Sarah Dacre
Leicestershire’s newest niche commercial law practice has appointed a specialist Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer to further boost its expertise in this burgeoning sector.
Sarah Dacre (age 45) joins city-based Southall Hathaway & Co LLP as an Associate and is a leading Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and European Trade Mark and Design Attorney with some 20 years experience both domestically and internationally.
Her experience is both varied and exceptional and includes senior strategic management of Barclays Bank’s trade mark portfolio and associated foreign agents, plus as a trade mark advisor for global alcoholic beverage company Diageo, as well as IP Officer for the major international pharmacy-led health and beauty company Boots.
Sarah explains: “My career to date spans both the private sector and in-house, so I’m well versed in understanding corporate risk appetites, plus advising (and educating) top directors on maximising their business assets and the likes of co-branding and joint venture strategies, but especially brand protection and enforcement – including both clearance and registration.
“But now is the right time to get in at the start of something new, fresh and forward thinking, because Southall Hathaway & Co is that rare breed of niche practice that concentrates on what it’s good at and where it can make a real difference. I have a real and personal opportunity to input and contribute to the growth and direction of the company and further develop myself, as our close knit IP team aims much higher in this increasingly important/diverse area of law.”
The firm’s owner and managing partner, Stuart Southall (who is an IP litigation specialist himself and an Allied Member of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys), adds: “Sarah is a kindred spirit and I have no doubt her considerable knowledge, drive and determination can help make Southall Hathaway & Co a major player in Intellectual Property law. What she doesn’t know about the complexities and business worth of designs, copyright and trade mark security isn’t worth knowing – and her appointment greatly excites me.
“With the surge in technological advances, IP has never been more important – because apart from properly protecting your assets it maximises business opportunities and can also generate further and additional revenue streams. Trade Marks can also have exponential value, if used correctly, through licensing and franchising, plus being used as security for raising capital.”
Apart from Sarah and Stuart’s considerable IP expertise here in the UK, Southall Hathaway & Co can also – through its international partnerships network – litigate and defend matters in the various EU courts, plus the respective courts of Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Washington DC and the US Federal Courts.
