment that you’re most proud of?
IQ: Out of the many various projects and assignments I’ve worked on throughout these years, there are two which brought me enormous satisfaction.

Back in 2004, as chair of the Trademark Office Practices Committee, Examination Guidelines Subcommittee, I had the unique opportunity to participate in shaping the development of trademark examination practices. By sending INTA’s recommendations to every corner of the globe we contributed to the harmonization of trademark law and procedure. To top it off, I had the privilege to represent the Association in Beijing, China, to speak about the model guidelines before a group of examiners from the Chinese Trademark Office. It was certainly an unforgettable experience and a turning point in my INTA career.

Then, later in 2007, I contributed to the formation and leadership of the Latin America Council, which has proven to be of key importance in coordinating and enhancing INTA’s activities in the region.

PA: During 2006-2008 when I served on the INTA Board of Directors, the Government of India had initiated the project for the IP Customs Rules. The initial proposal was so unworkable that I worked with INTA and the Indian government to implement changes which resulted in a set of rules which now work very well.

Other projects involved contributing to INTA publications such as the Book on Well-Known Trademarks which was edited by by INTA Past President Frederick Mostert, and to which I contributed the chapter on India.

Mr. Anand, since you began your career in 1979, you’ve expanded Anand and Anand Advocates to a firm with four offices and more than 400 employees. How has leadership and mentorship enriched your 40+ years as an attorney?
PA: In my 40-year career, I have had more than 350 lawyers as my juniors. I was always fond of teaching, but over the years I learned the difference between teaching and preaching. The younger generation do not like the latter.

I was quite surprised this year to receive the “Managing Partner of the Year” Award from Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business, covering India’s top law firms, including the big general law firms. I never thought of myself as ‘managing’ the firm, but rather giving a free hand and allowing people to grow. I avoid confrontations, unless of course an important ethics issue is involved.

I think selecting good people and allowing them to grow while at the same time mentoring them to avoid conflicts is very important. Of course, there are hundreds of issues related to the management of a law firm which are to a great extent delegated to competent professionals.

Ms. Quadrio, you received INTA Service Awards in both 2004 and 2009. Can you explain the value that volunteering with the Association has brought you professionally?
Being an INTA volunteer highly impacted my career as a lawyer and helped me move forward on the partnership track. INTA facilitates the development of business, communication, and leadership skills that have been and continue to be invaluable tools for my everyday job.

Volunteering in INTA has also helped me expand my legal knowledge and learn from IP and brand specialists from every jurisdiction. Working with other volunteers and INTA staff has helped me build a professional and personal collaborative network that has strengthened my talents, abilities, and expertise.

What advice do you have for young practitioners who would like to one day receive INTA’s President’s Award?
PA: The most important advice is that while winning is important, never compromise the law. This requires the right balance between seeing your client’s interest and the development of jurisprudence. Secondly, there cannot be any compromise on ethics or integrity. And, finally, you can never afford to be rude particularly when you are before a hearing officer—whether at a court or a tribunal.

IQ: I would suggest getting involved: choose one of the many topics or aspects of the Association you are passionate about and go for it. Interact with as many people as you can, as that will offer a unique chance to collaborate and share experiences with talented practitioners from all over the world.

Committees bring people together to work on projects and network. And over time, that translates into many good and dear friends from different places. That is the beauty of INTA. So, my advice is to embrace committee work from the very beginning, be active, commit to and enjoy teamwork, and always go the extra mile to make a difference.

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.

© 2021 International Trademark Association