Mark your calendars for the 2023 Fall Conference in La Jolla, California.  Our host firm, Blanchard, Krasner & French are putting together the program and agenda for our first conference in Southern California. The conference venue will be the Grande Colonial Hotel, located in the historic La Jolla Village.  Stay tuned for details.

Host firm Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis is looking forward to hosting LawPact’s 2023 Spring Conference in Cleveland, Ohio!  The program theme for this conference is Moving Your Firm Forward after Covid.   The conference will be held at the Hilton Downtown Cleveland. Yes, we will be visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Click here for the agenda and program:  Agenda Cleveland May 2023

Click here for the registration form: New Registration Spring 2023

Eric Ostroff and his firm Meland · Budwick are excited to host LawPact members for the Spring 2022 Conference. The theme for this conference is Developing Cultures.

Mike Thompson of Royal Roads University in British Columbia will focus on Developing a Culture of Business Development while our old friend Jeff Nischwitz will present Building Impactful and Meaningful Cultures in Law Firms. In addition, Eric Ostroff will make a presentation on litigation financing, which is a hot topic for law firms; we’ll discuss the technologies and software used by member firms; and we will dedicate time to group discussions and regional breakout meetings.

IMPORTANT: This conference theme was developed to encourage members to bring younger partners or senior associates, so that they can participate in developing a culture for the future of their firms. It will also provide a forum for younger members of LawPact to develop relationships with their counterparts in other firms. Several firms have already committed to bring younger attorneys. To encourage such participation, the Board of Directors is offering a reduced registration fee of $300 for all younger attorneys accompanying a paying member.

Because we are expecting higher attendance, it is imperative to let us know as soon as possible whether you will attend and if you will bring another lawyer from your firm. That way, we can adjust our hotel room block if
necessary.

Members’ comments about our Fall 2021 conference in Chicago:

“It was a pleasure to attend my first Lawpact Conference this fall in Chicago. I found the presentations to be impactful and relevant to my firm and practice, and I enjoyed getting to know representatives from other member firms. It is refreshing to hear so many ideas and perspectives from firms in other states and countries and to see how creatively others have tackled issues I know many law firms are currently experiencing. Looking forward to the next one!” – Elisabeth Lane, McGuire Wood & Bissette, Asheville, NC

“This was my first in-person LawPact conference. Our firm is a 30-attorney business law firm in New York City. I can say that the conference was extremely worthwhile. The organization contains a group of successful small firms across the country and across the world, all facing similar issues. The conference was filled with networking opportunities. The substance of the programs was excellent. I look forward to future conferences.” – David Azrin, Gallet Dryer & Berkey, New York, NY

“It was great seeing LawPact members in the same room again after almost two years of virtual. As an international member, there is no substitute for discussing in person small firm management issues with a group of trusted colleagues. Our firm looks forward to the Miami conference!” – Rob Lee, Synergy Business Lawyers, Vancouver, BC

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Following going into its second administration in April 2020 and subsequently into liquidation shortly before the festive period, Debenhams is one of the latest victims of the impact of the pandemic and the accelerated shift to online retailing.

Nevertheless, Boohoo, leading online fashion retailer, has recently announced its acquisition of all of Debenhams’ brands and intellectual property assets, including customer data, related business information and some selected contracts. This acquisition cost Boohoo £55million.

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Debenhams’ website is one of the top 10 retail websites in the UK and receives around 300 million visits annually. The data which Boohoo will acquire from the brand will be key to facilitating the objective towards widening its scope and market offering into areas including beauty, homeware and sportswear, by providing valuable information as to who the target customers are at Debenhams, what goods they are buying and when, and other patterns in purchases. The acquisition will also be important for Boohoo as they will benefit from the existing Debenhams brand awareness, website traffic, and relationships with other third-party retailers and brands.

Boohoo’s executive chairman, Mahmud Kamani, has said the deal is ‘transformational’ and promotes their aim to become the ‘UK’s largest marketplace’. Such optimistic comments about the deal highlight the importance and value that intellectual property rights can have for a brand – in fact, it is estimated that up to 80% of the value in a business can be found in its intellectual property. This deal appears to accurately reflect such estimation, particularly as Boohoo has elected not to acquire any physical stores or stock belonging to Debenhams.

Intellectual property law is a complex area and depending on the products and services provided, a vast array of rights may be held automatically, or can be applied for to be registered. For business owners, it is always worth considering how to protect, and later exploit, the intellectual property rights that their business owns, as such rights can prove to be extremely valuable. Having appropriate registrations and arrangements in place not only reduces the risk of infringement, but also increases the likelihood of third-party investment and other opportunities.

For more information contact Daniel Fletcher in our Intellectual Property department via email at daniel.fletcher@forbessolicitors.co.uk or phone on 0333 207 1145.

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Debenhams’ website is one of the top 10 retail websites in the UK and receives around 300 million visits annually. The data which Boohoo will acquire from the brand will be key to facilitating the objective towards widening its scope and market offering into areas including beauty, homeware and sportswear, by providing valuable information as to who the target customers are at Debenhams, what goods they are buying and when, and other patterns in purchases. The acquisition will also be important for Boohoo as they will benefit from the existing Debenhams brand awareness, website traffic, and relationships with other third-party retailers and brands.

Boohoo’s executive chairman, Mahmud Kamani, has said the deal is ‘transformational’ and promotes their aim to become the ‘UK’s largest marketplace’. Such optimistic comments about the deal highlight the importance and value that intellectual property rights can have for a brand – in fact, it is estimated that up to 80% of the value in a business can be found in its intellectual property. This deal appears to accurately reflect such estimation, particularly as Boohoo has elected not to acquire any physical stores or stock belonging to Debenhams.

Intellectual property law is a complex area and depending on the products and services provided, a vast array of rights may be held automatically, or can be applied for to be registered. For business owners, it is always worth considering how to protect, and later exploit, the intellectual property rights that their business owns, as such rights can prove to be extremely valuable. Having appropriate registrations and arrangements in place not only reduces the risk of infringement, but also increases the likelihood of third-party investment and other opportunities.

For more information contact Daniel Fletcher in our Intellectual Property department via email at daniel.fletcher@forbessolicitors.co.uk or phone on 0333 207 1145.