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Rachel holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Durham and a PhD from the University of Sheffield. Her PhD was a ‘Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering’ (CASE) Studentship sponsored by the BBSRC and AstraZeneca and was based on the tumour microenvironment and drug studies in cancer biology.

Having worked at the Universities of Newcastle, Sheffield and King’s College London in both laboratory-based and project management roles, Rachel brings a range of experience in academia from well-respected institutions. Rachel also spent a few years outside of academia in luxury hotel management, working in France, Austria, Ireland and London, bringing the added benefits of varied commercial experience to her work.

Ese is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and CITMA Council member, currently CITMA Second Vice-President/Treasurer.

With over 25 years’ experience in the global IP field, Ese joined BAT in 2019 as Trade Mark and Marketing Counsel. She focuses on advising marketing teams on trade mark issues, as well as handling the protection, exploitation, and enforcement of a number of its key global brands.

Ese regularly volunteers at the CITMA and UKIPO free business advice clinics providing advice on brand protection and related topics. She is also a member of the IP Inclusive management team, chairs the CITMA Education, Qualification and Standards Committee and serves on other CITMA Committees.

Gifty is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and Director of IP Together Limited, a boutique intellectual property (IP) legal practice with a focus on trade marks and designs. Gifty uses her previous blue-chip in-house Counsel experience, to now solve her own clients’ problems, whatever their size.

Areas of IP support services, include (but not limited to): Handling lookalike/copycat disputes, strategic management of IP rights, enforcement, and effective exploitation of IP rights, i.e., copyrights, designs and trade marks.

Prior to founding IP Together, Gifty was the sole in-house Trade Mark Attorney for PepsiCo International where she was responsible for all categories of brands under PepsiCo’s snacks, drinks, nutrition and grains products in the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Gifty was a Global Trade Mark Counsel for Unilever.

With a background in Computer Science and software engineering, Anita is a dual-qualified European and UK Chartered Patent Attorney with more than 20 years of in-house experience in Big Tech at IBM and the luxury automotive sector at Group Lotus.

Now at Caldwell Law, one of America’s fastest growing private companies for the past five years running, she brings deep, practical expertise in protecting and commercializing innovation in fast-moving, complex technical fields, including Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Data. At Caldwell, Anita works closely with engineering, legal, and commercial teams to build and execute effective IP strategies as well as with investors and target companies on IP aspects of M&A and Corporate deals.

Anita is actively involved in a number of give-back initiatives in the wider IP professions relating to inclusion and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths (STEAM) careers.

James St.Ville KC is very experienced across patents, trademarks, copyright, designs, confidential information and parallel imports as well as IT, internet, database and software disputes.

Chambers UK has described him as “well regarded for his attention to detail and commerciality”, “extremely intelligent, thoughtful, thorough, careful, very good on his feet and a real pleasure to work with.” “His preparation on every case is superb and detailed, and he has first-class drafting”.

Before taking silk he was consistently recommended as a Leading Junior in Intellectual Property by Chambers UK and Information Technology by the Legal 500 and is a chartered engineer with substantial commercial experience of electronics, optical communications and engineering.  His patent work includes electronics, mechanical and medical devices, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and engineering disputes.  Before becoming a barrister he was leader of the Optical Communications Networks Team at GEC-Marconi Research.

James is an author of Russell-Clarke and Howe on Industrial Designs (10th Edition, 2022) with Martin Howe KC and Ashton Chantrielle.  He has been instructed in the High Court, Patents Court, Technology and Construction Court, Court of Appeal, Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC), UK IPO, EU IPO (formerly OHIM), EPO, EU General Court and the High Court in Northern Ireland.