As this is my first issue of Managing IP as editor, I want to start by saying hello to all our readers. It's great to be here at what is an exciting time in the IP world, and I hope that this magazine – as with all of the Managing IP content – is interesting and useful to you.
The cover story here is not only timely and topical, but extremely insightful. The article is a special feature to celebrate International Women's Day, which was on March 8. The event has gained traction in recent years amid increasing awareness and recognition of the need to promote gender diversity in all walks of life. Our article, which includes input from companies including Uber and Xerox, specifically looks at some of the challenges that senior female IP counsel have faced on their path to success.
One of the key takeaways is, unsurprisingly, that this is not just an issue affecting women – there is a positive role for men to play in helping to fill the current diversity gap. This role is not only in promoting women's talents and mentoring them, but in not blocking their progress. There are many more facets to the discussion on how to boost women's involvement and success in IP, and we think that the people we have spoken to have some useful tips on how companies who want to improve can improve.
Elsewhere in the magazine we have a range of expert articles written by lawyers. These cover topics including Brexit, the enforceability of judgments in China and Hong Kong, and proposed changes by the USPTO that would affect foreign trademark attorneys. We also have details of our IP STARS 2019 patent rankings; these follow our publication of the equivalent trademark rankings in the January/February issue of Managing IP. As ever, you can find a selection of International Briefings too.
We are now in the middle of conference season, so it's worth reminding you of our various awards to celebrate IP achievements by law firms and companies in 2018. This year's Europe, Middle East and Africa Awards were held in London on March 7 – with nearly 400 people in attendance – and we hosted the Asia Awards in Hong Kong on March 20, the same day we signed off this issue. The Americas Awards will be held in New York next month, on April 4. Thank you again to all of those who attended, or are planning to attend, these ceremonies, and congratulations to all the winners.
On a final note, it's worth mentioning that we have recently launched a new offering at Managing IP called Patent Strategy, which provides corporate intelligence on pressing patent developments. We speak to in-house counsel about the things that keep them up at night, encompassing a wide range of topics from artificial intelligence to connected cars. If you have any questions about Patent Strategy or any of the content in March/April, please contact us. In the meantime, enjoy reading.
Ed Conlon
Managing editor
