As part of its effort to extend legal thought leadership from classroom to practice and to promote an active exchange between academia and practice, the College of Law and Public Policy (CLPP) of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), recently joined Qatar Shell in hosting a half-day workshop on Intellectual Property Rights.

 The workshop – offered to third-year Juris Doctor (JD) students – provided attendees with the opportunity to work alongside industry representatives and legal teams from Qatar Shell, Qatar Petroleum, and QatarGas.

The workshop addressed various forms of intellectual property (IP) such as patents and trademarks from an in-house lawyer’s perspective, as well as hosted discussions on the lifecycle of IP, commercialisation and licensing arrangements and challenges of jointly creating and owning IP.

During the course of their training, all participants worked together on a hands-on mini case study, based on a real-life scenario, to determine first-hand how to best protect intellectual, business and legal interests and practice decision-making that minimises risks.

HBKU CLPP Founding Dean Professor Clinton W Francis said they are grateful to Qatar Shell for offering their first JD graduating class an invaluable opportunity for learning, alongside seasoned legal counsel and industry representatives.

CLPP offers plenty of opportunities to students and alumni. In addition to being the first degree of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, the Juris Doctor programme utilises a selective and unique educational approach, which often intertwines hands-on experience and theory.

For more information about CLPP at HBKU, visit their website at hbku.edu.qa/clpp.