Specialist intellectual property (IP) firm Mewburn Ellis has further expanded its Bristol team with the appointment of partner Andrew Mears.
A qualified patent attorney in the UK, Europe and Singapore, Andrew, pictured, joins Mewburn Ellis’s well-established engineering group from rival Withers & Rogers’ Bristol office, where he worked for two-and-a-half years. 
Andrew’s patent expertise extends across a number of electrical and mechanical fields, including telecoms, electronic payment technologies, semiconductor devices, aerospace systems, surveillance systems, imaging systems and drilling systems. During his career, he has been based in Singapore and Canada as well as London and Bristol.
His arrival further expands the engineering team and represents the latest milestone in a period of growth for the firm that coincided with its 150th anniversary. During the past year it opened its first office on mainland Europe in Munich and promoted Paul Dunne to partner in the Bristol office.
It has also recently launched a new brand identity, which it says reflects the sense of confidence and optimism across the business, while its expanding Bristol office is to shortly move from Queen Square to larger space in the city’s showpiece Aurora office development at Finzels Reach.
Bristol office partner Richard Johnson said: “We have always trained the very best IP attorneys and have traditionally promoted from within. However, as we undergo significant growth, we are increasingly considering carefully selected lateral hires. Andrew’s credentials are impeccable, and his patent expertise and international experience will add significant value to Mewburn’s client delivery and business development. We’re delighted to welcome him to the firm.”
Andrew Mears added: “Mewburn Ellis’ track record and reputation for IP excellence is well known and the firm has ambitious plans for growth. It’s an exciting time to be joining the firm.”
Mewburn Ellis is one of Europe’s top IP firms and offers a full range of IP services covering patents, trademarks and designs from offices in Bristol, London, Cambridge, Manchester and Munich. It works with a wide range of clients from start-ups and innovative challenger brands, research institutions and universities, to multinationals and many of the world’s most well-respected IP and law firms.
