Chris Buntel

Chris is an intellectual property attorney with over 20 years’ experience . He is a co-founder and the CIPO of Tangibly.  Chris is passionate about trade secret management and education.  He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University, and J.D. in Law from University of Houston.

Jon Parker

Jon is one of the most prominent trademark specialists operating in the Middle East today.

Jon is a UK Registered Trademark and Design Attorney in Gowling WLG’s Dubai office. He has been practising in the Middle East since 2006 managing IP portfolios around the region and further afield for clients.

Jon has over 29 years of experience in trademark related matters, including 10 years at the UK Intellectual Property Office, before moving into private practice in 2001.

He provides expert advice to clients on a wide range of matters including brand creation, filing and protection strategies and their implementation, including the use of the Madrid Protocol. He has extensive experience in managing global portfolios for clients, as well as the strategic management of regional and international portfolios, and the enforcement of these rights. His practice also covers the management of IP litigation matters in the UAE and elsewhere for clients.

His practice extends to all aspects of trademark clearance, strategy, prosecution, opposition enforcement and litigation matters. He represents clients in all industry segments, with particular expertise in FMCG, F&B services, consumer products, retail and leisure, hospitality, pharmaceuticals and luxury goods.

Jon is the co-head of Gowling WLG’s global Brand Protection team.

Jon is a member of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA), and an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA).

Jon is a frequent speaker on trademark issues in local and international conferences. He also plays an active role in offering training as well as educational and awareness sessions to companies, individuals and business groups in relation to intellectual property rights.

World Trademark Review has recognised Jon in each edition of its prestigious annual guide, WTR 1000 since the inaugural WTR 1000 in 2011. The Gowling WLG’s UAE IP team also has also achieved “Gold” status in the UAE in the WTR 1000 rankings since 2018. Jon has been ranked as an IP STAR by Managing Intellectual Property magazine since it introduced this award in 2013 and his team were named “Middle East Firm to watch” by the publication in 2019. Jon is recognised among the world’s foremost IP practitioners by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) in the 2020 and 2021 edition of IAM Global Leaders.

Bachir Chakra

Bachir, a Gowling WLG Partner based in Riyadh, has over 17 years of regional and international legal experience in IP, technology, corporate commercial matters, procurement, and media. He is proficient in both common law and civil law and has a strong track record of providing practical, clear, and legible legal advice to clients. Having previously worked at top law firms and in-house roles in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, and Canada, Bachir brings with him a deep understanding of the regional and international legal landscapes. People he has worked with in the Middle East, Far East, and North America, greatly appreciate Bachir’s leadership, project management, contract drafting, and negotiation skills.

With his most recent private practice experience in, and commercial sector awareness of, Saudi Arabia, Bachir has an acute appreciation of the Saudi market. He is very familiar with and has advised many foreign clients looking to enter the Saudi market, on the Saudi vision as well as the manner of doing business, culture, and customs there. Moreover, Bachir’s latest in-house experience and understanding of business commercial needs, risks, and compliance matters, in North America, allow him to deliver the innovative and creative legal solutions sought after by clients. Overall, Bachir is an effective problem-solver and clients respect him for the clarity of his analysis and his grasp of facts, data, and evidence. He is structured and logical in his thinking and can synthesize complex information into a coherent whole that clients are able to easily understand and leverage.

When delivering positive results for his clients (both in-house and in private practice during his current and previous roles) Bachir always aims to:

• know/understand their business;
• have the right commercial mind-set to be well integrated within that business;
• challenge established practices in order to manage work more effectively and efficiently;
• prioritize, be responsive and incisive to the clients’ needs to inspire confidence from them in Bachir and his team’s ability to service and protect their interests; and
• grow and nurture a trusted relationship where the client values Bachir and his team as their trusted partners and advisors.

Recognizing the importance of client experience, Bachir believes it is about putting oneself in the client’s position and asking the right questions as to what:

• challenges they are facing;
• would they value most from their lawyers when facing those challenges; and
• their sources of frustration are when working with lawyers.