As a mark of its ongoing success, European intellectual property firm, Withers & Rogers, has officially announced four promotions to the partnership, effective from 1 April 2023.
The newly promoted partners include Bethan Halliwell, Shu Yang and Mark Sugden, who are all based in the UK, and Ute Pfaller at the firm’s Munich office. The firm is also welcoming Marie-Claude Pellegrini as a newly appointed partner and patent attorney based in Paris.
A graduate of the University of Warwick with a masters degree in physics, Bethan Halliwell is a patent attorney in the firm’s Electronics, Computing and Physics (ECP) group. With experience in a variety of technical areas including magnetic and sensing technologies, computer-implemented inventions and medical technology, Bethan works with a wide range of clients from large international corporations to smaller UK-based companies. Bethan is also a key member of the firm’s Designs group and has a wealth of experience developing global design filing strategies, often coordinated with a parallel patent-filing program.
Also a patent attorney in the ECP group, Shu Yang has been promoted to partner having joined the firm in 2017. Shu graduated with a masters degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Cambridge and now has significant expertise in dealing with patents in the fields of semiconductor device fabrication, nanotechnology, computer-related inventions, and scientific instruments. Shu helps her diverse range of clients manage their IP portfolios and define their IP strategies in the UK as well as further afield in Europe, the United States, China and Taiwan. Shu is fluent in Mandarin and takes a leading role in developing the firm’s presence in Asia.
With a PhD in nanomaterials engineering from the University of Sheffield, Mark Sugden gained an introduction to the world of IP whilst working as a research associate at Loughborough University. An integral member of the firm’s Advanced Engineering Group, he supports a range of clients in the filing and prosecution of design and patent applications in the UK, Europe and globally. Mark specializes in helping companies from a wide range of industries protect their innovations, including the construction industry, materials engineering, packaging, and medical devices.
With more than 20 years’ experience as an attorney at law in intellectual property, Ute Pfaller heads up the EU Trade Mark and Legal Team at the firm’s Munich office. Ute has considerable experience in handling infringement actions for her clients based on patents, trademarks, and designs, as well as in drafting and negotiating IP-related contracts. She is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA). She studied law at the Ludwig-Maximillian University of Munich.
In addition to the above promotions, Marie-Claude Pellegrini has been newly appointed as a partner at the firm’s Paris office, which launched in 2019. With a PhD in computer science from the Institut National Polytechnique De Grenoble, Marie-Claude is an experienced IP professional who has previously held senior in-house positions at Bull (now part of ATOS Group) and Valeo. Latterly, she was a partner and patent attorney at European IP firm, Bardehle Pagenberg’s Paris office, where she was involved in patent litigation for large multinational companies. Her experience also includes patent prosecution for clients in fields such as drones, telecoms, medical devices, cryptography, and AI.
Fiona McBride, Chair at European intellectual property firm, Withers & Rogers, said:
“It is always rewarding to see colleagues get the recognition they deserve. Each of the promoted partners has demonstrated their expertise and a strong commitment to client service excellence. These are qualities that we value greatly as a firm, and we show this by providing people with rewarding career paths.
“We are also delighted to be welcoming Marie-Claude to the Paris office to support Russell Edson in servicing the firm’s clients and developing its presence in the local market. With her extensive experience in both in-house and private practice roles, she will strengthen our team and add value to our service offering in France.”
For more information about Withers & Rogers, visit here.
