With over 20 years’ experience as a chartered trade mark lawyer, Melanie specialises in trade mark and design protection and enforcement, as well as dispute resolution, brand registration, IP strategy and IP litigation.
Before joining Birketts, Melanie was a Copenacre indentured apprentice with the Ministry of Defence working on engineering projects with the armed forces and NATO. It was whilst working on collaborative engineering projects that Melanie became interested in the ownership of rights.
Over the course of her career, Melanie has provided clients with strategic advice on developing IP portfolios, as well as offering legal advice regarding IP-related contractual matters. She is skilled in the negotiation, drafting and review of contracts, including license, co-operation and co-existence agreements.
Melanie has a great deal of experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters and has advised a wide range of clients, both in the UK and internationally, including start-ups, small businesses and international corporations.
She is accredited to appear before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in both trademark and design matters. She has audience rights before the UK's dedicated IP court and the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) and is a member of several key IP Professional bodies including CITMA, ECTA, INTA and AIPPI.
Having previously chaired the Europe and Central Asia subcommittee of the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Non-Traditional Marks Committee, Melanie remains active within INTA, working with their Trademark Office and Practices Committee to provide up-to-date practice knowledge.
James Austin, Partner, said of Melanie’s appointment “We are delighted to have a brand identity protection specialist like Melanie join the team. This vitally important aspect of commercial law is often overlooked yet it plays a key role in the success of any business and Melanie’s broad experience in this area will be a huge asset to the team and to Birketts as a whole. I feel confident that Melanie’s depth of knowledge, extensive skillset and expertise will see her fit very well in to the firm.”
Melanie said of her appointment “I am very excited to join a firm like Birketts with an impressive reputation for high quality client service as well as a forward thinking outlook. I feel that my extensive experience across a range of practices, will strengthen the team’s offering and I look forward to supporting new clients and facing fresh new challenges.”
Although she will be based at in the Norwich office Melanie will support colleagues across all offices: Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and London.