Chander Mahabir
Chander Mahabir is the Managing Partner of Sjiem Fat & Mahabir.
He joined Sjiem Fat & Mahabir Trademark Consultants N.V. in 2004 and became a partner in 2009. He was elected Managing Partner on 15 January 2015, serving the firm in Paramaribo, Suriname.
On 1 November 2016, following the transition of Sjiem Fat & Mahabir Trademark Consultants N.V., he co-founded Sjiem Fat & Mahabir Intellectual Property N.V. (Sjiem Fat & Mahabir) and has since served as Managing Partner of the successor entity.
He specializes in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, particularly trademark law, in Suriname and several Caribbean jurisdictions. Chander has extensive experience in trademark law, including advising on, registration, and renewal of trademarks. He assists a wide range of clients in this area, including both local and international clients, as well as companies operating in oil and gas, tobacco, software and hardware, apparel, cosmetics, industrial operations, shipping, pharmaceuticals, home and healthcare, food and beverage, and general retail sectors.
He advises clients on strategies for the protection of their trademark rights, including numerous Fortune 500 companies and leading international law firms.
Memberships
Chander is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and regularly attends its annual meetings. He is also a member of the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI) and the Intellectual Property Caribbean Association (IPCA).
Committee Memberships
Member, Publications Committee of the INTA (Country Guide of Suriname)
Vice Chair, Enforcement and Anti-Counterfeiting Committee of the IPCA
Previous INTA committees
Emerging Issues Committee: January 2024 – December 2025
Social Media Subcommittee: January 2024 – December 2025
Leadership Communications Subcommittee: January 2022 – December 2023
Leadership Development Committee: January 2022 – December 2023
Chander is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Time Media N.V., a Surinamese media company based in Paramaribo, which publishes the news website Suriname Herald.
Education
Chander graduated from the VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he obtained a master’s degree.
Languages
Dutch and English
Area of Practice
Intellectual Property
Publications
Contributor to the INTA Country Guide of Suriname, International Trademark Association (INTA), 2021.
Workbook political orientation, Democracy Unit, Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname, 2010.
Power balance between the executive and legislative branches of government, Parlementair, October 2005.
The political system of the United States, in de Ware Tijd, Kompas, February 2005.
