[Ip-health] Jon Santamauro, former US trade official now on BIO IGWG delegation

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://www.keionline.org/index.php?option=com_jd-wp&Itemid=39&p=115

During the IGWG, BIO, the trade association, a group not yet in
official relations with the WHO, was given the right to place four
persons inside the close drafting sessions.  One of them was Jon
Santamauro, who until recently was a US trade official on intellectual
property issues.

Mr. Santamauro has more than 15 years of experience handling
intellectual property issues for the U.S. Government.

 From 2003 to 2006, Santamauro served as Intellectual Property Attache
in the U.S. Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva,
Switzerland. During this time, he represented the United States at the
WTO, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Health
Organization (WHO) and other UN organizations with respect to matters
relating to intellectual property.

Santamauro most recently served in the Office of Intellectual Property
Policy and Enforcement at the United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO), where he was responsible for numerous domestic and
international patent law and policy matters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS201151+24-Jan-2008+BW20080124
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Former United States IP Negotiator Jon Santamauro Joins Sidley's
Washington Office
Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:41am EST

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--Sidley Austin LLP announced today that
Jon P. Santamauro has joined the firm's Washington, D.C. office as
counsel in the intellectual property litigation practice. Santamauro
most recently served in the Office of Intellectual Property Policy and
Enforcement at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),
where he was responsible for numerous domestic and international
patent law and policy matters.

Mr. Santamauro has more than 15 years of experience handling
intellectual property issues for the U.S. Government. He played a key
role in negotiating extensive reforms under the Patent Cooperation
Treaty governing the filing and processing of international patent
applications and had lead responsibility for matters relating to
patent law harmonization. He also worked extensively on issues
relating to the relationship of intellectual property, genetic
resources and traditional knowledge.

"We are very pleased to welcome Jon Santamauro to Sidley," said Jeff
Kushan, one of the global heads of Sidley's IP practice, resident in
Washington, D.C. "Jon has played an important role in international IP
issues, here in Washington, in Geneva and around the world. His
experience will be of enormous value to our clients."

 From 2003 to 2006, Santamauro served as Intellectual Property Attache
in the U.S. Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva,
Switzerland. During this time, he represented the United States at the
WTO, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Health
Organization (WHO) and other UN organizations with respect to matters
relating to intellectual property.

"It was important to me to join a firm that offers its clients
sophisticated advice on domestic and international IP policy
development, as well as in cutting-edge intellectual property
litigation and business negotiations," Santamauro said. "I look
forward to working closely with the firm's international trade and
dispute resolution practice, as well."

Sidley's intellectual property litigation practice includes nearly 150
professionals across several offices who provide a full range of
litigation in the fields of patents, trade secret and unfair
competition, false advertising, copyright and theft of idea and
trademark litigation. The firm was recently recognized in the 2007 IP
Law & Business "Who Protects Innovation in America" survey.

Santamauro, 37, received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering, cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst and received his Juris Doctor, with highest honors, from the
George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world's largest full-service law
firms, with more than 1800 lawyers practicing in 16 U.S. and
international cities including Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva,
Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Every year
since 2003, Sidley has been named to Legal Business' Global Elite,
their designation for "the 15 finest law firms in the world." BTI, a
Boston-based consulting and research firm, has named Sidley to their
Client Service Hall of Fame as one of only two law firms to rank in
the Client Service Top 10 for seven years in a row.

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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
thiru@keionline.org


Tel: +41 22 791 6727
Mobile: +41 76 508 0997