Dear all: I confirm that Ms. Heather Forrest will be pleased to serve as the Co-Chair of the Cross Community Working Group on Country and Territory Names. For your convenience and consideration, here are her expression of interest and her qualifications. I am pleased to have this opportunity to send you the following statement of my qualifications in relation to the position of co-chair of the Working Group on Country and Territory Names. I am a legal academic, currently serving as Deputy Dean of Law at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia. I am a member of the IPC and have actively contributed to the constituency since joining at the Seoul meeting in October, 2009. I have attended 10 ICANN meetings; I represented the IPC in the inaugural ICANN Academy Leadership Training in Buenos Aires. When the ICANN Board voted in June, 2008 to launch a new expansion process, I commenced a doctoral thesis on the protection offered by international law and ICANN DNS policy of geographic names. My project was undertaken at the Institute for International and European Economic Law of the University of Berne, Switzerland, where I had the opportunity to work closely with WIPO and other international materials and national and international law-making participants. My thesis was awarded highest honours, summa cum laude, in April, 2012 and it was published in 2013 by Wolters Kluwer as a book entitled Protection of Geographic Names in International Law and Domain Name System Policy. Reviews of the book are available online. The book has been nominated, and is currently being assessed, for a Swiss national research prize in law, the Walther Hug Foundation Prize. I have additionally published articles on various aspects of geographic name protection and ICANN policy-making in refereed academic journals. I have been invited by the International Trademark Association to chair a panel on the issue of geographic name protection later this year. From August 2011 to August 2012, I was employed as a senior consultant by a well-known technical back-end provider. In this role I advised several geographic new gTLD applicants; this experience provided me with the unique opportunity to put policy into practice and understand its feasibility in registry operations. I was appointed by the GNSO Council to the ccNSO Study Group on Country and Territory Names. I attended all meetings and worked collegially with SG members and supporting ICANN staff. My significant comments and contributions to the SG's Draft and Final Reports are evidenced in transcripts of SG meetings and in my updates to the IPC list. I was invited to advise on the drafting of the WG charter, which I support. I would be honoured to serve as co-chair of the WG if the GNSO Council approves of my doing so. I look forward to your feedback, and toward the prompt appointment of a Co-Chair for this CCWG. Thank you, Brian Brian J. Winterfeldt Head of Internet Practice Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP 2900 K Street NW, North Tower - Suite 200 / Washington, DC 20007-5118 p / (202) 625-3562 f / (202) 339-8244 brian.winterfeldt@kattenlaw.com<mailto:brian.winterfeldt@kattenlaw.com> / www.kattenlaw.com<http://www.kattenlaw.com/> =========================================================== CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: Pursuant to Regulations Governing Practice Before the Internal Revenue Service, any tax advice contained herein is not intended or written to be used and cannot be used by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. =========================================================== CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any attached files contain information intended for the exclusive use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain information that is proprietary, privileged, confidential and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any viewing, copying, disclosure or distribution of this information may be subject to legal restriction or sanction. Please notify the sender, by electronic mail or telephone, of any unintended recipients and delete the original message without making any copies. =========================================================== NOTIFICATION: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is an Illinois limited liability partnership that has elected to be governed by the Illinois Uniform Partnership Act (1997). ===========================================================