Category: Firm News

Gibney IP Partner Angelo Mazza recently participated on behalf of several clients in the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) sponsored virtual training for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at the Port of Newark.  The training bought together over 40 brands and 100 CBP personnel from Newark and around the country. CBP Officers, Import Specialists and FP&F personnel had the ability to watch presentations by brands based on type of commodity and set to run at specific times during the 3-day event.

Angelo has been involved in training programs for law enforcement at all levels for several decades. Not only is he a participant, but he is also a volunteer at the IACC, who coordinates the trainings, works on scheduling and has developed materials to allow better enforcement of IP laws. Over the years, Angelo has trained over 70,000 law enforcement personnel throughout the United States. Recognizing the importance of education as a way to develop enforcement skills, he has lectured on IP issues and developed the original IACC Training CD and then led the shift to an online and app based training tools.

Angelo Mazza assists clients with their online and offline enforcement needs and developing strategies that take a calibrated approach rather than relying one size fits all strategy.  At the core of the strategy is providing law enforcement with the necessary educational tools.

For more information about the IACC’s training programs, visit iacc.org. The next virtual IP training for CBP is scheduled for late September. For information about developing a training program or best practices in IP enforcement, please contact Angelo Mazza.

Brian Brokate was recognized in the 2021 World Trademark Review 1000 for enforcement and litigation work. WTR noted that Brian is “an enforcement ace named alongside just 12 others in the WTR 1000’s US national anti-counterfeiting rankings.”

As head of Gibney’s Intellectual Property Group, Brian assists companies in investigation and enforcement procedures to combat trademark and copyright infringement. With a niche focus on anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy, he handles all stages of civil anti-counterfeiting and infringement litigation as well as acting as support on behalf of clients for state and federal criminal actions.

About WTR 1000
Now in its eleventh year, the WTR 1000 shines a spotlight on the firms and individuals that are deemed outstanding in this critical area of practice. The WTR 1000 remains the only standalone publication to recommend individual practitioners and their firms exclusively in the trademark field, and identifies the leading players in over 80 key jurisdictions globally. Read More.

IP Partner Angelo Mazza was asked by Customs & Border Protection (CBP) leadership to join the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Process Modernization Working Group.  This working group is part of the larger Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC). The COAC advises the Secretaries of the Treasury and DHS on all matters involving the commercial operations of CBP, including advising on significant changes proposed to regulations, policies, or practices of CBP; provides recommendations to the Secretaries of the Treasury and DHS on improvements to the commercial operations of CBP; and perform such other functions relating to the commercial operations of CBP as prescribed by law or as the Secretaries of the Treasury and DHS jointly direct. The IPR Process Working Group is tasked with developing solid proposals which modernize the way CBP deals with volative goods entering the US.