We are delighted to announce this year’s Partner and Counsel promotions.
Ben Scarfield, Jessica Smart and James Snaith are promoted to Partner.
Daniel Jarrett, Julia Venner, Nora Fowler, Ben Heller and Duncan Bull are promoted to Counsel.
This is the biggest group of promotions we’ve seen in recent years and we’re confident that this group of talented colleagues will lead the next generation of Kilburn & Strode to help us achieve our vision of being the top European IP firm.
These promotions strengthen not only our capabilities in Life Sciences, Chemistry, Tech and Trade Marks, but our business as a whole. They also help us achieve our goal of investing in the development of all our people and recognising their expertise and commitment through career progression.
Nick Lee, Head of Life Sciences & Chemistry
I’m absolutely thrilled with the richly-deserved promotion of these talented colleagues into more senior roles.
Jessica Smart’s promotion reflects the high esteem in which she is held by both clients and colleagues for her technical and legal knowledge coupled with her pragmatic and commercial approach to problem solving. Her promotion strengthens the firm’s offering in terms of high performance and industrial chemicals, and increases the depth of expertise in the firm in terms of contentious proceedings before the EPO’s opposition divisions and Boards of Appeal.
James Snaith works out of our San Francisco liaison office and has built a practice focussing on pharmaceuticals, materials and chemical processing. His promotion recognises his hard work and contribution, both to his clients and to life at Kilburn & Strode. We’re excited about the energy he’ll bring to the partnership.
Ben Heller has a key role in the firm's pharmaceutical chemistry practice. He has established himself as a legal guru, providing fantastic advice to his clients. We are delighted this is recognised with his promotion to counsel.
Duncan Bull’s practice, encompassing gene therapies, biologics, vaccines and diagnostics goes from strength to strength. His clients love his commercially focussed, pragmatic and friendly approach.
The promotion of these future leaders strengthens our capability to provide high-quality advice to our Life Sciences and Chemistry clients. We’re so excited to see them take the team forward in the coming years.
Gareth Fennell, Head of Tech
I’m delighted that Julia and Daniel are being promoted to Counsel. Both are exceptional attorneys with a client-focussed approach.
Julia Venner’s expertise lies in patenting cross-over technology, especially in the medical field. Her background in biological sciences and extensive experience handling software and mechanical inventions makes her uniquely placed to do this work.
Daniel Jarrett has a penchant for everything high-tech, from software to telecoms to audio engineering, and is skilled in handling detailed technical work but also in giving clear and pragmatic advice. It’s exciting to have such talent and experience in the team.
Iain Stewart, Head of Trade Marks
I am so pleased to announce that Ben Scarfield is being promoted to salaried partner and Nora Fowler is being promoted to counsel.
Ben Scarfield, who has spent his entire career here, is an exceptionally talented trademark attorney. He is highly commercially aware, financially savvy, and clients love working with him. He demonstrates the gift of leadership in the team and provides great training and support throughout. Ben is particularly interested in ensuring that we work across the different disciplines and his work with James Snaith in relation to cannabis is an excellent example of the same.
Nora Fowler, who only joined us a couple of years ago, has proved to be an enormous resource and source of expertise. She is particularly talented with matters involving analysis, arguments and evidence, particularly in contentious matters. As some people may know, she is also a keen swimmer, and she brings the same sense of dedication, strength of purpose and enthusiasm to work.
About Kilburn & Strode
Kilburn & Strode is a top-tier European intellectual property firm that protects value for some of the world’s most innovative organisations.
Everyone matters
For more than 100 years, we have been trusted to provide strategic IP advice and navigate the complex world of IP for an impressive roster of clients of all sizes, including leading brands and some of the world’s most impressive innovators.
Whether obtaining protection, clearing the path or defending key technologies, we offer a unique combination of experience, technical expertise and, most importantly, an approach that makes us a true extension of our clients’ teams. We have technical, legal and commercial nous second to none and we combine this with an attitude that makes working together easy. Many firms have competent patent and trade mark attorneys, but we distinguish ourselves by our complete focus on building deep relationships.
Our commitment
Fiercely committed to diversity and social responsibility, we created the Innovation for All Foundation, which donates 1% of our annual profits to assist charities delivering projects on our theme of “Innovation for Good.” We were one of the first signatories of the IP Inclusive Charter, making a public commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the IP professions.
Kilburn & Strode is one of just a handful of leading IP firms in Europe ranked in the top tier for both trade mark and patent prosecution in each of the Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Managing IP, IAM Patent, and the World Trademark Review listings.
With offices in London (HQ), Eindhoven, Hilversum, The Hague, Rotterdam, Munich, and a liaison office in San Francisco, we’re the only firm to connect these centres for European IP with the pulse of the Silicon Valley.
For more information, visit www.kilburnstrode.com.
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