Mishcon hires Bird & Bird patent litigator
Mishcon de Reya has hired Helen Conlan as a partner in the firm’s new innovation department. Conlan, a patent litigator, was previously a partner in the IP litigation practice at Bird & Bird.
Her 17 years of IP litigation experience includes expertise in multi-jurisdictional patent litigation and trade secrets disputes.
Conlan has represented clients at all levels of patent proceedings in the UK and opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office.
She is also an officer of the IP and Entertainment Law Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA), with responsibility for the award of IBA scholarships.
“I’m delighted to be joining Mishcon de Reya and the newly-formed innovation department,” said Conlan.
“It’s a pleasure to be joining a team with a shared vision, drive and ambition that matches my own energy and commitment to the delivery of excellence in IP legal services. I am looking forward to building a new leading IP litigation practice for the London market.”
The firm also hired fintech and privacy partner Ashley Winton. Winton has more than 25 years of experience advising on matters relating to financial regulation, encryption and export control, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity.
“I am looking forward to building a new leading IP litigation practice for the London market.”
Helen Conlan
Mishcon de Reya’s new innovation department, which includes 20 partners and legal directors, and 27 managing associates and associates, brings together previously separate divisions under one umbrella.
It comprises three divisions: IP and competition; commercial contracts, data, tech and sport; and betting and gaming—practices that had previously been within the firm’s corporate and dispute resolution divisions.
Jeremy Hertzog, chair of the innovation division, said bringing the divisions together will help the firm to retain and attract talent and help clients “who will reap the benefits” of greater collaboration across the sectors.
“We are excited to welcome Helen and Ashley,” said Hertzog. “They both bring valuable expertise to the new department and are recognised for their extensive legal and regulatory knowledge, as well as ability to offer insightful strategic advice.”
EIP and Stobbs join forces in ‘specialised’ partnership
EIP and Stobbs have announced a new partnership to offer clients specialised patent and trademark protection services.
As part of the agreement, EIP will focus on providing high-value patent services and the UK-based asset management firm Stobbs will expand its trademark practice.
The collaborators’ website—Partnersh-ip.com—claims that the deal will create: “One firm focused on patents and the other on trademarks,” in order to meet the increasing need for specialisation of their customers.
Magnus Hallin, CEO at EIP, said: “This unique collaboration reflects the increasing need for specialism in the IP space, enabling each business to focus on what it’s best at, which will be beneficial to current and future clients.”
The agreement will mean that EIP continues to offer US trademark advice but shifts its European trademark services to Stobbs.
“This unique collaboration reflects the increasing need for specialism in the IP space.”
Magnus Hallin
Julius Stobbs, founder and principal at Stobbs, added: “We’re cut from the same cloth, in both taking a highly-entrepreneurial approach to IP in a sector that can often be very traditional and slow-moving. Together we will both be more than the sum of our parts.”
EIP is composed of patent attorneys and litigators operating out of six offices in three key constituencies—the UK, Germany and the US.
Stobbs offers asset management services out of offices in Cambridge, London and Munich.
Dehns merges with Germany’s KGP
Dehns has merged with German patent and trademark firm Kudlek Grunert & Partner (KGP).
The merger allows Dehns—one of the largest IP firms in Europe—to “significantly expand” its expertise and knowledge in several different technology and legal areas in which KGP specialises, as well as its German presence.
The merger allows Dehns to continue to provide trademark and design services before the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) as well as in the UK, according to a video announcing the merger posted by the firm.
The enlarged German team will focus on existing and new domestic German clients, providing KGP attorneys access to Dehns’ resources, knowledge and skills. The team will also serve global multinational clients, providing IP services across technology sectors.
Alex Piesold, senior partner at Dehns, said: “This significant development, along with our recent establishment of an office in Oslo, establishes Dehns firmly across Europe, in the UK, Germany and Norway.
“Our planning has been driven by the desire to continue to offer our clients, local and worldwide, a full IP service in Europe, and indeed expand that service. It gives me great pleasure that the discussions we have been having with our new colleagues have now come to fruition.”
“Our planning has been driven by the desire to continue to offer our clients, local and worldwide, a full IP service in Europe.”
Alex Piesold
Dehns and KGP have been sharing offices for more than 20 years and launched their first formal joint venture in 2013: Dehns Germany, launched with the key goal of expanding Dehns’ presence in the Asian market.
Thomas Kudlek, a founding partner of KGP, added: “This is all about meeting growing client requirements in the international context.
“Merging our firms will leverage the experience, depth and breadth of both firms, providing clients with increased access to constructive solutions. By coming together as one firm, we will be in a position to deliver outstanding value to our clients.”
Arent Fox welcomes back music IP team
Arent Fox has welcomed back two copyright partners into its New York offices—Ross Charap and Matthew Finkelstein.
Both lawyers worked at the Washington, DC-based law firm from 2010 to 2014 before leaving to join Akerman as partners in January 2015.
The duo’s focus is music IP, having bought and sold copyrighted works and royalty streams worth more than $750 million in their time together.
They have represented songwriters and artists across many genres, including The Rolling Stones, opera singer Jessye Norman, and Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg of “Wizard of Oz” fame.
They will be rejoining Arent Fox’s music IP team, which includes counsel Celeste Moy and associate Jackie Robinson.
Ricardo Fischer, trademark and copyright practice leader said: “We are delighted to have Ross and Matt back as part of the Arent Fox family. Music and entertainment are critically important to the national and global economies.
Ross Charap
“Ross and Matt’s decades of experience in these industries will benefit our clients on a wide range of matters involving all manner of copyrighted works.”
The team represents national and international independent music publishers for many purposes, including the acquisition of music publishing catalogues and related royalty streams.
As well as their music focus, the duo represent non-music clients in the technology, film, digital media and book publishing markets.
Charap said: “We welcome the opportunity to help to fulfil the vision of Tony Lupo, Cristina Carvalho, and Ricardo Fischer, all outstanding IP professionals.
“Conventional wisdom teaches that you can’t go home again. In Matt’s and my case, happily, that has proven to be untrue.”
