New managing partner at Nottingham law firm

Steve Smith has been appointed as the managing partner of Nottingham intellectual property law firm, Potter Clarkson.

The appointment follows Colin Baker’s five-year tenure in the role.

Smith joined the firm as a trainee patent attorney in 1998, working his way up to partner in 2007. He is a specialist in the protection and commercialisation of biotechnology inventions.

He was involved in the firm’s decision in 2016 to set up a team of specialist IP solicitors offering litigation and non-contentious IP services.

Smith said: “It is a real privilege to take on the management of the firm at such an exciting time. In recent years, we have delivered against our ambitious growth plans to create a genuinely pan-European, full-service IP practice. This has been a fantastic effort by everyone in the firm and I’m proud to lead the incredible team here at Potter Clarkson as we enter a new chapter in our history.

“With an established presence across Europe and a network of international IP attorneys, we are well-placed to support our clients with the full range of IP services anywhere in the world.”