Eight new trainees join Forresters
Posted:
We are delighted to share that we recently recruited eight trainees as part of our commitment to developing talent and expertise for the future.
Joining the firm are Lianne Da-Cunha, Josh Gay, Thomas Heath, Sophia Kapur, Beatrice Malacart, Dr Robert Paul, Hester Sheehan and Callum Watson. Lianne Da-Cunha has joined our London office and said she is enjoying using the engineering degree and masters she received from Cambridge University.
“I was attracted to Forresters because their trainee programme includes a mixture of formal training and gaining hands-on experience,” said Lianne. “I’m in the technology and engineering team at Forresters as, at university, I specialised in manufacturing engineering.” Earlier this year Forresters moved its London office to one of the city’s most instantly recognised buildings – The Gherkin. Lianne said: “Being based at The Gherkin is exciting and it shows that the company is constantly developing – and I’m keen to grow with them.”
Also in the technology and engineering team at our London office is Josh Gay, who said Forresters’ Clear Direction motto was one of the things that attracted him to the firm. “The motto really strikes a chord with me because I enjoy processing information and translating it in a way that everyone can understand,” he said. “I firmly believe that intellectual property (IP) should be accessible to everyone. I’ve been really enjoying the variety of work, as Forresters doesn’t just specialise in one area. As a trainee, I feel really well supported – I know I’m in good hands at Forresters as a place to start my career.”
Thomas Heath has started at our Birmingham office and said he is looking forward to using his background in engineering and manufacturing to help clients. “I studied mechanical engineering at Coventry University and the University of Warwick, and had placements at engineering consultancies, including within the automotive industry, which has been good experience for working in the West Midlands area,” he said. “Because we are working on real cases I’m learning new skills without really noticing it. I was attracted to working at Forresters because of this combination of the excellent training programme and being able to build skills as you go along.”
We have also welcomed trainee trade mark attorney Sophia Kapur to the London office. She said she became interested in IP when she was 14-years-old. “During my school and university years I did work placements at an IP firm in Nottingham and it was trade marks that really interested me,” she said. “I studied a modern languages degree, specialising in Spanish and Portuguese, at the University of Birmingham. I then signed up to a postgraduate course at Queen Mary University of London, which I have since completed. One thing that attracted me to Forresters was its rich history and inclusive attitude. Forresters has a supportive and collaborative atmosphere where trainees can flourish.”
Starting at the Munich office is Beatrice Malacart, who recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in biological sciences. She has joined the Life Sciences team. “I looked into a career as a patent attorney and thought it would be a good opportunity to be working with inventors at the forefront of technology and genetics – which is going through an exciting time,” she said. “Because I have experienced how hard that work is I believe that everyone should be rewarded for their efforts – and owning a patent means you can benefit from the time and energy you’ve invested in a project.”
Dr Robert Paul has achieved a PhD in composite materials from the University of Manchester and also worked as a mechanical engineer. “I decided to become a patent attorney because the work looked fascinating and I wanted a structured career path where I could really challenge myself,” said Robert. “I was attracted to Forresters because of their hands-on approach to training. I’m looking forward to working with inventors and clients to ensure they have the IP protection they need to get their product off the ground. It will be really exciting to see the process from start to finish.”
Hester Sheehan has joined the Life Sciences team in our London office. She graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2020 with a masters in biochemistry and part of her course involved a year in industry. “I spent a year at a multinational pharmaceutical company and I saw how science and law overlapped, and that really appealed to me,” she said. “I was interested in life sciences, but wanted to be able to apply my knowledge in a different way – joining Forresters has enabled me to do exactly that.”
Callum Watson joined us after working as a mechanical design engineer and he said he was looking into becoming a patent attorney when he first heard about Forresters. “One of the main things that attracted me to Forresters was their highly regarded training programme,” said Callum who graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2017 with a Masters in mechanical engineering. “Forresters really stands out from others because you get involved in the company straight away, working in a team on real-life projects. It’s great to be able to help different companies and learn about their inventions and products.”
Managing partner Matt Shaw welcomed the eight trainees to the firm. He said: “Forresters is proud of its commitment to supporting the development of the next generation of patent and trade mark attorneys. It’s something we have done successfully for many years and several of our past trainees are now associates and partners at the firm – as indeed am I, having started here as a trainee in 1994! This shows the opportunities that are available at Forresters for anyone who shares our ethos of professional and personal development while maintaining our aims of achieving the best outcomes for our clients.
“I’m delighted to welcome Beatrice, Callum, Hester, Josh, Lianne, Robert, Sophia and Thomas to the company. They are all being supported and mentored by people at Forresters that enjoy excellent reputations for their client service and high quality of work – they really will be learning from the best.”
