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Virginia Engel is a founding member of Peacock Linder & Halt LLP, a firm established to service the litigation needs of the Calgary legal and business communities. Ms. Engel practices in the area of commercial litigation, professional negligence defence, tax litigation, insurance defence litigation and directors and officers negligence.

Tania Kern is a member of the Paris Bar since 1997. She graduated from Strasbourg University where she studied Business and European Union Law. She also has a certificate of English legal studies from Leicester University, a master degree in English and American Business Law from the Sorbonne University and a master degree in Intellectual Property Law from the Assas University.

She acquired the title of Intellectual Property Specialist in 2002.She practiced one year with an attorney specialised in Intellectual Property litigation and than joined the IP Practice Group of Baker & McKenzie Paris where she was in charge of all kinds of IP litigations including trademarks, patents and designs infringements litigations.

Siân qualified at Travers Smith in 1996, and became a partner in 2003. Her experience covers the full range of employment law as well as corporate immigration issues and she advises on all aspects of employment litigation, including High Court actions.

Siân regularly provides diversity training to both HR professionals and line managers. She is also the partner responsible for diversity and inclusion at Travers Smith.

Former Secretary of the “Conférence du Stage” of the Paris Bar

General professional experiences

• Landwell & Associés (Réseau PwC) : Head of Litigation and Criminal Law Department, in charge of Legal and Judicial Risks Management (from 1992 to March 2011)
• Cabinet d’avocats Jeantet & Associés : Litigation department (from 1988 to 1991)
• Caisse Centrale de Réassurance : Legal department (from 1982 to 1987)

Education

• Master’s certificate in Judicial Carreers Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne
• DEA in Business Law, majoring in Community Law
• DEA in Private Law (Paris I Panthéon -Sorbonne)
• Professional Lawyer’s Certificate
• Secretary of the “Conférence du Stage” of the Paris Bar (1991)

Area of pratices

• Representing clients before French and European Courts (Court of First Instance and Court of Justice of the European Union) and arbitration
• Business Law
• Business Criminal Law
• legal, ethical and judicial risks management
• Governance
• Directors and companies ’ liability

Languages

• French
• English

Affiliations

• Director of Studies and member of the Board of “Ecole du Droit et de Management Université de Panthéon Sorbonne (MBA)”
• Cofounder of TV DMA
• Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs of ”Institut Français des Administrateurs”
• Associate member of “AMRAE”
• Member of the Ethics Committee of “Club des Directeurs de Sécurité des Entreprises” (CDSE)
• Speaker at Paris II, HEC, l’IFA, l’IFACI et l’AMRAE (training regarding Governance, Legal risks, Compliance and Ethics)
• Member of “Cercle de la Compliance”

Joanna has substantial experience in all aspects of the oil and gas chain, from negotiating upstream asset acquisition agreements, development and production sharing agreements and associated joint operating agreements, through to advising on joint venture arrangements, the marketing of specialist products, such as LNG and petrochemicals, and all types of commodity products. She also has a deep understanding of the power sector, having been involved in some of the world’s largest power projects.

European patent attorney and French patent attorney
Partner in Santarelliand is an Engineer graduated.

Expertises:
Patents, Intellectual property audits, Oppositions, Prior Art Searches, Patentability searches, Patent litigations, Patent infringement, Freedom to operate opinion.

Sectors:
Aeronautics, Food / Spirits, Automotive / Nautical, Electricity / Electronics, Mechanics / Physics / Optics/ Composite materials