Berkshire: Blandy & Blandy welcomes new commercial partner

Reading-based solicitors firm Blandy & Blandy has welcomed lawyer Joanne Frears as its 18th partner. She joins the corporate and commercial team from a leading London law firm.

Ranked in both Chambers UK and The Legal 500 directories, Blandy & Blandy’s team is described as ‘an extremely competent and accomplished’ and ‘large enough to have the relevant expertise, but small enough and local enough to be able to provide a personal service.’ Frears joins the team alongside fellow partners David Few, Debbie Brett and Nick Burrows, all of whom are individually recommended.

Frears provides commercial legal advice to technology companies and users with particular focus on technology for the retail sector; advising AR providers, wearable developers, auction and aggregation platform developers and innovators on all aspects of technology commercialisation, intellectual property protection, licensing, commercialisation and defence of IP.

She also advises writers, performers and theatrical agents in relation to contracts for theatre and film, options and royalty agreements.

Few, head of the corporate and commercial team, added: “We are delighted to welcome Joanne to the firm as a partner. Jo brings many years of experience in assisting clients protect and exploit their intellectual property. She is widely admired and her expertise will no doubt prove to be invaluable, adding significant depth to the services that we can offer to our clients.”

Frears' arrival increases the number of female partners at the firm to nine, giving an impressive and rare gender balance at this senior level. This 50:50 female to male ratio is even more significant as the Chambers Student Guide's 2014 gender diversity survey showed that women comprise just 26% of the partnership at an average national or regional law firm in the UK.