Members of the WIPO Advisory Board of Judges for 2025-2027

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Prathiba M. SINGH

(Chair of the Advisory Board) Justice, High Court of Delhi, New Delhi, India

Justice Prathiba M. Singh was elevated as Permanent Judge of the High Court of Delhi in 2017. She was the Chairperson for the first IP Division, High Court of Delhi 2021-22 Session and was also its Presiding Judge. Justice Singh joined the Bar in 1991, regularly appearing before the Supreme Court of India, High Court of Delhi, IP Appellate Board, and Indian Patent Office. Her advisory work included streamlining the Copyright Office and patent examinations, and advising Parliamentary Committees on legislative amendments related to intellectual property. She is currently serving as the co-chair of the Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI in Health formed by the World Health Organization. Justice Singh authored India’s first comprehensive commentary on patent law, titled “Prathiba M. Singh on Patent Law”. Her honors include Managing IP’s Asia Women in Business Law Award and she was selected among the 50 most influential people in IP for 2021 and 2022. After obtaining her LL.B. from the University Law College, Bangalore, Justice Singh received her LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, where the Prathiba M. Singh Scholarship for LL.M. students was created in 2013.

Luis Antonio CAMARGO VERGARA

Judge, Third Superior court of Justice, First Judicial District, Panama City, Panama

Judge Luis Antonio Camargo Vergara currently serves in the Third Superior Court of Justice, specialized in competition and intellectual property. Judge Camargo Vergara is a Professor of Civil Law, Commercial Law, Civil Procedural Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Consumer Law. He has lectured and presented in more than 90 conferences at both national and international level, and he has authored books on intellectual property. Judge Camargo Vergara is a Member of the Commission of Intellectual Property and Copyright of the National Bar Association, as well as of the Inter-American Copyright Institute (IIDA). He is also a Professor of the Higher Institute of the Judiciary (ISJUP). Judge Camargo Vergara holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from the University of Panama; a Master’s degree in Private Law, with a specialization in Contracts and Damages (University of Panama); and a Doctorate in Law, with an emphasis on Civil Law (University of Panama).

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DU Weike

Deputy Chief Judge, THIRD CIVIL DIVISION, Supreme People’s Court, Beijing, China

Judge Du Weike has served on the Intellectual Property Rights Division (Third Civil Division) and the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of China since 2010, and in December 2023, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief Judge of the Intellectual Property Court of the SPC. Prior to his judicial appointment, he worked at the Board of Reexamination of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, handling patent administrative cases. Judge Du has rendered a number of landmark intellectual property cases in China and has published more than twenty articles on intellectual property law. Judge Du holds Bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Law from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, a Juris Master’s degree from Xiamen University, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Temple University, which he attended as a DuPont Scholar.

Zhanar DUISENOVA

Judge, Specialized Interdistrict Administrative Court of Astana, Kazakhstan

Judge Zhanar Mukhamedkaliyevna Duisenova was appointed as a judge of the Saryarka District Court of Astana in 2016. In 2021, she was appointed to the Specialized Interdistrict Administrative Court of Astana, where she continues to serve today. Her judicial work now focuses on administrative disputes, particularly cases involving governmental and administrative bodies. In addition to her judicial duties, she serves as the court’s media liaison judge, coordinating communications with the press and ensuring transparency and public trust in the judiciary.

Mohammad ELZEND

Vice President, Tanta High Court of Appeals;
Senior legal Counsellor, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Justice, Cairo, Egypt

Judge Mohammad ElZend possesses over two decades of experience in the Egyptian judiciary. He began his career as a Public Prosecutor and advanced to become a Vice President at the High Court of Appeals. As President of the Intellectual Property Chamber at the Cairo Economic Court, he specialized in adjudicating intellectual property disputes. At the Ministry of Justice, he has led legislative reforms—such as the Draft AI Law—and various judicial development projects. As Head of Training for the Economic Courts, he designed and implemented a range of capacity-building programs. Judge ElZend currently serves as a Senior Legal Counsellor at the International Cooperation Department and chairs the National Committee for Preventing and Combating Cybercrime. As an international expert, trainer, and speaker, he shares his expertise and frequently contributes to global conferences. Judge ElZend holds a Master’s degree in Cyber Law and Cybercrime Investigations.

Jean-Christophe GAYET

Presiding Judge, Third Section, Third Chamber, First Instance Court of Paris, France

Judge Jean-Christophe Gayet has been serving, since September 2022, as the Presiding Judge of the Third Section of the Third Chamber of the First Instance Paris Court, the only court in France specializing in intellectual property with exclusive jurisdiction over European Union trademarks and patents. Judge Gayet joined the bench in May 2005, starting out as a juvenile court judge and thereafter a family court judge. Between 2007 and 2019, he experienced most of the functions of a judge, and from September 2019 until August 2022, Judge Gayet served as president of the High Court of the city of Sens in the Burgundy region. Judge Gayet completed law studies at the University of Burgundy and later at the University of Paris Nanterre. He joined the French civil service in 1997 after passing a competitive examination.

Michael D. MANSON

Justice, Federal Court, Ottawa, Canada

Justice Michael D. Manson was appointed to the Federal Court of Canada in October 2012. He serves on the case management, education, clerk and executive committees of the Federal Court. Justice Manson was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1984 and the Bar of British Columbia in 1995. He practiced as an associate and partner in a large commercial law firm from 1984 to 2012. Justice Manson has also served as a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and of the Litigation Counsel of America; as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria; and as a registered Trademark and Patent Agent. Justice Manson studied at McGill University (BSc; Dip.Ed.) and the University of British Columbia (LL.B.). In 2012, he was recognized as Vancouver Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year (Best Lawyers), Preeminent IP Litigation Lawyer in British Columbia (Benchmark Canada) and Canadian Outstanding IP Practitioner (Managing Intellectual Property).

Savvas S. PAPASAVVAS

President, General Court of the European Union, Luxembourg

President Savvas S. Papasavvas was appointed as Judge at the General Court of the European Union in 2004. He was elected twice President of Chamber from 2010 to 2016 and served as its Vice-President (elected three times) from 2019 to 2026, when he was elected President. He is also a Member of the Administrative Committee of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Before his judicial appointment, President Papasavvas taught constitutional law and human rights at the University of Cyprus. He is also a founding member of the European Law Institute. President Papasavvas studied at the Law School of the University of Athens. He also holds a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in public law from the University of Paris II and a PhD in Law from the University of Aix-Marseille III.

Mustapher Mohamed SIYANI

Principal Judge, High Court of Tanzania, Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania

Judge Mustapher Mohamed Siyani has served as the Principal Judge of the High Court of Tanzania, Special Advisor to the Chief Justice, and Commissioner of the Judicial Service Commission since 2021. He joined the Judiciary of Tanzania as a career judicial officer in 2005, and was appointed a judge in 2018. Judge Siyani has also been a member of the Fair Competition Tribunal, where he handled fair competition appeals. In both roles, Judge Siyani presided over intellectual property claims. He holds an LL.B. and an LL.M. in Constitutional and Human Rights Law from the University of Dar es Salaam, as well as a PhD in Law from the University of Dodoma.

WOO Sungyop

Presiding Judge, Fourth Division, Intellectual Property High Court, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

Judge Woo Sungyop has been a High Court Judge on the Intellectual Property High Court of Korea since 2018. After his first appointment to the Incheon District Court in 2009, Judge Woo served on several other courts, including the Seoul Central District Court, the Daegu High Court and the Research Division of the Supreme Court of Korea. Judge Woo studied electrical engineering at Seoul National University from 1991 to 1992 and holds law degrees from Seoul National University (LL.B., 1999) and New York University School of Law (LL.M. in IP Law, 2008). He also completed PhD coursework on IP Law at Seoul National University. Judge Woo was a Visiting Scholar at Santa Clara University School of Law in the United States in 2015.