Plum - SJ Berwin UK Graduates

10 – plum
yoU’ll Be MaDe to
Feel part oF tHe
teaM as everyone is
increDiBly sUpportive
Commerce & technology
and outsourcing
Ruth hennessy
trainees in the commerce and
technology department encounter a
huge variety of industries such as
retail, it, betting and gaming,
pharmaceuticals, manufacturing,
hotels and leisure. the department
advises on a wide range of
commercial matters within these
industries including non-contentious
intellectual property, e-commerce,
franchising, agency and distribution,
data protection, advertising and the
sale of goods and supply of
services (the list goes on!). the
work involved engenders close
relationships with clients and
requires specialised industry
knowledge to understand the
context in which clients operate.
trainees take on significant
responsibility from day one. typical
trainee work includes drafting and
amending agreements (often
completing first drafts based on
client’s instructions), terms and
conditions and privacy statements,
carrying out research, writing
attendance notes of meetings and
conference calls and advising other
departments on commercial issues.
trainees also assist in the bimonthly
know how meetings,
presenting recent case law and
legal updates to the whole team.
particular highlights of my seat so
far include attending meetings with
a major pharmaceutical client in
relation to potential breaches of
various supply contracts, drafting
and amending a multi-million
pound outsourcing agreement,
negotiating and drafting terms and
conditions relating to the
distribution of a high-profile hair
care product, and researching and
advising on product placement
rules for a children’s toy retailer.
a seat in the commerce and
technology department will offer
you the chance to build commercial
awareness and gain exposure to a
range of clients.
intellectual Property
Suna Mirza
if i decided to set up a law firm and
used the trade mark “sJ Mirza”,
would i be infringing the “sJ Berwin”
trade mark? or would i get into
trouble with the team at polo ralph
lauren if my designs included
images of a polo player?
intellectual property (“ip”) is an
interesting and dynamic area of law
and has a key role to play in everyday
things we take for granted, from the
compilation of football fixtures to the
technology behind music downloads.
the department advises clients in
relation to all aspects of their ip,
including trade marks, patents,
designs, copyright and database
rights. you will have the opportunity to
work for high profile clients from a
range of sectors, including fashion,
gaming, pharmaceuticals, toys, real
estate and food and beverages.
trainees are involved with managing
the trade mark portfolio for clients.
you will also find yourself involved in
high profile litigation, ranging from
responding to a request to disclose
documents and preparing your
client for a deposition as part of
patent infringement proceedings in
the Us to researching the
advertising standards agency’s
rules in relation to advertising a new
cosmetic product. there are also
plenty of opportunities to get
involved with presenting recent
cases at the department’s weekly
know-how meetings or assisting
with writing articles for client
updates and ip journals.
the department is well integrated and
very supportive, so there is plenty of
opportunity to work with everyone,
take responsibility over matters and
really get stuck in!
plum – 11