ACG Fireside Chat with Susan Wilson

On Friday 4 December, the ACG hosted an online fireside chat with Susan Wilson, the first U.S. Intellectual Property (IP) attaché to the European Union (EU) and to the UK, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

Susan’s responsibilities have included monitoring IP-related developments and contributing to IP-related dialogues throughout the region.

Susan's resumé is indeed impressive. Prior to this role, Susan was a director for IP and innovation at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), where she coordinated the annual Special 301 Review of trading partners’ IP policies and practices and the development of the annual Notorious Markets List of physical and online marketplaces, which facilitate counterfeiting and piracy worldwide. Before that Susan served as director of the Office of IP Rights in the U.S. Department of Commerce and deputy director for IP Enforcement at the U.S. Department of State. She is also an attorney and has been senior council to the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC).

Phil chatted to Susan for nearly an hour about her experiences in Europe and her hopes for the future of IP between the UK, EU and USA. Then at the end of the conversation, Susan was presented with an award by the ACG for all the work and effort in protecting business, consumers and economies worldwide.

"It’s been a truly momentous and determined endeavour and this ACG Award for Excellence is to offer our sincere thanks for Susan's outstanding achievements. We are desperately sorry to be losing Susan from the European arena" commented Phil.

"Susan is to return to the U.S within days, to take up a new role. We are desperately sorry to be losing her from the European arena, but I have a feeling that she will be having an influence and making a difference for some time yet."