CIPA: On the road to help members

Lobbying, global travel and pro bono work made 2019 one of the busiest years on record for the UK’s largest IP organisation, explains Amy Williams of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.

Throughout 2019, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) worked to protect its members’ interests during what was a time of huge uncertainty. With the UK’s withdrawal date from the EU changing three times within 12 months, the institute’s main priorities were to keep members and a network of international stakeholders up to date, to lobby on behalf of members on a number of issues and to ensure that the patent profession was at the forefront of the minds of IP decision-makers in the UK and beyond. 

Over the course of the year, CIPA continued to promote the UK IP profession in key markets around the world. The president and the institute’s officers travelled to the Far East and the US to explain the value they add to international IP strategy, transactions and litigation, while also promoting the UK as an IP hub and updating businesses and organisations on important UK IP developments. 

Influencing at the highest levels

A crucial part of CIPA’s work in promoting the interests of its members and the UK IP system is maintaining a good rapport with other colleagues within the IP sector, including parliamentarians, civil servants, fellow institutes and other stakeholders.