Three Questions for Juliet Alcoba
INTA opened registration for its first Professional Certificate Program—Finance for Non-Finance Professionals on April 5. In this interview, Juliet Alcoba (Alcoba Law Group, USA) shares her experience:
As an intellectual property (IP) professional, what did you find most beneficial about taking the course?
Some of the topics I had never been exposed to or have not been responsible for in my day-to-day practice. The course highlighted the duty we have to continue learning to stay ahead and navigate the ever-changing IP landscape.
By connecting and creating relationships with other brand professionals who may be strong where we may be weak, collectively, we can connect the dots to further develop the business interests of our clients. As Albert Einstein said, “I don’t need to know everything, I just need to know where to find it, when I need it.” With this famous quote in mind, I anticipate spotting more tax, valuation, and licensing issues in the near future which can only benefit my clients, because I will be able to plan more effectively and mitigate risks while managing their IP portfolios, domestically and abroad.
What are your top tips for students taking the course?
There will be some chapters you enjoy more than others. If you are like me, and have zero experience with Microsoft Excel, you will likely need to read and reread the supplemental materials to be able to complete the practice exercises.
I strongly recommend downloading the materials for each chapter and skimming them before watching the videos. The videos cannot be sped up or slowed down. We as lawyers have a tendency to multitask, and it is very likely that we may have trouble accepting that some chapters will require our complete attention. If you put the time in and review the step-by-step instructions provided in the supplemental materials, you should be able to complete the exercises. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Do you feel more confident in your financial skills after taking the course, and would you recommend the Program to your fellow brand professionals?
Absolutely—on both counts! I am more confident and comfortable having conversations with brand valuation experts and tax consultants regarding the strengths and weaknesses in an existing/developing portfolio. This course will allow me—and I’m sure others—to create a checklist and even a pros and cons list for clients interested in selling their companies and IP portfolios. The materials also identified the nuances involved in exercising due diligence for our clients. I benefitted tremendously by being exposed to these different topics, which laid out the “bare minimum” considerations involved in a sale, merger, and acquisition of an IP portfolio.
Learn more and register for the Finance for Non-Financial Professionals Certificate Program
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