January 8th, 2020
WIPO PANELISTS SEEM TO BE SOMEWHAT MORE FRIENDLY TO DOMAIN INVESTORS

As a public service for domain investors, every 6 months we report which WIPO panelists have denied more Complaints and thus have allowed domain investors to maintain their domains in which, more often than not, heavy investments have paid dividends.  Though fewer panelists (67) have denied complaints in 2019 than in 2018, (73), 14 of them found Reverse domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) as opposed to 11 last year.

Our analysis consists of 3 lists that we have compiled for your use. The first list is the TOP 10 Panelists for the past 6 months. The second list is the TOP Panelists for the past 12 months. The third list is the TOP 10 ALL TIME PANELISTS at WIPO. Within the next few weeks, we will also be publishing a list of panelists who always (or almost always) find for the Complainant.

THE WIPO TOP 10 PANELISTS FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS OF 2019

1. W.SCOTT BLACKMER (9 Decisions – 2 RDNH)
2. JOHN SWINSON (8 Decisions)
3. ROBERT BADGELY (7 Decisions)
4. NICK GARDNER (7 Decisions – 3 RDNH)
5. ADAM TAYLOR (6 Decisions)
6. ANDREW LOTHIAN (6 Decisions – 1 RDNH)
7. WILSON JABUR (5 Decisions)
8. CHRISTOPHER PIBUS (5 Decisions – 1 RDNH)
9. WARWICK ROTHNIE (4 Decisions)
10. ASSEN ALEXIEV (4 Decisions)
11. HON. NEIL BROWN (4 Decisions – 1 RDNH)
12. RICHARD VAN OERLE (4 Decisions)
13. GEORGES NAHITCHEVANSKY (4 Decisions)
14. MATTHEW KENNEDY (4 Decisions – 2 RDNH)
15. REYES ESTABARANZ (4 Decisions)

THE WIPO TOP 10 PANELISTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 12/31/2019

    1.  HON. NEIL BROWN (18 Decisions – 6 RDNH)
2.  W. SCOTT BLACKMER (16 Decisions – 5 RDNH)
3. NICK GARDNER ( 15 Decisions – 6 RDNH)
4.  ADAM TAYLOR (13 Decisions – 3 RDNH)
5.  ROBERT BADGELY (12 Decisions)
6.  WARWICK ROTHNIE (10 Decisions)
7.  JOHN SWINSON (10 Decisions)
8.  GEORGES NAHITCHEVANSKY (9 Decisions – 1 RDNH)
9.  LUCA BARBERO (8 Decisions – 2 RDNH)
10.  CHRISTOPHER PIBUS (8 Decisions – 2 RDNH)

In addition, WILSON JABUR (7+1), ANDREW LOTHIAN (6+2), ASSEN ALEXIEV (6+1), FREDERICK ABBOTT (6), MATTHEW KENNEDY (5+2), RICHARD VAN OERLE (5) and REYES ESTABARANZ (4) deserve Honorable Mention.

TOP 10 ALL-TIME WIPO PANELISTS

    1.  HON. NEIL BROWN – 126 DECISIONS

2.  TONY WILLOUGHBY – 82 Decisions

3.  JOHN SWINSON – 80 Decisions

4.  WARWICK ROTHNIE – 70 Decisions

5.  RICHARD LYON – 67 Decisions

6.  ROBERT BADGELY – 65 Decisions

7.  LUCA BARBERO – 60 Decisions

8.  ANDREW LOTHIAN – 49 Decisions

9.  ALISTAIR PAYNE – 48 Decisions

10.  W. SCOTT BLACKMER – 44 Decisions

In addition, the following just missed our list of the Top 10:  FREDERICK ABBOTT – 43, ADAM TAYLOR – 38, NICK GARDNER – 36, BRIGETTE JOPPICH – 33, WILLIAM TOWNS – 33, CHRISTOPHER PIBUS – 28, GEORGES NAHITCHEVANSKY – 19, ASSEN ALEXIEV – 16.

I hope that domain investors and attorneys find this article useful.

Howard Neu, Esq.