Asia IP

Aleli Angela G Quirino, of counsel at ACCRALAW in Manila, was elected president of the ASEAN IP Association (ASEAN IPA) at the organization’s council meeting in April ahead of the association’s annual general meeting. Soh Kar Liang, managing director at Ella Cheong in Singapore, was elected vice president at the same meeting.

Chew Phye Keat, immediate past president of the association and a partner at Raja Daryl & Loh in Kuala Lumpur, said he was “happy to be relieved of his responsibilities as president” and to pass the baton to his successor.

The ASEAN IPA was officially established in December 1996. Quirino’s term as president will last for two years.

Asia IP: What do you intend to accomplish when you are inducted as the president of ASEAN IPA? What are the relevant obstacles and how are you going to tackle them?

Lila Quirino: I intend to keep the momentum going through growing the ASEAN IPA corporate and individual memberships. There are indeed some obstacles that I need to tackle such as harmonizing IP laws in different jurisdictions. It is a very important and hard problem, as people have different views on different things. Nonetheless, we will still work closely with our members, convey their concerns to each other and reach agreements that fit all parties’ interests.

AIP: Are you going to manage the ASEAN IPA in a way similar to the incumbent president or differently?

Quirino: I don’t see the necessity of managing the ASEAN IPA any differently from the incumbent president, as Chew Phye Keat has done a great job and we both are trying to keep the momentum going, as I mentioned. As a core member of the organization, we all share similar opinions and views on IP so my management style could be seen as continuing the values of the ASEAN IPA.

AIP: Which part of the ASEAN IPA do you hope to improve?

Quirino: There is no permanent office and we have found it difficult to retrieve previous documents and data when needed. That could hamper our performance measure. We need better infrastructure and technology to keep those files and databases in place as well as to keep in a better touch with our members.

Second, I hope to improve better recruitment and promotion of the ASEAN IPA members.

Last but not least, I hope that we can work more with SMEs in tandem with the governments, as these businesses have grown quite significantly over the years, so their needs and wants must be heard.

AIP: As you have positions at a private law firm and a nongovernmental organization, which do you enjoy more and why?

Quirino: While both are stressful, they complement each other. I have a lot of joy in the private practice solving clients’ issues and much fun in the public sector planning and running IP relevant meetings to educate Asia about such protection.

AIP: How do you balance your work at ASEAN IPA and ACCRALAW?

Quirino: I owe that a lot to ACCRALAW, as the firm has been very supportive. Members from top to bottom always have my back, which allows me to focus on my private practice or on ASEAN IPA work whenever necessary.