Gowling WLG hires IP lawyer Rachel Armstrong to its Dubai office

Gowling WLG has announced that Rachel Armstrong has joined the firm as a principal associate in its Intellectual Property (IP) team in Dubai.

Rachel Armstrong joins renowned IP expert Jon Parker and Gowling WLG’s award winning team to strengthen the firms already leading IP practice in the region and globally. Armstrong brings significant IP experience and primarily advises rights holders on the capture, protection, enforcement and commercialisation of IP rights. In addition to assisting some of the world’s largest brand owners, she is also experienced in working with start-ups and SMEs, increasingly important business types in the region, as countries move to knowledge-based economies.

Armstrong has practised in the UAE since 2013 including working alongside Jon at a previous firm. Armstrong ‘s experience has primarily been advising international companies on their portfolio’s across the MENA Region and assisting local clients on a global basis. Armstrong also has experience of working within in-house teams through client secondments, including time at a leading fashion retailer, and most recently within one of the largest e-commerce businesses.

Armstrong’s appointment to the firm is part of the Dubai office strategy to bring high quality expertise to its core practise areas of Corporate, Commercial, Technology and IP. In-line with this strategy the Dubai Corporate team have expanded their team with the hire of Anas Bhurtun as an associate lawyer and has sights set on further appointments in 2020.

“I am delighted to be welcoming Rachel to Gowling WLG. She is a phenomenal IP lawyer and a wonderful person, who is a pleasure to work alongside. She is a significant addition to our team as we look to build on the successful growth and development of the practice to date. In Rachel, we have one of the region’s brightest young IP stars joining to assist and support our clients,” said Jon Parker head of Gowling WLG’s MENA IP practice.

Tim Casben, managing partner of the Dubai office said, “Jon has built a leading practice in the three years since joining us, acting on an increasing number of high profile IP matters. Rachel adds strength and depth to Jon’s practice and we will continue to build out our core practise areas leveraging off the obvious synergies and providing clients with deep-rooted experience and expertise in our chosen areas”.