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Brown Rudnick hires Speechly’s European IP head into equivalent City role

Brown Rudnick has hired technology and intellectual property (IP) head Alex Carter-Silk from Speechly Bircham to lead its European IP practice in London.

The hire comes as the US firm aims to build its City technology and life sciences capabilities. Carter-Silk will work closely with Thomas Meyers, head of the firm’s global IP practice, and joins counsel Steven James in London to grow the European practice.

Carter-Silk headed Speechly’s innovation and IP department from 2006, becoming European IP only this month. He has experience of advising on licensing, sponsorship and franchising of IP rights, as well as the protection of copyright design rights and trademarks. He has also advised on advertising and marketing regulation and reputation management, including privacy and defamation. His clients include AIG, Beazley, Richemont, Gina Shoes, Elle Macpherson, WPL (Word Programming Limited) and CFC Underwriting Limited.

Brown Rudnick’s international litigation group head Neil Micklethwaite said: ‘Alex has a track record in building successful intellectual property and technology practices and is a litigation heavyweight, specialising in the resolution of complex, high-value, ‘bet-the-ranch’ disputes with particular expertise in the recovery of failing technology projects. His ideas, experience and drive will prove invaluable to his clients at Brown Rudnick.’

Carter-Silk added: ‘Brown Rudnick has been winning some of the toughest cases out there in recent years, building a global boutique with a reputation for top-quality senior advice. We have big ambitions for the European IP practice, with a number of strengths in complementary areas that we can use for leverage.’

Last year Brown Rudnick lost senior IP partner Georgie Collins – formerly head of IP at Lawrence Graham – to Irwin Mitchell.

Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk