Natalia Paladino

You are a member of the ASIPI Diversity and Sustainability Committee. What projects have you been involved in as part of your work with the group and what were the aims/results?

As a member of the committee, I perform several tasks related to very interesting topics which are currently of great importance for our society. Lately we have been working together creating the publications related to mental health matters, for the environment and for World Oceans Day. Also, in the context of this important month and as a key task in my role in the committee, I wrote a publication about Pride month, explaining the story behind this month and the importance of raising awareness. Moreover, I am developing a webinar with matters related to diversity policies. I have also been working in activities related to diversity and inclusion for the upcoming ASIPI Medellín Congress.

As the effects of the climate crisis become more apparent, sustainability claims are coming under increased scrutiny. What steps should brands take to address any accusations of greenwashing?

Firms nowadays are becoming more aware of the importance of developing sustainable policies, which I believe is positive. Any green action that is announced must be effectively carried out and, if so, the company must have proof of its legitimacy and the effective practice of these actions. Audits should be carried out, and data on the impact of these actions should be collected. In our firm, we are convinced that sharing these activities publicly has a great impact, as it can encourage other firms/people to follow sustainable activities.

The current legal services landscape is competitive and high-quality legal work is considered a minimum. How do you add value for clients in this environment?

The high quality of our firm has already been proved, so customers come looking for us. We focus on generating a good work relationship with our clients and maintaining it. Our added value is the proactivity and the strengthening of the personal bond between the lawyer and the client. We also focus on providing a personalised service, which is highly valued in the market today.

What are the main challenges that companies in Uruguay face when it comes to trademark protection?

Uruguay is a pro-entrepreneur and inventor country that offers training programmes and discounts on fees for the protection of industrial and IP rights. When they try to leave the country, the costs are high, and this is the main challenge they face. Other countries also have long wait times for the administration of IP rights, which discourages Uruguayan companies.

As we hopefully emerge from the pandemic, what changes to the industry and/or working practices do you think are here to stay?

Regarding internal practices, during the pandemic our company tried to maintain contact with clients by providing training, discussing cases and generating personal contact between both teams. Also, in relation to our training and seminars, we were able to invite authorities that were not physically present but connected by videocall, which was of great importance for many of our events.

Worldwide, working remotely was a big change for both private and public patent and trademark offices, for example the development of public bases for online filing and going paperless.