Intellectual Property

“The [Intellectual Property department of Khasawneh & Associates] has a mighty client portfolio of major multinationals and tends to carry out enforcement work on behalf of multinationals throughout the United Arab Emirates and Middle East. It was recently appointed by a leading tobacco company to handle its regional work. Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Nestlé are noteworthy clients.” Legal 500, 2007

The Intellectual Property department is headed by Nayiri Boghossian and it handles a wide array of issues relating to trademarks, copyright, patents and designs. The firm has represented and assisted clients with the enforcement of their rights in trademark and copyright infringement cases and provides consultation on portfolio management, implementation of internal policies for the protection of intellectual property. We also conduct internal training sessions and workshops for employees of corporate clients.

Various clients, including leading intellectual property associations and multinationals, have relied on the firm to manage their legal awareness campaigns in region. In addition, the firm has conducted and participated in a multitude of seminars for government agencies in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Turkey, Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East.

Khasawneh & Associates has a high profile amongst the intellectual property community in the Middle East. Some examples of the firm's involvement in this area are set out below:

1. The firm is member of the Brand Protection Group, an association that was formed to combat the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products in the GCC countries.

2. Partners Nayiri Boghossian and Nasser Ali Khasawneh are panelists for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration & Mediation Centre.

3. The firm co-led the Arab IP Forum in January 2008 alongside WIPO and the UAE Ministry of Economy.

4. The firm was highly involved in the establishment of the Arab Intellectual Property Centre, an online centre that was created by the Intellectual Property League of Arab States in conjunction with the firm and Microsoft with the aim of providing a centralised database of intellectual property registration and case law in the region.