People: Clarion; Jones Myers; Unity; and more
Clarion has further strengthened its nine-strong team of dedicated IP specialists by bringing on board Ashton Craven-Lockwood and Wai Ling Wan.
Craven-Lockwood joins as an associate, having spent five years in-house with a major pharmaceutical company, initially as a paralegal on secondment from an international law firm, before going on to complete his training contact with the multi-national.
At Clarion he will support all areas of contentious and non-contentious IP matters, providing advice on national and international trade marks, copyright, designs and patents.
His work includes supporting the prosecution, enforcement and defence of IP rights as well as advising on a variety of contractual agreements.
Wan joins the team as a paralegal after attending Durham Law School.
She will assist with the management of trade mark portfolios nationally and internationally, as well as undertaking legal research and producing brand reviews.
Esther Kirwan, who heads the IP practice, said: “Increasingly, we’ve seen businesses, large and small, becoming more aware of the value of their IP assets; we help them to commercialise their IP to use as an income stream as well as preventing people from mis-using or misappropriating it.
“There’s been a marked uplift in demand for our design filing practice as clients seek to protect the shape of their products, and, fairly unusually, we can help through our dedicated design section.
“Our international trade mark prosecution practice goes from strength-to-strength. As well as supporting businesses here, we’ve also been working closely with our network of attorneys around the world to help our clients with their expansion plans overseas and have provided IP advice in over 75 countries from the US and Australia to Kiribati and Tanzania.”
Craven-Lockwood said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to join one of the leading IP practices in the region.
“As well as being able to learn from such experienced colleagues, Clarion’s approach of developing an in-depth understanding of the client’s business and their goals, chimed with my own.
“I am looking forward to working with a wide range of businesses, from SMEs to multi-nationals.”
Wan added: “I’m excited to be part of such a renowned IP team which is known to go above and beyond to ensure the best IP protection for its clients.”
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Jones Myers has appointed a senior family law specialist with almost four decades of expertise in relationship breakdown and financial settlements to head its Harrogate office.
Neil Dring, senior solicitor and consultant, joins the firm’s Financial Remedies Department, which is regularly instructed in multi-jurisdictional proceedings and cases involving complex corporate and offshore trust structures.
His track record in divorce and separation includes complex high net worth financial disputes and advocacy, along with both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.
Jones Myers, which set up offices in Harrogate in 2017, has recently moved to bigger town centre premises opposite the Magistrates Court in Victoria Avenue in line with client demand.
Dring said: “The firm’s ethos of seeking non-confrontational solutions to relationship breakdowns resonates with my approach and values, and I am looking forward to playing a key role in the practice’s continued expansion.”
Richard Peaker, managing partner who heads the Financial Remedies Department, added: “Neil is a highly respected and well-known family lawyer whose breadth and depth of experience highly complements our expertise and approach in delivering bespoke solutions for our clients.
“We warmly welcome him to the team as we continue to go from strength-to-strength in Yorkshire and beyond.”
The appointment coincides with the practice’s York team also moving to bigger city centre offices at Bootham Row to accommodate future growth.
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Sharon Jandu, managing director of the Northern Asian Power policy think tank, has been appointed chair of Unity Enterprise and a Board Member of Unity Housing Association.
Among other leadership positions, Jandu, a co-founder of Yorkshire Asian Business Association, also serves as the Federation of Small Businesses Area Leader in Yorkshire, the Humber and the North-East, and is a Confederation of British Industry Regional Council member for Yorkshire and the Humber.
Unity Enterprise and Unity Housing Association are part of the Unity Homes and Enterprise Group based in the Chapeltown area of Leeds.
Unity Housing Association was formed in 1987 to address the needs of black and minority ethnic communities in Leeds, and now manages over 1,350 properties for tenants from all communities and ethnic backgrounds.
Unity Enterprise was established in 2000 as a not-for-profit subsidiary company to support local entrepreneurial activity. It currently provides 142 affordable units for more than 80 diverse businesses across three centres in Leeds.
That number is set to increase next summer following the completion of a £1.8m Leeds Media Centre redevelopment scheme which will create 12 new units and a business hub.
Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise chief executive, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Sharon to Unity. She is a highly respected, dynamic leader with a wealth of experience gained in the private, public and third sectors.
“Sharon also has a deep appreciation of the issues affecting the communities we are privileged to work with every day.
“The revitalisation of these communities is not just about providing high quality affordable homes, but also stimulating social and economic regeneration, improving life opportunities and addressing inequalities within sustainable neighbourhoods.
“In her dual roles, Sharon will enable Unity to further advance these objectives.”
Jandu said: “I lived in Chapeltown for nearly 10 years, know the area well and how it feels to live in a challenged community.
“Unity has earned a reputation as one of the country’s most successful and forward-thinking housing associations, driven by its social purpose to fight inequality and empower BME people.
“Unity Enterprise is a key component of this work through its support for local businesses including initiatives to identify and develop local entrepreneurs. The upgrade of Leeds Media Centre will provide a major boost to these efforts and increase economic activity in Chapeltown and surrounding areas.”
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Blacks Solicitors is paving the way for music talent in the north of England with the appointment of a partner to head the new music law arm of the firm.
Pete Bott, who trained at Blacks Solicitors and then worked at boutique music firm Sound Advice (Legal) LLP in London, brings with him a decade of specialist experience in supporting successful musicians, writers, producers and other music talent, as well as independent record labels and managers.
His expertise spans the key areas of music law, including major and independent record label and publishing deals, music distribution, management, sync licensing and merchandise.
He said: “London has been well known as the centre of the UK’s music industry for years. The Covid pandemic and evolving technology have helped to change that and given musical talent the opportunity to really thrive outside of the capital.
“After seven years of honing my craft at specialist law firms in London, I felt that it was time to return home to Blacks Solicitors and Yorkshire to offer my support to northern talent in an area of the country where music law specialists are sadly few and far between.”
Bott aims to expand the music law side of the business and establish a team of home-grown legal talent that will support clients in a complex and challenging sector. He will also provide training to more junior team members and bring on additional senior level team members.
Beth Brindley, the first apprentice to qualify at Blacks Solicitors, will initially support him in client work as he looks to grow the team.
Chris Allen, managing partner, added: “Pete’s appointment provides Yorkshire’s growing base of exceptional creative and music talent with a credible alternative to London-centric professional advice.
“We will work closely to grow this new specialism available to clients, and lay the groundwork for a strong team of legal professionals that will give us the edge over our competitors.”
