Shortlist unveiled: WTR Industry Awards 2024
WTR is pleased to reveal the shortlist for the 2024 WTR Industry Awards.
The WTR Industry Awards, which have been held annually since 2007, recognise the vitally important work carried out by in-house trademark professionals and identify those teams and individuals that are performing their functions to the highest possible standards.
This year’s nominees include the trademark teams at Apple, Canon, Ford Motor Company, Jack Daniel’s, Middle-earth Enterprises, Nintendo, PUMA and Tencent.
Full shortlist
North America Team of the Year
- AllTech
- Capital One
- Caterpillar Inc
- Netflix
Latin America Team of the Year
- adidas
- Bloomin' Brands Inc
- Grupo AlEn
- Mercado Libre
- PepsiCo
Asia-Pacific Team of the Year
- Cervezas San Miguel
- Coupang Inc
- Lego Group
- Tencent
- UPL Limited
Europe, Middle East and Africa Team of the Year
- Centrica
- IKEA (Inter IKEA Systems BV)
- MTN Group
- Philip Morris International
- PUMA
Food & Beverage Team of the Year
- Jack Daniel’s
- Mars, Incorporated
- Mondelēz International Inc
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Yili Group
Online Platforms & Software Team of the Year
- Amazon.com Inc
- ByteDance Ltd
- Meta
- Playtika
Not-For-Profit & Education Team of the Year
- American Red Cross
- American Retirement Association
- Brand Action
- Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry
- Rotary International
Pharma & Healthcare Team of the Year
- Abbott Laboratories
- GSK
- Johnson & Johnson
- Novartis
- Sanofi
Sports & Live Events Team of the Year
- Board of Control for Cricket in India
- Callaway Golf Company
- Endeavor Group Holdings Inc
- Liverpool Football Club
- Major League Baseball
Technology & Consumer Electronics Team of the Year
- Apple Inc
- ATMUS Filtration Technologies
- Canon Inc
- Devialet
- Nintendo Co Ltd
Household & Consumer Goods Team of the Year
- Johnson Controls International
- Mattel Inc
- Philips Intellectual Property & Standards
- Polaroid Corporation
- The Procter & Gamble Company
Automotive & Vehicles Team of the Year
- Audi AG
- Ford Motor Company
- Giant Manufacturing Co
- Harley-Davidson Inc
- Subaru Corporation
Telecoms & IT Services Team of the Year
- Deutsche Telekom AG
- Microsoft Corporation
- Salesforce Inc
- Verizon Communications Inc
- Workday Inc
Retail & Restaurants Team of the Year
- Aldi
- Starbucks Corporation
- Target Corporation
- Walmart Inc
- Yum! Brands
Financial & Professional Services Team of the Year
- Mastercard Inc
- MetLife
- PayPal
- TD Bank
- Worldpay
Fashion & Apparel Team of the Year
- Asics
- Diesel
- Fanatics Inc
- New Balance Athletics Inc
- Nike Inc
Cosmetics & Luxury Goods Team of the Year
- Chanel
- Hermès International SA
- Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
- Moncler
- Richemont
Hospitality & Travel Team of the Year
- Airbnb Inc
- Air France-KLM
- Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos International
- Marriott International Inc
- Tao Group
Entertainment & Media Team of the Year
- BBC
- Middle-earth Enterprises
- NBCUniversal Media
- Spin Master Corp
- The Walt Disney Company
In-house Leader of the Year
- Ambalika Banerjjee, UPL Limited
- Patrick Flaherty, Verizon Communications
- Michael Moore, Mattel Inc
- Kimiya Shams, Devialet
- Sebastien Vitali, Johnson Controls International
Lifetime Achievement Award
David S Gooder.
The winner of each award will be announced at an exclusive private reception in Atlanta in May. However, as is tradition, one award winner is announced in advance of the ceremony.
The recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award is David S Gooder.
David is the commissioner for trademarks at the USPTO, where he serves as the primary agency official for trademarks and is responsible for all aspects of the trademarks organisation, including policy, petitions, operations, register protection and administration relating to trademark examination, registration and maintenance.
Before joining the USPTO in 2020, David worked for more than 30 years on IP and brand-protection challenges facing global companies – including as the founding managing director and chief trademark counsel at Jack Daniel’s Properties. In that role, David directed the company’s global IP work, including trademark portfolio, rights clearance, brand protection, licensing and entertainment deals for the brands. Before Jack Daniel’s, David practiced trademark, copyright, and entertainment law in Los Angeles and San Diego. He has also been active at INTA, serving as an officer and, for two terms, on the board of directors.
The remaining WTR Industry Awards winners will be announced in Atlanta.
Research process
The shortlist of nominees is compiled after four months of extensive research. During that time, WTR obtains nominations from the global brand community. The received recommendations are then analysed and supplemented by additional research to draw up a detailed shortlist featuring a number of outstanding candidates in each category.
The shortlist has been selected based on a wide range of criteria, including:
- active trademark prosecution and/or enforcement;
- successful portfolio exploitation;
- strong industry and/or regional expertise;
- a global attitude towards brand expansion and protection; and
- the quality of internal organisation and in-house processes.
WTR would like to thank the following sponsors of the 2024 WTR Industry Awards: Barnes & Thornburg; CMS Legal Services; Daniel Advogados; Dinsmore & Shohl; Fish & Richardson; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Grünecker; Haynes and Boone; Locke Lord; Mayer Brown; Moroğlu Arseven; Rouse; Seed IP; Venable; and Zivko Mijatovic & Partners.
Proceeds of the awards ceremony will go towards supporting the Swawou School for Girls in Sierra Leone. Swawou Layout Community Primary School for Girls was set up in 2008 to offer a free quality education to girls from the Swawou community of Kenema town, eastern Sierra Leone. The school provides a nurturing and safe place to learn, where the girls have the support and encouragement that they need to stay in education. WTR’s parent company, Law Business Research, is the major financial supporter of the school.
