A law firm which is celebrating 150 years of taking care of clients has launched a new service, after supporting one of its lawyers through a postgraduate qualification in a growing area of law.
Jacksons, which has offices on Teesside and in Newcastle, has launched a new specialist intellectual property service, after Charlotte Barugh, CILEX lawyer, associate, part of the dispute resolution team, completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property at Bournemouth University with merit.
The timing of this new service launch, dealing with trade marks, copyright, design and patents, is particularly serendipitous, as 2026 also marks 150 years since the registration of the UK’s first trade mark, Bass Brewery’s distinctive Red Triangle.
Jacksons has been assisting clients with matters relating to intellectual property for decades, but the new specialist service builds on that experience and reflects knowledge Charlotte has gained from leading academics at the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM).
The course she completed, which is accredited by the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, has provided Charlotte and the firm with advanced knowledge of copyright, trade marks, patents, and designs, as well as the practical application of IP law in commercial and dispute contexts.
This means Jacksons is now a go-to legal expert on matters relating to intellectual property, as Charlotte’s qualification has strengthened Jacksons’ capability to advise on both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters.
Charlotte, who completed the five-month course alongside her full-time job, said she was excited to be involved in what is a “growing area of law”.
“I’m delighted to have achieved a Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property with Merit from Bournemouth University,” she said.
“Completing a postgraduate qualification in just five months alongside practice was a challenge, but one that was incredibly rewarding.
“IP is a growing and exciting area of law, and I’m looking forward to putting what I have learnt into practice and spending more time working in this area.”
Charlotte’s additional qualification will support the firm’s handling of disputes where intellectual property rights form a core issue, or where they are a significant underlying factor.
It will also strengthen the firm’s ability to provide proactive, front-end advice to help clients protect value and avoid disputes.
This enhanced capability strengthens the firm’s ability to deliver strategic, commercially focused advice across both contentious and transactional matters.
Richard Flounders, Jacksons’ dispute resolution partner, said he was pleased Charlotte had taken the opportunity to identify a service clients need, while also building on her skills and qualifications.
He said: “As a firm, we support our team members to identify new opportunities and achieve both personal and professional development goals – and Charlotte is a great example of this.
“Charlotte is passionate about helping our clients through any IP challenges or preventing future issues relating to IP law, including copyright, trade marks, patents, and designs.
“Through her work in practice at the firm, Charlotte is running with her qualification, and we are very proud to see her succeed.”
He added her latest achievement in IP builds on her recent CILEX qualification, which saw her being included on the CILEX Authorised Practitioners Directory, which enabled her to practice with equivalence to a solicitor in her specialist area.
This route to becoming a lawyer, which is an alternative to the traditional completion of a degree followed by a legal practice course, takes six years to achieve.
Charlotte was amongst the first people in the country to qualify as a CILEX lawyer through this route, after beginning her career with Jacksons as a legal secretary in 2020.
Her success underscores Jacksons’ commitment to its people and their professional development, as it celebrates 150 years of success.
Charlotte’s work as an IP specialist on trade mark services and registration renewals, which the firm has been carrying out for decades, will see her work alongside Samantha Higgins, associate solicitor in Jacksons’ Corporate and Commercial team.
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