The International Trademark Association (INTA) has announced the election of Ayala Deutsch as the 2020 president of the association and chair of its board of directors. Deutsch, executive vice president and deputy general counsel at NBA Properties, Inc., New York, assumes her one-year term January 1.

In this volunteer role, Deutsch will lead INTA in advancing its key priorities on intellectual property policies around the world – protecting trademarks and brands, promoting harmonization of trademark law, advocating against brand restrictions, promoting anti-counterfeiting strategies, and managing Internet governance and the domain name system. In addition, Deutsch will help the association achieve the goals of its 2018‒2021 Strategic Plan, which promote the value of trademarks and brands, reinforce consumer trust, and embrace innovation and change. She succeeds David Lossignol, head of trademarks, domain names and copyrights at Novartis Pharma in Basel, Switzerland.

“I’m looking forward to furthering the association’s great work and doing my part to take it to the next level,” Deutsch said. “I hope 2020 is a year of realizing possibilities, both for myself and for the organization.”

Her presidential task force will explore “how to develop all-star IP practitioners,” she said. “As brand owners and trademark professionals, we must constantly innovate and evolve with the times to grow professionally and personally and to effect meaningful change in our field and in the world.”