team
MARIUS SCHNEIDER
Marius has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of intellectual property, of which more than 17 years in an African environment. He is a lawyer at the Brussels Bar and is registered as a Legal Adviser with the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius. Marius works for several national and international clients with a focus on Europe and Africa. Since 2021, he is the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany to Mauritius.
He is a member of the EU Observatory on intellectual property right infringements, a member and past chairman of the ECTA Anti-Counterfeiting Committee and a member of the INTA Enforcement Committee for the Middle East and Africa. Marius is one of the Editors of the Oxford University Press Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.
Marius is the co-author of the 2020 Oxford University Press (OUP) publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Africa’, the first book discussing intellectual property rights enforcement in all 54 African countries. He is the co-editor of the Oxford University Press publication ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights through Border Measures – Law and Practice in the EU’ (second edition June 2012 and third edition in progress), the African chapter of the ‘Research Handbook on cross-border enforcement of intellectual property rights’ of Paul Torremans (published by Edward Elgar), as well as of several articles and contributions on subjects related to the enforcement of IP rights. Marius has also written an article on Mauritius as an investment platform for Africa.
He is a graduate of the University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) and holds Master’s degrees from University College London (Master’s in EU law – UK) and the Katholieke Universiteit Brussel (Master’s in IP – Belgium). He is a regular speaker at conferences on intellectual property law in Europe and Africa. He has served as a consultant on WIPO and EU missions to Africa and beyond and is a recognized expert for WCO training courses (Brussels – Belgium), the Forum Institut and at the Academy of European Law (ERA – Trier, Germany).
Marius is fluent in English, French, Dutch and German.
ANNABELLE THONET
Annabelle Thonet is an attorney-at-law at the Brussels Bar and registered as a Legal Adviser with the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius. She has been working for IPvocate Africa since 2014.
She holds a law degree (University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) and a Master’s degree in comparative economic law (Panthéon – Sorbonne, France). After working more than 10 years for a German bank in Brussels where she has held several positions including that of Country Product Manager for the Benelux, Annabelle has joined the team of Marius Schneider in Brussels in 2011 and has been working for the Mauritius office since 2014 where she is also Office Manager of IPvocate Africa. She works in French and English and speaks Dutch and German fluently.
NORA HO TU NAM
Nora is a partner at IPvocate Africa. She focuses on anti-counterfeiting matters in Africa and oversees marketing and communication at IPvocate Africa.
She was invited to speak at the INTA Middle East & Africa Conference in Dubai in December 2018 on the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on intellectual property(IP) and the future of IP practitioners in the face of the innovations brought forth by the fourth industrial revolution. She also co-authored an article published by the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice on the protection of well-known trade marks in Africa with Marius Schneider.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) Degree from the University of Mauritius, a Masters in Law cum laude and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She previously worked in South Africa and The Gambia, thereby bringing in a solid knowledge of the African continent. She works in English, French, and German.
SURISHTA CHETAMUN
Surishta joined IPvocate Africa in 2014. She focuses on anti-counterfeiting actions in Africa, in particular enforcement actions. She has filed numerous customs enforcement applications over the years, resulting in the seizure and destruction of counterfeit goods. Her focus is mainly on luxury goods and pharmaceuticals.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) Degree from the University of Mauritius. She has successfully participated in many moot court competitions and debates both on a national and international level. She works in English, French and Hindi.
Publications
2018 ‘Mauritian Supreme Court confirms national exhaustion of IP rights’, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice with Marius Schneider
RUBINA CATEAU
Rubina is a lawyer at IPvocate Africa. She looks after the registration and renewal of trade marks and undertakes enforcement actions against counterfeit goods.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business Law from the University of Curtin in 2016. She also won the IBL Challenge Trophy for her academic path. Having previously worked within the legal department of an international bank, she has strong technical legal abilities and communication skills. She works in French and English.
KHEITE VELVINDRON
Kheite Velvindron is a Lawyer at IPvocate Africa. She looks after an IP portfolio covering nearly all countries in Africa. She focuses on trade marks applications and timely renewals. She previously interned at a general practice chamber, gaining valuable insight on Mauritian law.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Management (with Honours) from the University of Mauritius and an LLM in Financial and Commercial Law from the University of Central Lancashire – UOM Enterprise. She works fluently in English and French.
NITHILESH FOWDUR
Nithilesh Fowdur works as a Lawyer at IPvocate Africa. He looks after the registration, renewal, and enforcement of trade marks in more than 50 African states, nearly covering the whole continent. He previously worked as a paralegal in a Mauritian IP law practice and has a good understanding of the Mauritian legal system. In his free time, he launched a YouTube channel aimed at the general public on the Mauritian legal system.
He studied in the UK and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) from the University of East Anglia in 2020. He works fluently in English and French and has a good knowledge of Hindi.
NAWSHEEN BUCKRALLY
Nawsheen is an accountant at IPvocate Africa. She has acquired extensive experience over the years in the accounting field, including in a leading Mauritian law firm and in the offshore sector.
She is currently completing her ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) qualification. She works in English and French.
ELODIE DINAN
Elodie Dinan is an Accountant and Administrative Officer at IPvocate Africa. She has over 6 years’ experience in the accounting sector, more specifically in SMEs and the shipping sector.
She is the holder of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Level 2 and is currently focusing in completing her ACCA Level 3 studies to become a chartered certified Accountant. She works in French and English.