Addleshaw Goddard continues IP hiring spree with appointment of Head of Brands

Addleshaw Goddard (AG) has appointed Joel McDonald as its Head of Brands, following a series of recent hires that have seen the firm’s IP practice grow by nearly a third since September 2024.

McDonald joins Addleshaw Goddard from Stobbs, where he served as IA Director and Head of Sports, building a recognized practice and managing and strategically advising on the global IP portfolios of his clients. This included advising on all aspects of trademark and design law, including clearance, prosecution, and disputes.

McDonald has represented some of the world’s largest and most recognizable brands in sports, including UEFA, Nike, Six Nations, and Liverpool Football Club, and outside sports, including Jack Daniel’s and Stanley Black & Decker.

He will lead AG’s Brands Group (supported by Tim Carter, Managing Associate), which advises clients on all aspects of brand creation and management, from the traditional (filing and prosecution) to more “non-traditional” options for protecting clients’ brand story and identity.

McDonald’s appointment follows that of five recent IP hires from Stobbs, including leading litigator Geoff Steward, who joined AG as Co-head of IP in September 2024. Steward was followed by Rebecca Newman (Managing Associate) and Sarah Stephens (Associate) in October, Emma Dixon (Legal Director) in November, and Isabel Holland (Trainee Solicitor) in December.

All the new joiners are based primarily in AG’s London headquarters but will support AG clients and matters across the firm’s 19 global offices.

AG’s full-service IP team, which is recognized for its work advising various leading retailers, has made a particular name for itself in recent years advising luxury brands, including Stella McCartney and Harrods. The firm’s retail & consumer sector, led by Andrew Rosling and Rona Bar-Isaac, is tier-one ranked in both Chambers and Legal 500, with clients including Asda, Boohoo, Diageo, JD Sports and Primark.

The firm’s global IP team now comprises 27 lawyers across all offices.

Georgina Powling, Partner & Co-head of IP at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “We are delighted that Joel is joining to lead our Brands Group to support our clients in protecting and enhancing their brands and IP.  In addition to Geoff Steward and IP disputes team members, Joel’s joining reflects our continuing significant investment to ensure we provide a market-leading and innovative service in protecting and enforcing our clients’ IP.”

McDonald, Head of Brands at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “I am honored to be joining such a prestigious firm, and one which is clearly going places. AG has the momentum and the existing platform to grow the IP practice, and I am excited to play a role in that. I cannot wait to get stuck in and to begin building out a truly top-level offering with Georgina and Geoff and the wider AG IP team.”

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