IPIC Announces Mary Munro as the First Recipient of the Outstanding Contribution Award

IPIC’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Mary Munro is the first recipient of the Institute’s Outstanding Contribution Award. Ms. Munro received the award on October 1st for having gone above and beyond to help IPIC’s IP Administrators Committee create the Patent and Trademark Administrator Programs, therefore helping IPIC achieve its strategic goals.

IPIC’s Trademark and Patent Administrator’s Programs have brought together a team of dedicated IP professionals to help create high value practical training that fills an educational need and promotes the advantages of an IP administrator career path. It has been an exciting journey working with this talented team to bring this vision to life! – Mary Munro

Mary Munro is currently the National Director, Paraprofessional Services at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). She joined BLG in 1990 as a paralegal in the Intellectual Property Group, and prior to her current role was the Firm’s IP Operations Manager. As a result of her own career progression, Mary believes in the importance of creating opportunities for continuous learning. Since 2007, Mary has been involved in the Canadian PCT Administrator’s Roundtable which brings the World Intellectual Property Organization and IP Administrators from Canadian law firms and In-house legal teams together to promote the exchange of ideas on PCT and foreign patent administrative practice. Mary became Committee Chair for IPIC’s Trademark and Patent Administrator’s Programs in 2017 with a vision of helping to fill the gap in formal Intellectual Property administrative training for law clerks, paralegals and legal assistants.

IPIC’s Patent Administrator Program is 4-course certification program leading to the designation of Certified Canadian Patent Administrator. The 4 courses are: Patent Foundations and Lifecycle, Preparing and Filing a Patent Application, Patent Examination and Issuance and Patent Maintenance, Abandonment and Transfer. Click here to learn more about the program.

Working with Mary on the Patent Administrator Course has been a real honour. Mary’s expertise and understanding of the administrative procedures around IP Law is extensive. Thank you Mary for your initiative and  leadership on this project. I am grateful to have been a part of it with you. – Michele Gamble, IP Administrators Committee Member

IPIC’s Trademark Administrator Program is also 4-course certification program leading to the designation of Certified Canadian Trademark Administrator. To date, IPIC has held two exams and 17 applicants have successfully passed and obtained the designation. Click here to learn more about the program.

Creating and launching the Trademark Administrator’s Program was no small feat. We were fortunate to have a leader as dedicated as Mary spearheading the program. Mary’s exceptional project management skills were instrumental in getting the program off the ground. I have no doubt that trademark administrators will benefit from her hard work for many years to come. – Jennifer Dove, IP Administrators Committee Member