Mills & Reeve principal associate receives prestigious award

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is an international association of trade mark owners and lawyers from industry and private practice. Pre-pandemic, it’s annual meeting attracted over 10,000 delegates and it is the most influential grouping of trade mark owners and lawyers in the world.

One of several INTA service awards, the Advancement of Association Objectives for 2021 award is presented to an individual whose participation, efforts and innovative thinking during the year has advanced substantive trade mark and related intellectual property and practice, committee or subcommittee objectives, or the strategic objectives of INTA.

This award is recognition of Richard's work on INTA's Brexit Taskforce over the past three and a half years, in which he has helped INTA navigate the complex and ongoing IP-related issues involved with Brexit. He kept INTA members informed of developments through preparing articles and updates, prepared submissions and questions by INTA to the UK Intellectual Property Office and the EU Intellectual Property Office, and represented INTA at Brexit-related meetings.

Richard said: “I am extremely honoured to have received this year’s International Trademark Association award for the Advancement of Association Objectives. This recognition by the largest international association of trade mark lawyers, means a great deal to me and is without question a highlight of my career. I am very grateful for the support I have received from my colleagues in the Mills & Reeve IP team”

INTA President Tiki Dare said, “It is largely thanks to Mr Plaistowe’s tireless work that INTA’s position on myriad issues related to Brexit were clearly communicated to stakeholders at all levels and our membership has been kept well informed. His passion and enthusiasm for defending the positions of the Association are palpable and his unrelenting dedication to INTA makes him the ideal recipient of this honour.”