BARBARA BERDOU

Founder

BERDOU ATTORNEYS

With over 20 years of experience, Barbara Berdou has led Berdou Attorneys to tremendous growth throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Barbara is the founder of Berdou Attorneys. She has over 25 years of experience as an intellectual property (IP) lawyer, and has significant experience in commercialisation of IP, IP litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and filing and prosecution of IP matters. She believes in partnering with her clients to maximise the value, protection and enforcement of their IP assets. Through her years of experience, she has grown a reliable Global legal network to ensure that the Global Intellectual Property and Commercial legal requirements of her clients are fulfilled with excellence.

Barbara started her IP career in 1994 with a boutique IP law firm, followed by a decade of practice in the IP department of a leading South African law firm. At the time that she resigned the partnership, it was the largest law firm in Southern Africa.

Barbara is an animal lover, and enjoys exploring her creative side with art, various crafts, and gardening. She’s an avid DIYer, and has tried her hand (with various levels of success) at plumbing, appliance repairs, basic electrical work, and general household repairs.

Qualifications

  • Baccalaureus Procurationis (BProc) (University of the Witwatersrand)
  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (University of South Africa)
  • Master of Laws (LLM) (Intellectual Property) (University of South Africa)
  • SAIIPL fellow
  • WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) advanced course on Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions
  • Practicing Attorney
  • Notary Public

National Memberships

  • Member of the South African Legal Practice Council (LPC)
  • Member of the Gauteng Legal Practice Council
  • Fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL)
  • Member of the Licensing Executive Society of South Africa
  • Member of the Johannesburg Attorneys Association
  • Member of the Gauteng Attorneys Association

International Memberships

  • Member of INTA (International Trade Mark Association)
  • Member of LESI (Licensing Executive Society International)
  • CITMA (The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys)
  • FICPI (International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys)
  • PTMG (The Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group)
  • AIPPI (International Association for the protection of Intellectual Property)

National Committees

  • Council member of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law
  • Committee Member of the SAIIPL Plant Breeders’ Rights Committee/Biodiversity Act
  • Committee Member of the SAIIPL Competition Law/Franchising/Consumer Protection Committee

International Committees

  • Vice chair of the LESI Trademarks, Designs and Merchandising Committee
  • Co-chairperson of the Licensing Subcommittee of INTA’s Commercialisation of Brands Committee
  • Member of INTA’s 2020 Presidential Taskforce: How to be an All-Star IP Practitioner
  • Past Chairperson of INTA’s Indigenous Rights Committee
  • Past member of INTA’s Global Advisory Council
  • Past Co-chairperson of INTA’s African Global Advisory Council
  • Past chairperson of INTA’s Middle East, Africa and South Asia Sub Committee of the Non-Traditional Marks Committee
  • Past chairperson of INTA’s Middle East, Africa and South Asia Sub Committee of the Law and Regulation Committee
  • Past member of INTA’s Advocacy Group
  • Committee Member of LESI Copyright Committee
  • Committee Member of LESI Consumer Products Committee
  • Committee Member of LESI Dispute Resolution Committee
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