case comment - ITMA

AND FINALLY...
Christian John Robert Gibson, always
known as Chris Gibson, was born on New
Year’s Day in 1943 and was educated at
Harrow School and Oxford University.
Chris joined Marks & Clerk in 1966,
qualified at the first time of asking in
1970, and became a partner in the firm in
1972, serving M&C with great distinction
until his retirement in 2009.
Chris soon built up a large practice in
the chemical and pharmaceutical fields,
with two major international firms who
remain important clients of M&C to this
day. In particular, he pioneered an
arrangement whereby M&C were directly
responsible for the world-wide filings of
a large Japanese company, and was for
many years involved in pan-European
litigation on their behalf.
In his later years, while still maintaining
a high level of client contact, Chris
increasingly became involved in the
FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2010
Date Event Location CPD Hours
20 July ITMA Evening Meeting ’ECJ & CFI Decisions’
Rigel Moss-McGrath, WP Thompson & Co
Royal College of Surgeons, London 1
14 September ITMA Evening Meeting ’Reputation – where are
we now?’ Kieron Taylor, Swindell & Pearson
Mayer Brown International LLP 1
14 –17 September Marques Conference Berlin
23-24 September INTA Forum: The Next Level: A Total Immersion Forum
for Up-and-Coming Trade Mark Lawyers
Brussels
29 Sept – 1 Oct PTMG Athens
30 Sept – 1 Oct CIPA Congress The Lancaster, London
7 October ITMA Autumn Event ‘A Focus on OHIM and
Europeancontentious procedures and an update
on International and European designs’
Hyatt Regency, Birmingham 5
13 – 14 October ACG Autumn Conference London
21 – 23 October ECTA committee meetings Cracow
26 October ITMA Evening Meeting ’Brand Valuation’
David Haigh, Brand Finance plc
Charles Russell, London 1
9-13 November INTA Leadership Meeting Arizona
16 November Joint ITMA/LES Seminar ‘An update on legal and
practical issues in licensing IP Rights’
RIBA, London 3
23 November ITMA Evening Meeting ’The Positives, Perils and
Pitfalls of IP Mediation’ Michael Cover,
Charles Russell
Wragge & Co, London 1
9 December ITMA Manchester Christmas Dinner The Midland, Manchester 0
14 December ITMA London Christmas Lunch The Lancaster, London 0
More details can be found at www.itma.org.uk. Bold type indicates an ITMA organised event.
36 ITMA Review
AND FINALLY...
Chris Gibson, 1943 - 2010
management of M&C, and was an
active Chairman of the firm’s Board of
Management for nine years from 1998
to 2007, in particular overseeing the
consolidation of the firm’s various
trading entities under the single Marks &
Clerk name, the establishing of Marks &
Clerk Solicitors, the merger with the firm
of Lloyd Wise, and the general expansion
of Marks & Clerk into a global firm.
Chris also became involved in the
management of Computer Patent
Annuities (CPA) and served as Chairman
while CPA was transformed from its
original partnership structure to a
corporate entity, prior to the successful
sale of the company at the beginning
of this year.
Chris was a highly organised and
meticulous person, a characteristic which
served him well during his professional
life both in terms of his client care and
management activities. Although Chris
could sometimes seem a little fierce to
those who did not know him well, he
was in private a most considerate person
who showed great loyalty to those who
worked with him.
Sadly, Chris was taken ill less than a year
into his well deserved retirement, and
deteriorated fast in a manner that took
all of us by surprise, and died in the
company of his family on 4 July.
Chris leaves behind Philippa, his wife of
more than 40 years, their son Alex and
daughter Claire, plus the three young
grandsons on whom he doted. He will
be greatly missed by them, as well as by
those of us who had the privilege to
work with him for so many years. The
tributes received from his clients, and
from the many professional advisors with
whom he worked on behalf of M&C and
CPA, speak volumes.
July/August 2010