Vanessa Lawrance
- Senior Associate
Vanessa’s practice mainly focuses on trade mark prosecution and enforcement throughout Africa, MENA and other regions. She also handles domain name cases and advises clients on copyright matters. Her fields of expertise are diverse and include IP rights clearance, litigation, alternative dispute resolution and risk assessment.
From 1999 to 2002, Vanessa worked for South African IP firm Adams and Adams, in the trade mark litigation department. In 2002, Vanessa joined Hahn & Hahn where she established and led the firm’s trade mark litigation practice.
Vanessa has also practiced in the areas of corporate and consumer law and has drafted and reviewed numerous contracts, such as franchise agreements and supply agreements.
Qualifications
- Trade Mark Attorney, South Africa, 2003
- Attorney at Law, South Africa, 2000
Education
- University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa, BCom, 1995
- University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa, LLB, 1995
Languages
- Afrikaans
- English
Professional Activities
Presentations
- "Alternative Dispute Resolution", WIPO Summer School, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2014
- "Alternative Dispute Resolution", WIPO Summer School, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015
Membership
- INTA
- South African Institute of IP Law (SAIIPL)
Committees
- Chairperson of the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission's (CIPC) Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
- Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Trade Mark Committee
- Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Counterfeit Goods Committee
- Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Copyright Committee
Activities
- Annual lecture on copyright, patents, designs, trade marks, and counterfeit goods for final year Marketing Design students, University of Pretoria, South Africa