Declan Goodwin > Acuity Law > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Led by Cordelia Payne, who divides her time between the firm’s Cardiff and London offices, the ‘very knowledgeable and responsive‘ team at Acuity Law provides ‘proactive and solutions-driven advice’ to a private sector- focused client base on the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of their IPR. Much of Payne’s workload relates to contentious matters for retail clients, including on trade mark and passing off infringements, an area that, as well as UK-based work she also has expertise handling matters before the EUIPO. The arrival in January 2022 from Vistra Corporate Law of the ‘very knowledgeable and hardworking’ Declan Goodwin  strengthens the team’s ability to advise clients on the effective commercialisation of their IPR.

Now headed by Declan Goodwin , following his arrival in January 2022,  Acuity Law‘s commercial and technology team has deep and broad experience advising on standalone contractual tech matters, as well as on M&A in the sector. Goodwin is well-versed at advising both well-established IT/tech-based corporates, and fast-growing start-ups, across a range of contractual agreements and on data protection concerns. Rachelle Sellek is also recommended, particularly as it relates to the drafting of outsourcing and software agreements. In addition to traditional fee-earning work, clients can choose to access several membership services, with the firm’s recently launched Acuity Data Assist a particularly compelling product, offering as it does a tailored audit to highlight any gaps in clients’ data compliance processes and to identify the key risks faced.

Blending transactional strength with governance and commercial contracts prowess, Acuity Law provides an all-encompassing service to clients from a range of sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, technology, retail and education. Christian Farrow  is well-versed at advising on domestic and cross-border transactions, including M&A and joint venture (JV) structuring in the financial services and renewables sectors. In addition, he has been pivotal to the firm’s pioneering use of technology to assist clients, including the firm’s long-standing Acuity Counsel subscription service and the nascent Document Assist product which enables companies to easily produce high-quality legal documents themselves. Beverley Jones  co-heads the corporate side of the practice alongside Farrow, and as well as her M&A work in the healthcare sector, is also gaining traction among fund clients, including Warwick Capital for their investment activity. Jon Lawley has also developed a strong reputation within the healthcare space, most specifically as a result of his ongoing work for Portman Dental Care, the largest active acquirer of dental practices in the UK. As well as his work for university spin-out clients, Phil Pugh also handles commercial and transactional matters for technology and IT clients, an area of the practice which was strengthened at the beginning of 2022 by the arrival of Declan Goodwin  from Vistra Corporate Law (he  now heads up the commercial and technology sub-group). Senior associate Tom Saunderson continues to impress as a result of his private equity and early stage venture capital expertise, while at a more senior level, both Paul Lowe and firm chairman Stephen Berry  are key resources for clients as a result of their vast knowledgebase which has been developed over their many years in practice.