INTA Meeting

R. Grant Cansfield, (second from right) John Simpson and Cleo Kirkland (not
pictured) of Aird & Berlis LLP (Toronto) hosted the annual Aird & Berlis Interlaw
breakfast at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the International Trade Association in San
Diego, California.  Some 40 trademark attorneys from Akerman Senterfitt (Florida),
Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega (Panama), Brons & Salas (Argentina), Cárdenas &
Cárdenas (Colombia), Cariola Diez Perez-Cotapos & Cia. Ltda (Chile), F.A. Arias
& Muñoz (El Salvador), Gomez-Acebo & Pombo (Spain), Kelvin Chia Partnership
(Singapore), Janson Baugniet (Belgium), Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP
(California), Lee Hishammuddin Allen& Gledhill (Malaysia), Moreno Baldivieso
(Bolivia), Neal, Gerber &Eisenberg LLP (Chicago), Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners
(Russia), Perez Bustamante & Ponce (Ecuador), Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano (Peru),
SJ Berwin LLP (England), Stevenson, Wong & Co. (Hong Kong), Quasha, Ancheta,
Pena and Nolasco (Philippines).  Also in attendance were Alesia Daniels, who
manages the Interlaw trademark worldwide, and Regina McConahay, who directs
global business development for Interlaw.  Grant Cansfield has hosted the breakfast
for nine years and it has become an Interlaw tradition.  Next year, the 10th anniversary
of the Aird & Berlis breakfast will be especially meaningful as INTA is scheduled
for Toronto and Aird & Berlis LLP and Interlaw intend to celebrate the milestone.
  Mr. Cansfield’s efforts have encouraged others to begin plans for forming IP/IT
special business teams for the Americas and Asia Pacific.  Lorne Byatt of Scotland’s
Morton Fraser LLP, and Flip Petillion of Janson Baugniet (Belgium) co-chair
the European IP/IT Special Business Team, which met at the same time as
did INTA this year.  Mr. Petillion is drafting a newsletter for the “Interlaw EU IP”
group in which members will contribute their expertise in legal articles.  Central
Europe will be the venue for next year’s EU IP meeting, but many Europeans are
expected to also attend festivities and meetings in Toronto.