Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has abandoned its trade mark licensing and disputes work with the former trademark team, including intellectual property head (IP) Simon Clark, moving to London firm Bristows.
The nine-strong team led by Clark includes director Ian Gruselle, six fee-earners and a secretary. Clark will join Bristows as partner along with Gruselle.
The move is set to happen at the end of the financial year (30th April), following a strategic review of the “core sectors” of BLP.
A BLP spokesperson said: “Having conducted a review last year, we identified that trade mark licensing and disputes is not a central issue for clients in our core sectors and therefore it has been difficult for the team to realise its full potential at BLP.
“Simon Clark and Ian Gruselle have been great colleagues and we hope to continue to work with them closely in the future.”
The firm will continue to do IP transactional work, which will be run out of the commercial team, The Lawyer understands. The departures follow the recent addition of Kate Brimsted as head of the firms data and cyber security practice, who worked previously at Reed Smith.
Joint managing partners Marek Petecki and Theo Savvides, who also heads up the copyright and digital disputes practice, csaid: “Simon brings over twenty years of IP litigation experience and will add to our significant bench strength across brands, designs, copyright and digital disputes.
“Ian will join us as our first trade mark attorney partner at the head of a combined team of eight trademark attorneys, which will enhance Bristows’ market leading brand management practice, providing a complete one-stop shop for brand protection from conception and protection to enforcement.”
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) was recently appointed to Heathrow Airport’s new panel to advise on the development of its third runway along with Pinsent Masons.
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