search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Legal Protecting your brand


Businesses could risk losing ideas and designs created during the pandemic by not protecting their intellectual property, experts at Forresters have said. To help advise business owners,


manufacturers and designers, Forresters recently hosting a virtual event where attendees could find out how to prevent their intellectual property from being stolen, both in the UK and abroad. Emma Johnson, a partner at


Forresters and a specialist UK and European patent and trade mark attorney, led the seminar ‘Are your ideas and brands protected? Demystifying Patents and Trade Marks’, which was held as part of the Black Country Business Festival. She said that with so many new


businesses and products being created during the pandemic,


these new products have been Covid-19 related. “In today’s connected world, the


chance of ideas being stolen and replicated is much greater than ever before. “Without intellectual property


Emma Johnson: beware the loss of intellectual property


people needed to be aware of how easily their ideas can be stolen. She said: “We have seen an


increase in the number of people making enquiries about how they can protect their latest concepts and designs – and 60 per cent of


rights in place, businesses leave themselves open to rivals being able to replicate and sell the product or service at a lower price without incurring any research or development costs. “It’s not just products that can


be protected with patents, but also the way they are designed and manufactured. Rights may also be affected post Brexit, especially when it comes to selling overseas. “Ensuring that they have the


correct protection in place can be critical for a business and mean the difference between success and failure.”


Gateley Legal advises Besana group


Gateley Legal’s corporate, tax and private client teams have advised the shareholders of the historic Besana group on the sale of 51 per cent of the group to international food and beverage company, Importaco S.A. Founded in 1921, Naples-based Besana is highly


regarded in Europe for the marketing and production of nuts, dried fruit and seeds. Over the last century, the company has grown


consistently by expanding its product range, enlarging its geographic reach across continents and widening its customer base. The sale to Importaco, which exchanged in July


and completed in September, will further strengthen Besana’s international presence and specialisation as a manufacturer and supplier of high-quality food products, it is hoped.


Both family owned businesses, Besana and Importaco, will bring together more than a hundred years’ industry experience. Corporate partner at Gateley Legal corporate


partner Steven Raize led the transaction and said: “Having worked with Pino and Besana for a number of years we were really pleased to have advised the shareholders on this transaction and reach agreement on this merger notwithstanding the disruption caused by Covid-19. “This is an important strategic move for Besana –


integrating the skills, experience and knowledge of these two companies will really help to leverage their internationalisation, and we very much look forward to following their future success.”


Sector Focus


Promotions at law firm


The Birmingham office of law firm Shakespeare Martineau has made a number of internal promotions. Michael Young, Chris


Williams, Kerry Russell and Afreen Cole have all been promoted to legal director. Mr Young and Mr Williams


are both litigation and dispute resolution experts, and Ms Asleen specialises in intellectual property. Afreen Cole acts for a number of banks and corporate entities in the corporate team. Meanwhile, Gurjit Singh and


Matthew Jones have been promoted to associate, supporting the residential development and commercial property teams, respectively. The promotions are among


13 firm-wide, non-partner promotions. In addition, the Birmingham office has also seen changes in its family team. Helen Bowns, a partner with more than 20 years’ experience has taken on the role of head of family. Joining the growing family team is a new legal director, Prem Ahark. Jo Deffley, partner and


regional head in the West Midlands, said: “Unlocking the potential of our people is fundamental to our growth, promoting and recognising our internal talent is hugely important to us. “As a firm we’ve taken a


positive mind set during lockdown and used this as a unique opportunity to accelerate our growth plans.”


Mills & Reeve highlight what clients want


The use of technology should not be to the detriment of building genuine relationships, according to new research by law firm Mills & Reeve. The firm, which has an office in Birmingham,


has conducted research to find out what people will expect of law firms in the future. ‘Building resilience: what clients want from


their law firm’ contains the views of 88 key clients and contacts and has helped to shape Mills & Reeve’s new 2025 strategy. The research also found that clients believed


law firms would face greater levels of scrutiny during the next few years, and firms needed to be able to provide objective ways of evaluating their work and improving how they articulated the value of their offering. The interviews in the report were carried out


in the last quarter of 2019 but publication was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the firm believes the pandemic has merely


reinforced the key trends that have been identified. A poll carried out last month by Mills & Reeve


found clients were relatively optimistic for the future but concerns around Covid-19 had led to more uncertainty regarding Brexit. Fifty-seven per cent of the 93 respondents


said they were either concerned or very concerned about trade talks with other countries, for example. Following the publication of the research, Mills


& Reeve is rolling out a strategy which it says will help it focus on client needs and ensure a more tailored service. Their aim is to have 95 per cent of clients recommending Mills & Reeve as the firm to work with. Justin Ripman, senior partner at Mills & Reeve,


said: “If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that today is one thing but tomorrow is a whole different ball game. It is vital to keep looking ahead so we can be the law firm that


supports the complex and varied future aspirations of the people and businesses we work with.” “Although the survey carried out was


relatively small in terms of size, it is very rich in the insights it provides, which put simply is what clients really want from their law firms in 2025.” Steve Allen, head of Mills & Reeve’s Birmingham office and president of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: “This research really highlighted how fundamental relationships are and that having a strategic partner alongside you when making some of the toughest business decisions is essential. “We have been really encouraged in the


Birmingham office, throughout the pandemic, by the resilience shown to maintain these relationships and to find new ways to keep connected. We are prepared for the pace of constant change and will continue to work closely with our clients to help them through this.”


November 2020 CHAMBERLINK 61


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72