Three new recruits have joined the team at Forresters’ Birmingham office as the company celebrates its 135th successful year in business.
Forresters is a leading firm of patent and trade mark attorneys, which can trace its history back to 1884 when Charles Ketley established the company in Birmingham. During that time it has grown to include more than 130 employees across its five offices in Britain and mainland Europe, including 16 partners.
Recently joining the team as trainee patent attorneys are Jonathan Foster, Ben Shepherd and Olivia Wang. Jonathan came to the firm after working as a financial software developer at a Belfast-based firm. Before that he studied for his masters in mechanical engineering at Queen’s University Belfast where he worked with the Queen’s Advanced Composites Research Group on his thesis, which focussed on nanocomposites.
“Working at Forresters has been an excellent experience,” he said. “Every day presents new, engaging challenges and the opportunity to witness cutting edge developments in technology. The team assembled here have supported my development every step of the way by sharing their expertise and insight into the field. I am looking forward to a rewarding career at Forresters as a patent attorney.”
Ben has been working on his PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Nottingham for the last four years. This involved developing a novel process to produce oil from woody biomass.
Ben said: “I was thrilled to join Forresters as they are a knowledgeable team and experts in their field. So far I have been exposed to a wealth of varying technologies and clients from all over the world. I am looking forward to applying the skills and knowledge gained through research in a new and exciting career, as well as training and learning from the team here at Forresters.”
Olivia recently graduated from Imperial College London where she was studying chemical with nuclear engineering. “My final year project was graphene production using a unique technique incorporating shear stress,” she said. “The process was later filed to be patented and that made me realise the potential of a career in patent law.
“I was very excited to start working as a trainee patent attorney at Forresters, I knew that I would be exposed to a wide variety of fascinating inventions and develop my knowledge in engineering further. So far I have received a lot of support from the fantastic team at Forresters, I am looking forward to learning more and improving as an attorney.”
Tim Ashton is a partner at Forresters and works closely with the team of trainees. “At Forresters we are proud of our strong roots in Birmingham and we are pleased to see that the team here continues to grow,” he said. “Over the last 18 years I’ve been fortunate enough to work for a firm that is dedicated to delivering clear, sensible and practical advice to clients across the world who are looking to protect their ideas. We are pleased to welcome our new team members who will carry on the work we do at Forresters, ensuring our clients have robust protection for their valuable business assets.”
