Valentin Pepeljugoski

Valentin Pepeljugoski is a Professor and Attorney at Law with more than 25 years of professional experience in intellectual property law and related areas. He has practiced as an Attorney at Law since 1999 and has developed extensive theoretical and practical expertise in intellectual property and industrial property law, competition law, e-commerce, telecommunications, corporate governance, and consumer protection. Throughout his professional career, he has advised and represented clients in numerous complex intellectual property matters and disputes, with particular experience relating to the protection, enforcement, and management of intellectual property and industrial property rights. His professional practice has included contentious and non-contentious matters, legal advisory work, and representation in proceedings involving intellectual property and unfair competition. He has worked on matters arising in North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, and the wider Balkan region, providing him with substantial experience in cross-border and regional intellectual property issues. His academic career reflects a longstanding commitment to the development of intellectual property law. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje in 1985 and passed the judicial and attorney’s examinations in 1987. He completed his Master’s degree in Law in 1991 at the same faculty and obtained his Ph.D. in Law in 2003. His doctoral dissertation, entitled “Protection of Industrial Property Rights Against Unfair Competition in Comparative and Macedonian Law,” focused on the protection of industrial property rights and the relationship between intellectual property protection and unfair competition. In 1998, he successfully passed the examination for Industrial Property Representative, further strengthening his professional qualifications in the field. In addition to his legal practice and academic work, he has extensive experience in intellectual property policy and legislative development. He was a member of the Macedonian negotiation team during the accession process to the World Trade Organization (WTO), where he developed in-depth expertise in the WTO TRIPS Agreement and contributed to discussions concerning the harmonization of national intellectual property legislation with international standards. He is a member of the Board and Council of EPI and serves on its Permanent Qualification and Education Committee, where he contributes to the development of professional qualifications, educational programs, and related decisions concerning professional education and training. He has also served as a National Key Expert in the preparation of the National Intellectual Property Strategy in support of the State Office for Industrial Property under the EUROPEAID/138778/DH/MULT project. His professional work has involved the analysis and resolution of complex legal issues in intellectual property, industrial property, unfair competition, and related regulatory fields. Through his extensive academic, professional, and policy experience, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of both the substantive and practical aspects of intellectual property protection and dispute resolution. His current professional focus includes intellectual property and industrial property law, protection against unfair competition, intellectual property disputes, and the development and application of national, regional, and international intellectual property standards. He brings to the field of alternative dispute resolution extensive legal experience.