SECTOR FOCUS: LEGAL


Law firm assists new academy


Birmingham law firm Mills & Reeve has advised Aston University on various legal issues surrounding its new £16 million university technical college in Birmingham. It is the first university led and


sponsored engineering academy to be created for 14 – 19 year olds, and Mills & Reeve advised on its creation and other issues, mainly to do with property. Stuart Pemble, head of the firm’s academies team, said: “This project builds on our existing relationship with Aston University and once again involved the expertise of our dedicated academies and university technical colleges team.”


Tangled web of names A


Birmingham law firm says that there has been a dramatic increase in website name disputes, and warns businesses to


beware of the pitfalls. Irwin Mitchell says that new figures from research


body Sweet & Maxwell revealed that the World Intellectual Property Organisation has adjudicated on 2,944 disputes related to domain names in the 12 months to July 2012, a six per cent rise from the previous year. Most of these disputes have arisen when an


organisation seeks to gain control of a web address containing its trade mark which has already been registered by either a competitor or a so-called ‘cyber- squatter’. According to Mark Neale, who specialises in


commercial and technology issues at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, the increase in disputes is linked to two main issues. He said: “Firstly, the internet is becoming ever more important for many businesses, as the level of e- commerce sales continues to rise and the need for online promotion becomes ever more important. “Having the right domain names plays a key role in ensuring that your target audience is finding its way to your website and not that of your competitors.


‘Having the right domain names plays a key role in ensuring that your target audience is finding its way to your website’


“Secondly, the release of a growing number of top-


level domain names has undoubtedly had a significant impact. Most internet users are quite used to the long established ‘.com’, ‘.info’, ‘.net’ and ‘.org’ top level domains, as well as the country specific ones like ‘.co.uk’. However, there are many less commonly seen top level domains which are now available for certain activities. “For example, ‘.travel’ is now available for those


operating within the travel industry and ‘.pro’ for certain professions.”


On your bike: some of the Pinsent Masons charity cyclists


Paris office opens as riders saddle up


Birmingham law firm Pinsent Masons is continuing its drive to embrace the continent by opening an office in Paris. The new office will be the second in mainland Europe that the firm has opened in the last three months, the other being in the German city of Munich. The Paris office will be staffed by a nine partner team and will offer a full


range of legal services. Dr Christoph Maurer, who will head up the new office said: "All of the


founding partners of the new office are excited to be joining Pinsent Masons. By being part of an integrated international firm, we are able to


42 CHAMBERLINK OCTOBER 2012


provide our clients with a wealth of marketing leading advice and support in France, Europe and worldwide." • A group of cyclists from Pinsent Masons have ridden more than 600 miles between the firm’s eight UK offices to raise cash for charity. Riders from the Birmingham office were supporting Cure Leukaemia


which raises vital funds for blood cancer patients in the region. Pinsent Masons' Birmingham office head Greg Lowson said: "It is an


excellent way to raise money and show support for a number of charities who undertake extremely valuable work."


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