SUMMARY

• A senior, imaginative, results driven, international lawyer, experienced in-house and private practice.
• Particular expertise in the fields of Intellectual Property, Commercial Contracts, Property/ Retailing, HR, Data Protection, Company Secretarial, and the commercial and marketing aspects of Gemstone Mining.
• Industry experience in Luxury Goods, FMCG, Retailing, Food and Mining.
• Most recently Group Legal Director at Fabergé, a London based luxury goods company.
• Also worked on numerous projects for Gemfields, a leading gemstone mining company and the parent company of Fabergé.
• Previously a consultant at Clifford Chance and prior to that, Head of IP and Acting Head of Legal at RHM plc (then a large UK food company and subsequently part of Premier Foods).
• Experienced in setting up in-house legal, and particularly, IP departments

SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Management

• Board Member and Company Secretary of subsidiary companies.
• Member of Fabergé’s Senior Management Committee.
• Acting Head of Legal at RHM managing a team of 4-5 lawyers.
• Set up and managed two in-house IP teams.
• Experienced in HR Management.

Corporate Governance

• Experience in Risk Identification and Management.
• Arranging, advising on and participating at Board and Shareholder Meetings.
• Drafting Resolutions for UK, USA, Cayman Islands and Swiss companies.
• Drafting Employment Policies, Anti-Bribery, Data Protection and Grievance Procedures in UK, USA and Switzerland.

Intellectual Property

• Very good knowledge of all aspects of Intellectual Property particularly Trademarks.
• Expert at all levels of International Brand Protection and Trademark Portfolio Management.
• Developed the Strategy for Protection and Maintenance of Brands at Fabergé and RHM.
• Directing and Managing International Litigation on brand protection.
• Negotiating and drafting Licenses, Usage Agreements, Litigation Settlements, IP Rights Agreements.
• Experienced in the IP assets of Mergers and Acquisitions.
• Experienced in Technology Transfers and Patents.

Corporate Commercial

• Setting Legal and Commercial Goals for Standard Form Contracts.
• Contract Negotiation and Drafting for example Manufacturing, Supply, Leases, Retail Partnerships, Trademark Licenses, Film, Publishing, Sponsorship, Websites, IT, Intra-Group Contracts such as Shareholder Agreements and Loans.
• Due Diligence.
• Mergers and Acquisitions.
• Employment in UK, USA, Hong Kong and Switzerland.
• Manage Litigation.
• Manage Outside Counsel in UK and abroad.

WORK HISTORY

From October 2017

Legal and Intellectual Property Consultant to businesses and law firms.

September 2007- October 2017. Fabergé, Group Legal Director

Prior to joining Fabergé, Kevin developed the strategy to acquire the FABERGE brand for a private equity consortium led by Pallinghurst, from Unilever who were reluctant to sell the IP or grant a license. Pallinghurst has roots in London and South Africa and was originally involved in a joint venture with a well-known Russian oligarch to acquire the FABERGE brand but the joint venture broke down and Pallinghurst proceeded on its own, acquiring the brand from Unilever in January 2007.

The strategy developed by Kevin, which involved commercial negotiation and parallel legal action for non-use of the IP, caused great interest amongst lawyers for its innovation and for delivering a positive commercial outcome using expert legal skill and strategy. Pallinghurst subsequently asked Kevin to join the new Fabergé company as the Group Legal Director.

The business has grown from its inception in London as a portfolio of registered brands to a player in the international luxury goods industry. Kevin was the first employee of the new business.

Kevin has seen the business evolve from private equity ownership where the emphasis was on enhancement of brand value with an eye to disposal, to being acquired by Gemfields, a listed mining company (and also a subsidiary of Pallinghurst), where the emphasis was on vertical integration of jewellery and coloured gemstone mining under one roof. Most recently, Gemfields was acquired directly by Pallinghurst, effectively bringing Fabergé back under the direct control of Pallinghurst.

Kevin had entire responsibility for all legal, contractual and brand protection functions and strategies worldwide.

He also negotiated and drafted contracts to support Gemfields’ commercial and marketing activities such as a proposed retail distribution for jewellery; the sale of cut and polished gemstones at international auctions; an education/ training program about coloured gemstones aimed at retailers, journalists and the industry; and the publication and distribution of limited edition “coffee table” books on rubies and emeralds, including subsidiary contracts.

2005 to 2007. Consultant Trademark Lawyer to Clifford Chance.

Founder and sole director/ shareholder of IP Unzipped Ltd which Kevin marketed as a consultancy service to provide IP advice to alternative markets and situations, for example, UK businesses requiring IP advice for special projects or for specified periods where the same services provided by a law firm on an hourly basis would not be cost effective, and to provide back up or special project services to law firms. Clifford Chance was Kevin's main client; and it was at Clifford Chance that Kevin began the project to lay the legal foundation for building a new brand around Fabergé.

2001 to 2005. Head of IP and Acting Head of Legal at RHM.

Head of IP, and for six months, Acting Head of Legal, at RHM (formerly Rank Hovis McDougall, subsequently part of Premier Foods). Responsible for the protection of such famous British food brands as HOVIS, BISTO, MR KIPLING, and SHARWOODS.

Kevin brought the entire trademark portfolio in-house from a mix of trademark agents and set up a department to run the portfolio internally. Also involved in technology protection and development and other commercial IP issues, for example joint ventures with universities.

Whilst Acting Head, Kevin supervised a team of 4-5 lawyers over a range of issues including intellectual property, general commercial, litigation, IT and banking/finance.

2000-2001 Solicitor, Field Fisher Waterhouse. London

Part of the Trademark Team managing and advising on portfolio management.

1996-2000, Senior Associate Baldwins IP, Auckland, NZ

Part of the Trademark Team managing and advising on portfolio management.

1990-1996 Litigation Solicitor, London Borough of Wandsworth and London Borough of Sutton

A range of litigation mainly for Housing, Environment and Policing Departments.

1985-1990 Employed in New Zealand as an IP specialist and subsequently in contract litigation.