For companies looking to protect their brands in the UK and across Europe more generally, it was, until recently, most cost effective to register trademarks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Upon registration, the relevant intellectual property would be protected throughout the EU, including the UK.
On 29 October 2018, the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered the 2018 Autumn Budget to the House of Commons. The generous Entrepreneurs’ Relief scheme has survived, however the conditions for qualification have tightened.
Having worked together in the financial markets sector for more than 20 years, three friends: Mark Henry, Richard Evans and Antony Sidney-Woollett decided it was time to break away and go it on their own. Five years on and they’ve formed an independent and highly successful organisation, RAM FX, which offers a range of services in the financial markets to clients that include corporates, funds, family offices and high net-worth individuals.
This Igniting the Spark is slightly different in that we have talked to Jemilla Olufeko, the only in-house Lawyer at ROLI, a music tech start up and one of our clients. She made the move 10 months ago from working at a large city law firm when she was sent on secondment to ROLI. She loved it so much that she quit her job at the law firm and after reading this interview you will want to work there as well!
You may have seen an exciting new brand of soft drinks in the supermarket aisles lately. Nix & Kix is a “refreshingly different range of drinks with a subtle kick” – stocked in Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Wagamama. We had a chat with one of their founders, Kerstin Robinson. She gave us background on where the name “Nix and Kix” came from, how it all started and how they’ve grown into the thriving small business they are today.
A year ago, fed up with the difficult and time-consuming task of finding true high-quality clothing and accessories online, childhood friends, Massimiliano Gritti and Elliott Aeschlimann, embarked on a 12-month journey across the UK and Europe to find brands that were genuinely championing quality.
For this Igniting the Spark issue we had a chat with James Caplin. James is a great friend as well as a coach of the Ignition Law team. His coaching and training helps us to sharpen our focus and skills and ensures we continue to provide the best service to our clients.
From beach to boardroom, Cassandra Kelly has seen and done it all. After growing up in a modest Sydney suburb, daughter of a policeman and teacher, she went on to become a highly successful company director and global advisor.
Remember the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where the car sprouts wings and propellers and begins to fly? Well we spoke to Jim Edmondson, the CEO of Gilo Industries, the company that have created a flying practical car and anything else that’s futuristic and has to do with engines. This month sees the launch of Gilo Industries latest company and product Mako Board Sports Ltd, that makes a powered surfboard or JetBoard. We had an interesting chat with Gilo Industries, Jim about life in general and what makes him tick.
Riley Riley is the CEO and Founder of Glorious Labs, an innovation company which develops and delivers pioneering hardware and software technology for 360°/VR, AI/Machine Learning, and Internet of Things (IOT).
