1) What are the ingredients to building a successful IP practice?
Our firm has been in existence for over 100 years. As with all our practice groups, we have built the IP practice on a foundation of integrity and competence. Due to our reputation, as well as the quality of work produced, our client base continues to grow and we have maintained our status as a top tier firm. We are also heavily invested in the continued education of our lawyers to address the vastly changing landscape of IP practice.
We continue to represent large conglomerates such as The Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Qualcomm, among others, with respect to their intellectual property requirements.
2) Who have been your standout personnel in the past year in terms of IP work? Can you talk about their contributions?
The success of our IP practice is a result of contributions from every single member of the IP Department, led by Rogelio Nicandro (Chairman), and ably assisted by Joaquin V. Sayoc and Benjamin Z. Lerma (Vice-Chairmen), and the other lawyers and staff members.
The current pandemic, coupled with the occasional shutdown of various government offices, including the IPOPHL, has brought about many challenges the past year. Despite this, the IP Department continued to ably serve our clients without interruption. This was only made possible through the concerted effort of all lawyers and staff, with the cooperation and patience of our clients. Even with the changing landscape brought about by the pandemic, we continued to achieve success in applications before the IPOPHL, inter partes proceedings, as well as court cases and enforcement actions.
3) What are your plans to develop your IP practice in the next few years?
We strive to remain up to date with latest trends and innovations in IP practice in the Philippines and worldwide. The pandemic has necessitated a shift in the procedures and practices before the IPOPHL from paper-based filings to purely online filings, among others. Proposed changes to the Intellectual Property Code, rules on inter partes proceedings, rules on IP rights cases, among others, are in the pipeline and our firm intends to be at the forefront in adapting to these new laws and regulations. We have also noted a proliferation of online piracy in view of the expansion of online trade due to the pandemic. Aside from initiating take-down remedies and cancelling business permits and licenses of offenders, we continue to review varying measures and approaches aimed at maximizing protection of our clients.
We intend to maintain the integrity and competence that has marked our practice for over 100 years as we strive to remain a leader in Philippine IP practice.
Rogelio Nicandro, Senior Partner
E: rogelio.nicandro@romulo.com
Benjamin Z. Lerma, Partner
E: benjamin.lerma@romulo.com
Joaquin V. Sayoc, Partner
E: joaquin.sayoc@romulo.com
Romulo
21st Floor, Philamlife Tower
8767 Paseo de Roxas
Makati City 1226, Philippines
T: (63) 2 8555 9555
E: romulo@romulo.com
W: www.romulo.com
