Leading IP lawyer and academic Frederick Mostert has joined Bird & Bird as a consultant. Mostert, who chairs the Luxury Law Alliance, will be based in Bird & Bird’s London office from where he will provide strategic advice to the firm’s clients as well as continuing to pursue his academic and consultancy work.

Before becoming a consultant in 2015, Mostert was chief intellectual property counsel and chief legal counsel at luxury group Richemont, whose brands include Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Alfred Dunhill and Chloé.

He is Professor of Practice in Intellectual Property Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, and holds research fellowships at Oxford University and Tsinghua University, Beijing.

He is also the founder of the Digital Scholarship Institute and Digilabs, which is attached to The Dickson Poon School of Law and conducts research into technology in the digital environment.

“My interests in brands and digital/online issues makes Bird & Bird the perfect match for me and my clients," he said.

Jane Mutimear, a partner at Bird & Bird’s IP department, added: "I have known Frederick for around 20 years and have always admired his clear legal analysis, which is delivered with such charm.” 

Mostert was appointed chair of the Luxury Law Alliance, a global network of luxury brand owners, their general counsel and legal teams, in September 2018.

He also chairs the Luxury Law Summit in London, which is hosted by The Global Legal Post, and takes place at the Ham Yard Hotel on 31 March

This year’s speakers include Michael Ward, chief executive of Harrods, Kate Anthony Wilkinson, group general counsel and company secretary, Mulberry Group, Sally Taylor, head of legal, Asprey, Hadrian Beltrametti-Walker, vice president, legal services, Kempinski Hotels, and John Williams, executive chef, The Ritz.

There is still time to enter the Luxury Law Awards, which are held in conjunction with the summit. The deadline for entries is 6 February. Click here for more details.