IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Approximately 65 staff from Bowman Gilfillan have moved to Adams & Adams, the entire IP department, including lawyers and support personnel (not admin staff). Honey underlines that the split is more than amicable. “We expect work to come from Bowman Gilfillan,” he says. “We’ve been together 13 years, and there are many relationships throughout the firm.”
Tanziani confirms that impression: “We do have an understanding that we will be preferred IP service provider for Bowman, though that’s not exclusive.” He points to the “specialist attention” that Adams & Adams can provide to IP clients. “Te synergies will help us to expand,” he adds. “Te whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Te breakdown of the merged firm demonstrates an enviable array of skills. It will have 33 trademarks partners and 27 associates, 16 patent partners and eight senior associates, with three more about to qualify. Te firm will cover all aspects of IP practice, as well as design law and competition.
Tanziani, who has 25 years’ background in pharmaceutical patent work, will continue to chair the firm, and concedes that the concurrent expansion in Tanzania and Burundi is “not entirely a coincidence”. Bowman Gilfillan has an existing Africa practice, and Adams & Adams has a wide network of associates in Africa and beyond with which it works closely on non-South African matters.
“Clients are seeing the economic growth rates in Africa, and that means there’s increased demand for services,” he says. “We can offer our clients better service into Africa. It’s becoming more
“WE CAN OFFER OUR CLIENTS BETTER SERVICE INTO AFRICA. IT’S BECOMING MORE COMPETITIVE, ESPECIALLY AS THE ‘MAGIC CIRCLE’ FIRMS MOVE HERE, BUT THEY WILL ALSO NEED IP EXPERTISE IN AFRICA.”
competitive, especially as the ‘magic circle’ firms move here, but they will also need IP expertise in Africa. We have that infrastructure.”
Tese new openings follow an agreement that the IP practice of law firm Mkono & Co will now operate as the Tanzanian and Burundi IP offices of Adams & Adams. Mkono & Co has worked closely with Adams & Adams in previous years.
Tanziani adds that while there is still large variation in the calibre and type of IP laws across Africa, many countries have changed, or are in the process of changing, their IP laws to be more advanced than the colonial systems they replace. “We’re in the process of compiling a handbook of IP laws in Africa,” he says. “Tere’s a real drive to
22 World Intellectual Property Review March/April 2012
beef up the laws as we are seeing more investment in Africa and more technology transfer. And then there’s the aspect of having effective systems to protect home-grown IP, which is on the increase.”
Honey also makes the point that South Africa is oſten used as a launch pad for expansion into Africa, and given that IP is one of the big drivers of expansion, it makes sense to offer a strong IP service. “If companies want to invest in Africa, they oſten look at South Africa first, as a springboard,” he says. “Te next step is oſten a distribution or similar arrangement. Very oſten the protection of the IP leads.”
Starting operations even further afield, ie, outside the continent, is not on the agenda for now, but Tanziani says that it isn’t being ruled out. “In terms of doing work in South Africa that is utilised in other countries, we do that already for local clients. But in terms of establishing presences outside Africa, we’re watching carefully what firms elsewhere are doing.”
For now, though, Honey and Tanziani are enthusiastic about the present challenge. “It’s a very exciting development,” says Honey, “in the sense that it clearly puts Adams & Adams as the premier IP firm in Africa, and provides an opportunity to expand in Africa and South Africa.”
Tanziani adds: “I’m thrilled to see the firm grow— this is a unique opportunity for both operations to grow into very significant practices locally and globally. It’s very hard to develop market share in this climate, so this is a great development.” n
www.worldipreview.com
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