FICPI’s Practice Management Committee, known as PMC, focuses on critical topics for managing an intellectual property firm – such as ensuring the finances are healthy and profitable, staff are motivated and feeling well, and the technology used to drive the firm is optimal.
This fast-growing and exciting committee of independent IP attorneys has grown by 25% over the last 12 months, now with a landmark 100 members actively involved.
The PMC focuses on how intellectual property attorneys do business in IP firms or as sole practitioners. It complements the work carried out by FICPI’s Study and Work Committee (the CET), which looks at the laws and IP Office practices that we deal with daily.
PMC President, Anne Lévy, explains,
“We welcome a steady stream of new members who discover our work through FICPI Open Fora or Congresses, FICPI Executive Committee meetings, the surveys we regularly circulate to the FICPI membership or via FICPI’s regular communications such as the FICPI News or on LinkedIn.”
At the 2025 World Congress in Naples, the committee ran one plenary session, on the essential topic of business development, where a small, medium and large firm were invited to discuss their strategies and tips.
Three breakout sessions from PMC explored conflicts of interest in IP firms, the unique pressures faced by IP attorneys and their impact on mental health, and communication as the key to successful change management.
PMC also organised two technical workshops for the Congress. In the first, speakers dived into the details of IP litigation insurance. The second workshop focused on automation of workflows, and speakers presented the results of the latest PMC survey on this topic. The results of the workshops feed into Practice Management Committee’s work over the coming year and may contribute to FICPI resolutions in the future.
Delegates can view the presentations and hear the audio at: https://vimeo.com/showcase/11963386 (password protected, please ask [email protected] if a reminder is required).
The technical sessions were complemented by a very popular PMC soirée, offering newcomers the opportunity to find out more about the working parties and to meet existing PMC members.
The committee’s ongoing work is organised into five major sub-groups within the PMC where 15-20 people meet monthly online to discuss topics around firm finance, HR, technology, business development & marketing, and governance. We hope for more in the future.
PMC also holds regular Zoom calls to advance its work and hone topics they are working on. This year, major focal points include conflicts of interest, IP firms’ business models, and technology issues.
Anne adds,
“Since I became president over 3 years ago, we have stepped up our activity in carrying out surveys, producing guidance notes, and best practice papers, and drafting articles. We have also created the “PMC portal” on the FICPI website. Here you can also find technology recommendations, book reviews, podcast suggestions, and more.”
If you are a FICPI member interested in getting involved in the work of the Practice Management Committee, find out more at: https://ficpi.org/organisation/committees/practice-management-committee
Alternatively, feel free to reach out directly to President, Anne Lévy, [email protected] or get in touch with PMC’s Vice-Presidents, Sini-Maaria Mikkila or Vikrant Rana on [email protected]
