IP Expert

Overview

With almost twenty-five years of experience in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Sarmad Manto is the managing partner at Audiri Vox (www.audirivox.com). He also acts as the global portfolio manager for a number of Middle Eastern companies.

Sarmad’s specialization includes trademark prosecution, negotiations, anti-counterfeiting, litigation, due diligence, franchising, licensing, corporate and regulatory affairs. He has extensive experience in advising brand owners on portfolio development, management, franchising, licensing, data protection and enforcement strategies in the tobacco, information technology, electronics, telecommunication, cosmetics, luxury goods, pharmaceutical, foodstuff and auto industries. He also provides advice on a wide range of legal and compliance issues and is well-versed with the requirements and demands of the in-house and outside counsel aspects of the legal practice. His work includes, but is not limited to, drafting, prosecution and enforcement of patent and trademark applications, handling oppositions and enforcement actions, franchising and divestiture of IP rights, providing expert advice on data protection, entering negotiations and drafting a wide range of commercial contracts and rendering advice on compliance issues.

Sarmad was instrumental in setting up an ISP in North Africa and was part of one of the biggest seizures of counterfeit medicines in the Middle East. He has successfully overseen prosecution of almost 30,000 trademark and patent applications in almost 180 jurisdictions worldwide. He actively advises numerous blue-chip companies on contentious and non-contentious issues.

Sarmad is a member of numerous IP organizations and regularly writes on IP issues for leading publications. He has received a number of accolades from prominent IP powerhouses.