[Ed: The redundancy has been confirmed. See comments below or this update for information]
Tipsters have informed us that UK-based IP firm Marks & Clerk is in a redundancy consultation with up to 60 employees. We’re still tracking down the breakdown of lawyers and staff. Marks & Clerk consists of an international firm of patent and trademark attorneys with an associated intellectual property law, firm Marks & Clerk Solicitors. Founded in 1888, the firm just converted from a partnership to a limited liability partnership earlier this year. That might come in handy as they downsize.
The firm is well known to many US lawyers, especially inhouse, as it frequently serves as local IP counsel in non-US jurisdictions. They’ve been particularly hard hit as companies cut back on use of those services and slow down international-expansion plans.
The combined entities employ a total of more than 600 “IP practicioners and staff,” of which approximately 234 are lawyers. The layoffs are in connection with the firm’s closing its Liverpool and Leicester offices. Four attorneys are still reported in Leicester, but Liverpool is no longer listed as an office. The Liverpool practice was created by the firm’s acquisition of the former Roystons firm in 2004.
We have not yet been able to reach the firm for comment.
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There is a well-noted global downturn in the volume of IP work. This has led us to conduct an in-depth review of our business and to make a small reduction in the number of fee earners and support staff within the UK business of Marks & Clerk patent and trade mark attorneys. Neither our overseas offices, nor Marks & Clerk Solicitors are affected.
In addition, we are nearing completion of a major internal initiative to integrate our various business processes across the UK. In undertaking this project, it has become clear that we can serve our clients better by consolidating some of our operations. We have therefore decided to merge our Liverpool office into our Manchester office and reduce the size of our Leicester office.
As cited in your article, we have just completed a consultation which has resulted in approximately 60 redundancies. The majority of job losses have been amongst support staff with only nine fee earning posts affected – a measured response to the downturn and the reduction in IP filings. Marks & Clerk is happy to answer any further queries your author may have in relation to this matter.
Dr. Bob Naismith
UK Managing Partner
Marks & Clerk