Founded in Yaoundé in 1978

The firm

Founded in 1978 by Jacqueline Ekémé, Ekémé Lysaght assists professionals and companies of every size in obtaining industrial property titles, keeping them in force, recording changes during their life, and defending the rights they confer.

The firm acts across all seventeen member States of the African Intellectual Property Organization, whose headquarters is in Yaoundé, and beyond that territory when the matter requires it.

An exclusive partnership with Lysaght & Co, an international IP firm in Jersey, supports files that sit between developing-country practice and foreign instructions.

Why this firm

Staff trained on the OAPI system The industrial-property counsel title and attorney accreditation are not informal. The team knows the Organisation’s deadlines, fees and objections.
A network of advocates and experts Before the courts, the attorney works with counsel. We build the technical file; litigation is conducted jointly.
A working relationship with OAPI The Organisation sits in Yaoundé. Proximity is not a slogan: it is where titles are granted.

Values

Humility The file belongs to the owner. We explain the options, including the option not to file.
Respect For the Organisation’s time limits, for correspondents, and for creators whose rights are still poorly understood.
Transparency A fee schedule, OAPI official fees kept distinct from professional fees, and an account of the mandate.
Rigour Instructions are checked before any official fee is paid. A missed deadline cannot be wished away.
Teamwork Filing, data entry, liaison, disputes: a title moves through several hands. No one works a docket alone.
Performance Obtain the title, keep it in force, defend it. Everything else is noise.