The Legal 500 > Clarion > Leeds, ENGLAND > Lawyer profiles

Clarion

ELIZABETH HOUSE, 13-19 QUEEN STREET, LEEDS, LS1 2TW, ENGLAND

Tel:: Work 0113 246 0622
Fax:: Fax 0113 246 7488
DX:: 26427 LEEDS PARK SQUARE

Email:

Web:: www.clarionsolicitors.com

Esther Kirwan

Tel:: Work 0113 336 3432
Email:

Profile
Lawyer Rankings

Work Department

Intellectual property.

Position

Partner; experienced in all areas of contentious and non-contentious IP, including patents, designs, trade marks, copyright and confidentiality. Acts for well known brands including Hard Rock Café. Has acted on leading Court of Appeal cases relating to patent entitlement. Manages global IP portfolios in over 50 countries.

Career

Trained at Eversheds; qualified 2000; associate 2004; Lupton Fawcett 2006-2010; joined Clarion as senior associate 2010; partner 2014.

Member

International Trade Marks Association.

Education

King James High School; University of Sheffield (1996 LLB Law 1st and 1998 LPC Distinction); University of Bristol (2001 PG Diploma in Intellectual Property Law).

Leisure

Korfball, tennis, skiing, travel.

Yorkshire and the Humber: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Within: Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Simon Young heads Clarion’s department, which includes IT and outsourcing specialist Dominic Higham, Roger Hutton, who handles pre-insolvency-related work; insolvency specialists Ryan Millmore and Alice Pratt, and Esther Kirwan, who focuses on IP disputes. David Williams joined the group from Walker Morris LLP and bolstered its international litigation offering; he has notable expertise in project and joint venture disputes in Africa particularly in the oil, pharmaceuticals, distribution, IT and telecoms sectors. Recent highlights for the practice include Higham acting for Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust in claims arising from a contract with Atos regarding the implementation and maintenance of a system critical to patient care, representing Wilton UK in a claim against Banks Group arising from a joint venture agreement for the development of a site near Durham, and acting for Caddick in litigation relating to a block of residential apartments in London Docklands including associated professional negligence claims against its former solicitors. Associate Kayleigh Fantoni joined from McCormicks in 2017.

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Yorkshire and the Humber: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Intellectual property

Within: Intellectual property

Clarion ‘stands out as having an organic, energetic and responsive culture and refreshingly informal approach that makes clients feel relaxed and cared for in the best possible way’. Practice head Esther Kirwan ‘has the ability to offer clear and pragmatic advice’, legal director Sue Streatfield is ‘level headed with good person-facing skills and a calm demeanour’, and associates Sarah Molloy and Jemma Green are ‘excellent communicators and clients feel comfortable with their guidance’. Recent work includes assisting Hard Rock International with its anti-counterfeiting efforts, advising Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies on IP licences, services agreements and collaboration agreements, and acting for DFS on asset purchases including trade marks, domain names, design rights and databases. Icelandic Seafood, Card Factory and Hermes Parcelnet are also clients.