James Love Legal

In today’s competitive business climate confidentiality and secrecy are no longer enough to protect creative ideas, innovative products and successful brands.

Safeguarding ownership of intellectual property, or IP, is becoming a priority which no forward thinking company or creative individual can afford to ignore.

James Love Legal is a solicitor’s practice based in Harrogate focusing exclusively on all legal aspects of Intellectual Property (IP), an area of expertise that is in growing demand as companies large and small seek to guard their advantage. Now the firm is working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to expand its services globally.

James Love, managing director of the practice said: “Following the phenomenal growth of the internet we live in a society that is flooded with information. Whether it’s a piece of music, ground-breaking research, or simply a logo design and branding, if they are, or are destined to be, in the public domain they need legal protection.

“Obviously individuals and companies alike want to get their ideas and products noticed, and often they go to a great deal of trouble to do so. Without the right safeguards in place, they are putting at risk what could be their most important asset, the very thing that gives them an edge over their competitors.”

Before studying Law, Love originally trained as a scientist and researcher, and he understands the value of maximising protection of ideas and the high costs it can incur when breached.

Working in London at a high-profile international law firm for a number of years, he used his scientific background to service the IP needs of blue-chip clients. However recent years have seen a dramatic growth in this area of legal expertise and in 2006 Love branched out with his own practice in North Yorkshire.

Mr Love added: “When I was studying Law in the 1980’s, IP was not even part of the course. Since then global access to ideas via the internet and digital technology has significantly changed the face of business and the legal support services it requires. Nowadays people are much more aware of what is at stake if they don’t take the proper legal precautions to protect their business. This is as true for the creative individuals I work with as well as my corporate clients. Increasingly IP is an international concern and this is why I’m now beginning to expand overseas.”

Two years ago Love joined nine other legal services companies from across the region at the first Legal Passport to Export programme organized by UKTI in association with The Law Society. Designed to help firms providing legal services to trade internationally, the programme offered a package that included a training workshop, one-to-one mentoring, strategic planning to develop international trade, and funding of up to £3000 to develop the strategy.

Mr Love explained: “It was a comprehensive programme which covered areas such as routes to market and managing cultural differences in international business. Most importantly it encouraged you to think strategically and practically about how to expand your services overseas.

“Later I was able to use the funding available to join a market visit to Hong Kong and mainland China organised by Leeds Legal. I was interested to learn about China as a market where quality products are cleverly copied as well as exploring the potential for business opportunities. In response to this visit I have already acquired some clients in Hong Kong.”

Before exploring the Chinese market for himself, James Love commissioned a business report on China from UKTI’s international trade team based in Hong Kong.

Colin Russell, UKTI’s sector specialist for legal and financial services said: “The Overseas Market Information Service (OMIS) reports are compiled by our colleagues in the embassies and consulates overseas. These people on the ground have a strong grasp of local markets and how they perform. OMIS reports look at the products and services that Yorkshire firms provide with a view to their business possibilities in a chosen market. The OMIS is very often a good indicator of a company’s chances for export success.”

With the close coordination of local UKTI specialists like Colin Russell, members from the international trade teams abroad can also be on hand to meet and advise Yorkshire companies when they arrive overseas.

Mr Love commented: “Colin was able to signpost funding available from Yorkshire Forward under the Targeted Export Support Scheme (TESS). This helped me travel to Germany where I met Kirsten Rath, based at the British Embassy in Berlin. She was very helpful and shared some valuable advice with me that has been instrumental in helping me cultivate business and build up contacts in Germany as well as Sweden.

“It’s good to know that there is someone out there like Colin with an ear to the ground picking up on overseas opportunities for firms like mine; but of course, you still have to be prepared to do plenty of legwork yourself. If you are seriously committed, it can pay off.”

With another trip to China in the offing before the end of the year, together with UKTI, James Love plans to seek further TESS funding to support the venture.

For further information on this company please visit www.jllip.com.