12 August 2026
Three New Members Join CWB Executive Committee
Dina Petošević, Predrag Anokić, and Theuns van de Merwe will bring valuable IP expertise and strategic leadership to CWB’s Executive Committee.
We are CWB
We are an integrated international intellectual property and brand-protection firm, formed through the union of Cedar White Bradley, PETOŠEVIĆ Group and Hahn & Hahn. What began as a merger has become something more: a single firm, with one operating model, serving the world’s leading IP owners across 100+ jurisdictions in Africa, the Middle East, Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Today we serve clients three ways - as their direct IP partner, as the execution layer behind IP platforms, and as the operating backbone behind other law and IP firms. The common foundation for all three is unified technology, governance, compliance and quality, and a growing set of specialist capabilities - including Lingua, our dedicated IP translation unit.
Vision & Purpose
Our vision is to transform how IP services are delivered and consumed.
We are building the modern IP firm. One that replaces fragmentation with a single operating model, and manual effort with technology-enabled delivery, so clients receive consistent, world-class service in every market, always as one firm.
Our purpose is Thinking Beyond, for a Better Future.
We aim to make the future better by thinking beyond what is currently possible: enabling and empowering creators and innovators to extend their intellectual property into secondary and underserved markets, and in doing so to advance social reform, economic development and technological progress.
At a Glance
- 1 Firm
- 4 Regions
- 29 Offices
- 100+ Countries
- 170+ Practitioners
- 300+ Employees
How we work - one firm, one operating model
One firm, one operating model.
Our integrated operating model is built on unified systems, standardised processes, central oversight and technology-enabled delivery. It gives clients greater visibility, consistency and accountability, while preserving the local knowledge and relationships that define exceptional client service. Where traditional networks rely on loosely affiliated agents and variable local standards, CWB operates as one firm with centralised control over quality, compliance and performance. The same standard, in every jurisdiction.
Technology & innovation
Investing in the future of IP.
As the profession evolves, CWB is investing in data-driven operations, artificial intelligence and advanced technology. Our Renaissance platform unifies IP management, business operations and document management, and our AI Operating Model embeds governed intelligence into every workflow - helping clients protect, manage and commercialise their IP with confidence in the world’s most dynamic and complex markets.
Trust, governance & compliance
Trust, built in.
Operating across high- and mid-risk jurisdictions demands more than presence. It demands discipline. Our Integrity Framework brings KYC, AML, sanctions and anti-bribery controls under one governed compliance management system, built towards ISO 37301. Our Client Trust Centre gives clients, banks and auditors a single, transparent view of how we manage trust.
Our Leadership Team
We want to be the IP firm that clients trust and want to work with above all others, because of our commitment to our client relationships, our investment in our people, and our mindset. That requires strong leadership and robust structures for risk management.
Our Executive Committee is CWB’s most senior management committee. Chaired by the Group CEO, its members include the firm’s Group functional leaders. It is the forum in which the senior leadership of the firm sets strategy and direction.
- Group CEO
- Group COO
- Group CCO
- Chief of MENA Operations
- Chief of EE Operations
- Chief of CA, CAU and Ukraine Operations
- Group CFO
- Group CTO
- Group People & Culture Director
When a formidable team, with shared values puts all its experience and drive behind a clear and meaningful vision, some incredible things happen. Halim Shehadeh, Group CEO
Managing Risk
Our approach to risk management is overseen by the firm’s Audit and Risk Committee, with a broad remit across risks, threats, succession and controls. Strategic or material risks are escalated through regular reporting to the Executive Committee.
Firm Recognition
Our offices and practitioners are consistently ranked by the leading legal directories, including Chambers and Partners, Managing IP (IP Stars), The Legal 500, IAM Patent 1000 and World Trademark Review 1000. The rankings are based on in-depth analysis of our work, market research, client feedback and peer review.
Code of Conduct
We operate in the world’s developing regions where organisation and transparency are not as prevalent as they otherwise may be. We owe it to our clients to let them know what we stand for and how we ensure compliance in these challenging geographies. That's why we put together The Code, a code of conduct that sets out our ethical standards and compliance responsibilities and how they are reinforced by our values, culture and our CWB Way. The Code also defines our expectations of everyone working in CWB, and acts as a guide for our behaviour with each other, our clients, and all our external stakeholders.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
We do not advocate for or implement any ESG policies at CWB. This is a subject we know very little about and choose not to posture but instead focus on real world impact. We pursue a different approach to positively impact our communities and be good global citizens, an approach that focuses on good governance through character-based leadership.
We believe that leaders of good character can help our firm thrive over the long term, steering us clear of scandals and crisis, not just through good business practice, but on principle. We believe that putting people of good character in charge will lead to a better CWB, long term value creation for our firm and the clients we serve, and more virtuous practices – all of which would result in achieving the E and S as a natural consequence of good G.
Our Position on Generative AI
At CWB, technology is not an add-on to our business. It is a core enabler of how we deliver intellectual property services at scale.
We are all-in on artificial intelligence across our organisation. We are positioning AI at the centre of how we operate, how we manage complexity, and how we deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes across one of the world’s most challenging and diverse IP landscapes.
Company News
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22 July 2026IAM Patent 1000 Ranks Six CWB Offices and 11 Practitioners for Excellent Patent Work
Romania was awarded a gold band, South Africa and Ukraine earned bronze bands, while Croatia, Serbia, and the UAE were highly recommended.
22 July 2026IP Stars Ranks CWB Offices and Practitioners in Ten Jurisdictions
In the 2026 IP STARS rankings, Managing IP recognised 10 CWB offices and 17 individuals for their exceptional IP work.
13 July 2026CWB’s Corporate Development and Integration Office Announces Next Phase of International Expansion
Seven new offices across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe will become operational in the second half of 2026.
Considering a career at CWB?
We are different from other firms in the way we think, work, and behave. We do not put competence ahead of character, we are a character first employer. We believe that people can work on and develop their competence whereas good character tends to be something more innate and the product of a set of closely held values. We find that people with this asset grow into the best leaders, with the right support.