At Manchester Digital, we like to interview our members to find out a bit more about what they do and their work in the Greater Manchester digital and technology sphere. This week, we're speaking with Colin Bell, Partner, Head of Technology Sector, Head of Intellectual Property Team at Brabners.
1. Please introduce yourself …
Brabners is a purpose-led, client-centred law firm anchored in the North of England with a national and international reach. For over 200 years, we’ve worked to bring about positive and lasting change for our clients, our colleagues and the communities we serve. Our mission is to make the difference by being innovative, diverse and sustainable. About Brabners.
We act for a range of ambitious technology businesses and their investors, customers and related service-providers. Our team of experts is well immersed in the latest sector trends, allowing us to provide specialist advice for clients looking to navigate the constantly evolving industry and achieve their strategic goals.
We provide a full suite of legal services, helping clients at all points throughout the business lifecycle to capitalise on the UK’s pro-innovation approach to tech regulation. Our pragmatic, cost-effective guidance and tailored solutions help clients looking to focus on growth, advance their commercial objectives and generate the right funding.
We are officially recognised by Best Companies as the Best Law Firm to work for in the UK, and our network of over 500 motivated colleagues is passionate about delivering best-in-class service to our clients.
We are proud to be B Corp certified and adopted a set of ambitious sustainability goals in 2020, which have since led our journey. We have also developed a number of separate initiatives to help drive change in the communities in which we operate. This includes:
- The Brabners Foundation, an independent grant making charity to help alleviate hardship in our local communities; and
- True North, a collaborative network to unite the region’s most influential and purpose driven voices to unlock the true potential of the Northern Economy.
2. What are the most common legal challenges your tech clients face, and how does Brabners help solve them?
In the tech sector, every concept, business and brand is unique.
As such, our experts are well-versed in both the legal and technological landscapes, so that they can provide current, effective guidance and develop tailored solutions.
Our comprehensive suite of legal services covers every facet of the technology sector - from intellectual property protection, data protection and privacy compliance, to dispute resolution and regulatory support. Whether you are a disruptive start-up, an established industry leader, an investor or service provider in the tech ecosystem, we develop bespoke strategies aligned with your specific goals.
In such an innovative sector, identifying and mitigating legal risks is critical to sustained success. Our proactive approach to risk management ensures that any challenges and pitfalls are identified and addressed before they become impediments - enabling your business to focus on growth with confidence.
Access to funding is also key priority for our clients, which is why we provide assistance with appropriate audits and due diligence to help our clients become investment-ready, and offer corporate transactional support to help ensure that any deals get over the line efficiently and effectively.
Importantly, our team consistently operates at the cutting edge of new technological developments to ensure that our clients are kept up to date with latest developments case law and regulation, guaranteeing compliance and ensuring an operational advantage.
3. How do you advise tech companies on protecting their intellectual property in fast-evolving markets, especially with software, AI or digital products?
Intellectual property (IP) rights are integral for tech businesses looking to capitalise on their innovative technology or services.
Brabners has one of the leading IP teams in the North, comprising experienced lawyers, dual qualified practitioners and specialist trademark attorneys.
We help clients identify the most effective form of IP protection for their software, AI and digital products in order to strengthen their positions, be it through trademark, copyright or patent protection.
We provide pragmatic commercial advice on IP rights in an efficient and cost-effective way. We can help safeguard investments in IP through the protection and registration of your brands, inventions and designs as well as appropriate contractual arrangements. Our team can also help maximise the value of that IP through the licensing and exploitation of registered and unregistered rights including trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, confidential information and know-how.
We have supported a number of clients in developing portfolio strategies, IP audits, clearance searches and identifying vulnerabilities in exploiting IP rights. We can also advise clients on bringing or defending disputes related to the enforcement and infringement of IP. This includes passing off claims and company name and domain name disputes.
4. What advice would you give to tech companies to safeguard themselves in commercial partnerships or collaborations?
Effective commercial contracts are key to creating and maintaining value in any business relationship. A successful contract should help achieve business objectives and lock-in the value of relationships, all while providing clarity for all parties and protecting from potential costly and distracting disputes.
For cost-conscious businesses, the temptation may be to treat terms, conditions and other commercial contracts as a necessary evil, rather than a key asset. However, our experience demonstrates that a failure to invest in getting them right is often costly. On exit, any potential buyer will scrutinise underlying key contractual arrangements, so poorly drafted contracts can cause disputes and ultimately bring a loss in business value.
Our team is experienced in developing contracts that are tailored to meet our clients’ commercial objectives and protect their interests. Our specialist commercial group works closely with clients to understand their ambitions and develop contractual agreements that reduce risks and liabilities and ensure compliance with the latest legislation.
5. Are there particular sectors within tech that Brabners sees as especially strong or growing in Manchester right now?
The North - and Manchester in particular - are currently at the forefront of the evolution of the tech sector in the UK. Emerging technology (especially AI, blockchain, crypto and Web3), gaming and eSports are performing particularly well in the region, as well as the creative and digital sectors more generally.
Across our client network, we’re also seeing innovative technology businesses driving positive change in sport, retail, health and recruitment.
‘Tech for Good’ (incorporating green tech and impact tech) represents a significant growth area alongside cyber security and data protection, both of which are becoming increasingly in demand amongst businesses in all sectors as high profile cybersecurity breaches continue to dominate the news.
6. How does Brabners engage with Manchester’s tech community or initiatives like Manchester Digital to support local businesses?
We make significant efforts to engage with and encourage collaboration amongst the communities and sectors in which we operate, underpinned by our goal of bringing about positive change and making the difference for our clients, our colleagues and the communities we serve.
Building on the influence and impact of its client work, our tech team plays a key role in Brabners’ True North network. Having launched in late 2023, the network – which was conceived to unite the region’s most influential and purpose-driven voices to shape and unlock the true economic potential of the North – is continuing to go from strength to strength and now consists of 360+ purpose-led businesses and business leaders.
A key priority of True North is to support the region’s thriving technology sector in attracting, securing and capitalising on inward investment, to ensure that the North reaches its true productivity potential. Through the network, Brabners and its partners are also working more widely with businesses in all sectors to support the adoption of innovative new technologies and tools.
7. What motivated you to join Manchester Digital, and what kind of collaboration or support are you hoping to find within the community?
We share a lot of key values with Manchester Digital, which makes this collaboration an ideal fit. This includes a strong ambition to empower the region’s digital economy and foster cooperation amongst innovative technology businesses, both inside and outside the city region.
We’re also supporters of the Manchester Digital “Manifesto for the Northern Tech Economy” and look forward to engaging with the wider network to help grow the tech ecosystem in the North.
