English 
Español Official Launch of the Belize Chapter of the Society Of Trust & Estate Practitioners
On 22 November, 2012, the formal launch of the Belize Chapter of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) was held at the stylishly modern Six Lounge, located on the top floor of The Matalon Business Center, in Belize City.
Highly informative and supporting speeches were given by Mr. Michael Singh, CEO from Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection; the Hon. Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize; Mr. Christopher Coye President of the Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA); and Mr. Andrew Marshalleck SC, President of the Belize Bar Association.
The night’s Feature Address was given by BVI practitioner Hélène Anne Lewis TEP, current Chair of STEP, who spoke about the Society’s role, functions, organizational structure and the strong position of the Caribbean Region of which Belize is a part.
Rishi Alain Mungal, Legal Counsel to Morgan & Morgan Trust Corp. (Belize) Ltd., presided over the event as Founding Chairman of the STEP Belize Chapter.
Photographs showing (left to right): Hon. Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize; Andrew Marshalleck SC, President of the Belize Bar Association; STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis speaking with Michael Singh, CEO from Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection; Christopher Coye, President of the Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA); Rishi Alain Mungal TEP, Founding Chairman of the STEP Belize Chapter
The launch was well attended with approximately 100 persons, mostly professionals from the Trust and International Financial Services industry, showing up to support the Society (in the case of existing members and students) along with interested attendees who desired to find out more about STEP.
With the appreciated support from STEP Worldwide and ongoing collaboration with the STEP Caribbean Region, the STEP Belize Chapter is eager to continue promoting the ideals of the organisation within Belize and to encourage the highest standards of continuing education and professionalism in this jurisdiction.
STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis (centre) along with the Executive Committee of the STEP Belize Chapter:
Branch Committee Member: Christopher Coye TEP (Attorney-at-Law of Courtenay Coye LLP)
Events Officer: Ava Lovell Belisle (Manager of Belize Corporate Services)
Chairman: Rishi Alain Mungal TEP (Attorney-at-Law & Legal Counsel for Morgan & Morgan Trust Corporation (Belize) Ltd.)
Branch Committee Member: Emil Arguelles TEP (Attorney-at-Law of Arguelles & Company LLC)
Secretary: Amanda Young TEP (Trust Manager of Bay Trust International Limited)
Treasurer: Omar Magana (Accounting firm of Moore Stephens Magaña)
(in absentia Vice Chairman: Glen CH Wilson TEP of Broadway Trust Consultancy Services Limited)
The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners is the leading professional body for practitioners in the fields of trusts, estates and related issues which deal with asset structuring and wealth management.
STEP is headquartered in the United Kingdom but has branches and chapters around the world, including branches in Latin America and the Caribbean, USA, Europe, and Asia.
STEP deals with a particular field of International Financial services (IFS) that focuses on wealth management through various generations. The organization provides professional education and ongoing training and conducts events and promotion worldwide. It is the belief that by such means, the Belize Chapter will serve to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the Belize IFS sector for such a high level element of IFS in order to benefit the Belize economy and society.
To learn more about STEP, please visit the Society’s website at www.step.org
Further photographs showing (top to bottom): a cross section of the attendees; STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis during her presentation; some of the many information leaflets that were available for guests
On 22 November, 2012, the formal launch of the Belize Chapter of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) was held at the stylishly modern Six Lounge, located on the top floor of The Matalon Business Center, in Belize City.
Highly informative and supporting speeches were given by Mr. Michael Singh, CEO from Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection; the Hon. Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize; Mr. Christopher Coye President of the Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA); and Mr. Andrew Marshalleck SC, President of the Belize Bar Association.
The night’s Feature Address was given by BVI practitioner Hélène Anne Lewis TEP, current Chair of STEP, who spoke about the Society’s role, functions, organizational structure and the strong position of the Caribbean Region of which Belize is a part.
Rishi Alain Mungal, Legal Counsel to Morgan & Morgan Trust Corp. (Belize) Ltd., presided over the event as Founding Chairman of the STEP Belize Chapter.
Photographs showing (left to right): Hon. Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize; Andrew Marshalleck SC, President of the Belize Bar Association; STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis speaking with Michael Singh, CEO from Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection; Christopher Coye, President of the Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA); Rishi Alain Mungal TEP, Founding Chairman of the STEP Belize Chapter
The launch was well attended with approximately 100 persons, mostly professionals from the Trust and International Financial Services industry, showing up to support the Society (in the case of existing members and students) along with interested attendees who desired to find out more about STEP.
With the appreciated support from STEP Worldwide and ongoing collaboration with the STEP Caribbean Region, the STEP Belize Chapter is eager to continue promoting the ideals of the organisation within Belize and to encourage the highest standards of continuing education and professionalism in this jurisdiction.
STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis (centre) along with the Executive Committee of the STEP Belize Chapter:
Branch Committee Member: Christopher Coye TEP (Attorney-at-Law of Courtenay Coye LLP)
Events Officer: Ava Lovell Belisle (Manager of Belize Corporate Services)
Chairman: Rishi Alain Mungal TEP (Attorney-at-Law & Legal Counsel for Morgan & Morgan Trust Corporation (Belize) Ltd.)
Branch Committee Member: Emil Arguelles TEP (Attorney-at-Law of Arguelles & Company LLC)
Secretary: Amanda Young TEP (Trust Manager of Bay Trust International Limited)
Treasurer: Omar Magana (Accounting firm of Moore Stephens Magaña)
(in absentia Vice Chairman: Glen CH Wilson TEP of Broadway Trust Consultancy Services Limited)
The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners is the leading professional body for practitioners in the fields of trusts, estates and related issues which deal with asset structuring and wealth management.
STEP is headquartered in the United Kingdom but has branches and chapters around the world, including branches in Latin America and the Caribbean, USA, Europe, and Asia.
STEP deals with a particular field of International Financial services (IFS) that focuses on wealth management through various generations. The organization provides professional education and ongoing training and conducts events and promotion worldwide. It is the belief that by such means, the Belize Chapter will serve to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the Belize IFS sector for such a high level element of IFS in order to benefit the Belize economy and society.
To learn more about STEP, please visit the Society’s website at www.step.org
Further photographs showing (top to bottom): a cross section of the attendees; STEP Worldwide Chair Hélène Anne Lewis during her presentation; some of the many information leaflets that were available for guests
- Published in News, Rishi Mungal
Morgan & Morgan wins another Trademark Opposition in Belize
Intellectual Property law continues to develop progressively as the Belize Intellectual Property Office has issued its latest opposition ruling in the matter of British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited v. Philip Morris Products S.A.(Application No. 5754.08).
This matter dealt with an opposition lodged by British American Tobacco against a trademark application filed by Philip Morris on the issue of distinctiveness, and lack thereof. British American Tobacco argued that the Philip Morris mark in question contravened the Trade Marks Act, Chapter 257 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, in particular section 35(1)(b) which states:
“The following shall not be registered… trademarks which are devoid of any distinctive character…Provided that, a trade mark shall not be refused registration by virtue of [section 35(1)(b)] if, before the date of application for registration, it has in fact acquired a distinctive character as a result of the use made of it.”
The Deputy Registrar of Belipo, upon hearing the submissions of counsel on behalf of both parties found that the Philip Morris mark was neither distinctive as it was incapable of distinguishing the goods to which it had applied, nor had it acquired distinctive use within the meaning of the Trade Marks Act.
BAT has not only conducted a successful opposition against Philip Morris, it has also achieved victory in defending an opposition brought against it by Philip Morris in the prior matter of Philip Morris Products S.A. v British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited (Application No.5082.07). A victory which was confirmed in the landmark judgment of Civil Appeal 1 of 2009, the very first trade mark opposition that was appealed to conclusion at the Belize Supreme Court with one of the last judgments issued by Belize’s former eminent Chief Justice Dr. Abdulai Conteh.
Morgan Belize, through Legal Counsel Rishi Alain Mungal, was pleased to represent its client, British American Tobacco at the opposition proceedings and assist with this successful decision.
A full text of British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited v. Philip Morris Products S.A.(Application No. 5754.08) is available here.
La Ley de Propiedad Intelectual continua desarrollándose progresivamente al momento en que la Oficina de Propiedad Intelectual de Belice emite su última sentencia de oposición en el caso de British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited vs. Philip Morris Products S.A. (Solicitud no. 5754.08).
Este asunto trata de una demanda de oposición presentada por British American Tobacco contra una solicitud de marca de fábrica presentada por Philip Morris concerniente al tema del carácter distintivo o falta del mismo. British American Tobacco argumentó que la marca de Philip Morris en cuestión iba contra la Ley de Marcas de Fábrica, Capítulo 257 de las Leyes de Belice, Versión Actualizada del 2000, en especial la sección 35(1)(b) la cual estipula:
“No deberá registrarse lo siguiente… marcas de fábrica que carezcan de un carácter distintivo… Siempre que, el registro de una marca de fábrica no se rechace en virtud de la [sección 35(1)(b)] si, previo a la fecha de solicitud de registro, ésta ha de hecho adquirido un carácter distintivo como resultado del uso que se hace de ella.”
El Sub Registrador de Propiedad Intelectual de Belice, al escuchar las presentaciones de los abogados en nombre de ambas partes encontró que la marca Philip Morris no era ni distintiva ya que no podía distinguir los artículos a los que había aplicado, ni había adquirido un uso distintivo dentro del significado de la Ley de Marcas de Fábrica.
BAT no solo llevó a cabo una oposición exitosa contra Philip Morris sino que también alcanzó la victoria en la defensa de una demanda de oposición presentada contra ella por Philip Morris en la acción anterior de Philip Morris Products S.A. vs. British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited (Solicitud no. 5082.07). Una victoria confirmada en una sentencia sin precedentes de la Apelación Civil 1 del 2009, la primera demanda de oposición de marca de fábrica apelada hasta su conclusión en la Corte Suprema de Belice, uno de cuyos últimos fallos fue emitido por el eminente ex Presidente de la Corte Suprema de Belice, Dr. Abdulai Conteh.
Morgan Belice a través de su asesor legal Rishi Alain Mungal se sintió complacida de representar a su cliente, British American Tobacco en el proceso de oposición y asistir en la exitosa decisión.
El texto completo de British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited vs. Philip Morris Products S.A. (Solicitud no. 5754.08) está disponible aquí.
- Published in Intellectual Property, Rishi Mungal