IP Team of the Year: Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group - African Legal Awards 2015
Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group took this award for its work for Sony Corporation in a case before Kenya's appeal court
November 25, 2015 at 05:59 AM
2 minute read
Finalists
Aluko & Oyebode
Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group
ENSafrica
Norton Rose Fulbright
Webber Wentzel
Winner: Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group
Highly commended: ENSafrica
The judges praised Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group (BGAG) for demonstrating its leading position in Kenyan and East African trademark law. Its standout case was a successful court battle to allow its client, Sony Corporation, to challenge the registration of two trademarks by local company Sony Holdings.
It is one of the few IP cases to have been heard in the Court of the Appeals. The dispute arose when Kenya's Registrar of Trademarks granted Sony Corporation an extension of time to lodge a notice of opposition to Sony Holdings' trademark applications. Sony Holdings filed a case in the High Court challenging whether the registrar had acted within his powers. The case was dismissed and the decision was subsequently upheld in the Court of Appeals.
This was a precedent-setting case of great importance to BGAG's client. BGAG's project team included IP and litigation experts and was led by John Syekei, an IP partner at Coulson Harney, BGAG's Kenyan member firm. The team also took advice from South African IP firm Adams & Adams, which BGAG uses as a sounding board when preparing precedent-setting cases.
Pictured from left to right: Natasha Rech, senior associate, Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group; awards judge Gary Berndt, general manager, Barloworld Motor Retail
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