João Miranda de Sousa is dual qualified lawyer both in Spain and in Portugal. He is Partner in Charge of the Portuguese legal practice, with offices in Lisbon and Porto and Head of Garrigues’ Iberian Intellectual Property practice. Before joining Garrigues in 2008, João Miranda de Sousa developed a career at the European Trademark & Design Office (OHIM) for more than twelve years. He joined OHIM in 1995, just at the beginning of this European Organism. He worked as responsible for its Litigation Department filing contentious proceedings before the European Justice Court. In 2002 he became Director of the President’s cabinet of OHMI. Between 2002 and 2008 he was Director of General Affairs and External Relations of OHIM, where he coordinated the relations between the Office and counterparts in other countries as well as with other EU institutions, the press, the business community and the IP professionals in general. In recognition of his work at the OHIM and in favor of the trademarks in Europe, he received the Business Outstanding Achievement Award at the MIP Awards, the annual event organized by the prestigious British publication, Managing Intellectual Property (MIP). João Miranda de Sousa began his professional career in the heart of the EU in 1991, when he joined the European Investment Bank (Luxembourg) as a Senior Lawyer. Before that, between 1984 and 1991 João Miranda de Sousa was assistant lecturer in Administrative Law and Economic and Market Law at the Universidad Católica Portuguesa (Oporto).

Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Universidad Católica Portuguesa officially approve in Spain by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. Postgraduate Studies in Public Law and an Executive MBA in ESADE Business School.

Speaker in several seminar and conferences of the Law Firm and a lot of organizations and associations specialized in IP (INTA, ECTA, IPO, MARQUES, APRAM, COAPI).