Irwin Mitchell toasts trademark dispute fix with microbrew
LAW firm Irwin Mitchell has teamed up with microbrewery the Intrepid Brewing Company to produce the ultimate victory pint.
The Hope Valley brewery has produced a special edition IPA called ‘Trade Mark IPA’, a reference to the trademark dispute between Intrepid and a large national brewer which Irwin Mitchell helped the firm on the issue.
The beer will be made by some Irwin Mitchell volunteers at a brew day in August, and launched officially in September.
The partnership was the brainchild of Intrepid’s part owner and head brewer, Ben McIntyre, and Leeds-based Irwin Mitchell partner, Alex Newman, who specialises in the protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights (IPR)
They worked together on Intrepid’s trademark issue and together they decided to produce a special edition ale to mark a successful first year for Intrepid.
Alex Newman said: “Most of my working hours are spent advising on IPR, and I’m no stranger to IPA. Combining the two to celebrate Intrepid’s anniversary and draw attention to the value of IPR seemed like a perfect use of my time.”
“We wanted to work with Intrepid to help develop a high quality beer with character and body, and to get input from a number of our clients on what it should look and taste like. We have been busy finalising the ingredients with Intrepid, as well as the design of the branding, and can’t wait to go into production.”
Ben McIntyre from Intrepid said: “Irwin Mitchell has been advising Intrepid on branding issues as we recognise the importance of building and maintaining brand capital and distinctiveness in what is a very competitive market.
“We are delighted to partner with them as part of our anniversary celebrations; it’s a great opportunity to raise our profile and get our beer recognised amongst their business clients.”
An initial thirty two casks of Trade Mark IPA, equivalent to 2,304 pints will be produced over the coming months, with further batches to follow, and it will be available to all the pubs Intrepid supplies.
Once the beer is produced and bottled, Irwin Mitchell will be hosting launch events later in the year. It will also be making the beer available at other events with all proceeds going towards local charities the law firm supports.
