Mladen Vukmir

Croatian - Italian

40+ years of experience

Language:

English

Croatian (mother tongue); Fluent Italian, Spanish, Slovene, German, French, Serbian and Bosnian.

Present Function:

Practicing attorney in Croatia and as a European Patent Agent (EPO) and a European Trademark and Design Representative (EUIPO). Listed on numerous arbitration and Mediation Center lists (such as CPR, CEDR, HUM, Croatian Chamber of Commerce Permanent Arbitration Court, WIPO AMC UDRP and Mediation, Czech Arbitration Court, .eu and UDRP, Croatian DNS Carnet, and others). His practice focuses on intellectual property and conflict management. IMI Certified mediator; Currently serving his second term as an ICSID Conciliator, appointed by the Government of the Republic of Croatia

General Expertise:

Certifications and/or licenses

• IMI International Mediation Certification

• Inscribed in the Registry of Mediators, Ministry of Justice, Republic of Croatia - No. 53

Professional legal or litigation experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

Litigated patents in national and multi-jurisdictional contexts as legal counsel to both plaintiffs and defendants, and had provided conflict management advice of this nature throughout my career since 1990; had worked on patent litigation and conflict management in the fields of chemistry, mechanical engineering, electronics, electrical engineering, within the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, machinery, digital and other industries.

Served as a member of the Boards of Appeal for Patents and Topographies at the State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia (CSIPO) from 1996 to 2005. During this period, he was involved in second-instance decision-making for patent and semiconductor topography cases as a member of three-member panels, together with the CSIPO examiners. During this period, he contributed to second-instance appeal decisions in the field of patent matters coming before the Board.

Professional technical experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

Formal patent drafting training from US postgraduate courses (two semesters of patent drafting courses). Internship at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (US PTO) Patent Division, gaining experience from technical disputes involving various technical backgrounds.

Memberships and/or accreditations

International and Regional Professional Associations:

• International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) — Past President, Croatian Group
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• International Trademark Association (INTA) — Past Board Member
• ITechLaw (International Technology Law Association) — Former Local Representative
• Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA)
• Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA)
• ECTA Past President (since 2022-2024), prior roles: First Vice President, Second Vice President, Council Member, past and current.

Past memberships in International and Regional Professional Associations:

• Licensing Executives Society (LES) - Croatia, Italy, International
• Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG)
• Deutsche Anwalts Cooperation (DAC)
• American Bar Association (ABA)
• Geneva Group International (GGI)

Non-professional memberships:

• Rotary International Club Zagreb-Medvedgrad;
• Slow Food Association.

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Advisory Panels:

• World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center - UDRP Domain Name Panelist and Mediator, consultant, and regional trainer;
• International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) - Distinguished Neutral;
• Czech Arbitration Court;
• CarNet;
• Board of Appeals for Patents and Topographies, Republic of Croatia - Past Appointed Member
• IMI (International Mediation Institute) - Certified Mediator

National and Local Professional Associations/Committees:

• Croatian Bar Association (HOK), Past vice-editor in chief of Odvjetnik publication, member of the Board of the HOK Mediation Center;
• Croatian Patent and Trademark Agents Bar, Past Supervisory Board, Chair
• Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), Arbitrator, Permanent Arbitration Court Panelist, member of the IP Commission;
• Croatian Employers Association (HUP);
• Nordic Chamber of Commerce Croatia
• American Chamber of Commerce Croatia (ADR and IPR Committees)

Official, Consulting and Advisory Appointments:

• Croatian Government — Consultant and Expert for various ministries and working groups, including IP Chapter 7 Working Group for EU accession negotiations;
• ICSID Conciliator;
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);
• United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO);
• World Bank;
• European Commission (as project assessor, CARDS, IPA programs, PLAC);
• Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA);
• GLG Council

Consular Honorary Roles:

• Honorary Royal Consul General of Denmark in Zagreb (decorated Knight of the Order of Dannebrog 1st degree).

Practical experience of conducting mediation or conciliation or judicial settlement conferences or out-of-court dispute settlements in disputes related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

Mediated and co-mediated approximately fifty commercial disputes, which were partially court-annexed (at the Zagreb Commercial Court, and at the High Commercial Court of the Republic of Croatia), partially center-administered (Croatian Mediation Association HUM, Croatian Bar Association HOK Mediation Center, and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Permanent Arbitration Court Mediation Center), or self-administered mediations (corporate).

Frequently train mediators in both basic and advanced mediation courses at HUM, WIPO, the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, and other institutions.