Trademark team goes it alone
Three former Rouse lawyers have set up a specialist IP firm. Sipara, based in Oxford in the UK, launched in December 2010.
Sipara’s founding partners—Hugh Tebay, Robert Furneaux and Rebecca Kaye—all worked in Rouse’s Oxford office until it merged with the firm’s London office.
Tebay was a partner and head of Rouse’s commercial IP team in the UK, while Furneaux, who was also a partner, led Rouse’s trademark group. Kaye was a senior associate at the firm.
Sipara’s founding partners are joined by a team of specialist solicitors, trademark attorneys and paralegals who worked with them as part of Rouse’s trademark team.
Clients that include “household names” and “multinational businesses” have also moved to Sipara from Rouse.
“Although Sipara has only just launched, the individuals who make up the team have worked together for many years,” Tebay said. “[This] gives clients the reassurance and security of a long-established, tight-knit team.”
Luke Minford, UK country manager at Rouse, said: “In this business, clients have close and long-standing relationships, so quite understandably some have chosen to work with Sipara in the future.”
He added: “We are still working with the vast majority of the clients who were being served from our Oxford office before it closed.” Sipara will be based in Oxford.
