Indian Attorney and Vietnamese Attorney win The International Trademark Association’s Tomorrow’s Leaders Award

Houston, Texas—November 16, 2023—The International Trademark Association (INTA) honored Ashneet Hanspal, Senior Associate at Ahlawat & Associates in New Delhi, India, and Dat Nguyen, Associate at Baker Mckenzie in Cau Giay, Vietnam, as the recipients of the Tomorrow’s Leader Award. 

The Tomorrow’s Leader Award recognizes two outstanding young practitioners with less than five years of IP experience for their early leadership in the intellectual property industry. This award was established to strengthen both professional and personal development for the recipients and raise their visibility as tomorrow’s leaders within the trademark community. 

Recently promoted to Senior Associate at Ahlawat and Associates, Ms Hanspal has laid the groundwork for a formidable career in the IP field. Through pro bono work, Ms Hanspal has advised several businesses and organizations regarding their trademark applications. Ms Hanspal is a member of many IP-related networks including ILN, Interlegal, ASSOCHAM, and Globalaw, to which she regularly contributes articles and resources. She expresses a forward-thinking outlook on IP Law and has demonstrated an acute interest in how brands can enforce their trademark rights amid emerging technologies such as AI and the Metaverse. Ms Hanspal will be a member of the Trademark Reporter Committee (TMR) next term. 

“It is truly an honor to be selected as a recipient for INTA’s 2023 Tomorrow’s Leader Award. I’m deeply grateful and humbled to receive this recognition and regard this as both a valuable milestone in my career as well as a goalpost for the future. I hope to be able to work toward exemplifying the ideals this award represents and look forward to getting further involved in and giving back to the INTA community,” said Ms Hanspal. 

While still early in his career, Mr Nguyen has already established himself as a leader in the IP field. He has engaged in pro bono projects working with Vietnam-based startups to help protect and register their trademark rights in the Asia Pacific. During his time in practice, Mr Nguyen has authored several articles to raise awareness of IP issues and has spoken at trademark law-related events. He also supports the development of IP professionals through his lectures at the Vietnam Judicial Academy and Hanoi Law University. In the coming term, he will join INTA’s Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee.  

Upon receiving his award, Mr Nguyen remarked, “Winning INTA’s 2023 Tomorrow’s Leader Award marks a significant milestone in my career, reaffirming my unwavering dedication to practicing IP law. I look forward to collaborating with IP practitioners worldwide and contributing to our international IP community and society as a whole. INTA, as a global hub for trademark leaders and experts, is the perfect platform for me to start turning my goals into reality.” 

In congratulating Ms Hanspal and Mr Nguyen, INTA President Jomarie Fredericks noted, “INTA is so impressed with both Mr Nguyen’s and Ms Hanspal’s accomplishments at their firms and in the intellectual property community. We look forward to their future achievements in the many years to come.” 

This year’s Tomorrow’s Leader Awards were presented at the Association’s 2023 Leadership Meeting in Houston, Texas, which is taking place through November 17.

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