Meeting the needs of our clients

Eversheds Sutherland announces new global co-head of IP

Eversheds Sutherland has appointed Partner Thera Adam-van Straaten to the position of global co-head of Intellectual Property (IP).

The move comes after exponential growth of its global IP practice across Europe, the US and Asia in the past year.

Thera joined Eversheds Sutherland in June 2019, alongside Olaf van Haperen and a 10-strong team in the Netherlands. This was shortly followed by the expansion of the IP team’s US footprint into San Diego.

Thera will co-head the global practice alongside Atlanta-based Pete Pappas, leading a team across some 25 countries, and multiple services including copyright, IP litigation, media, patents, reputation management, trademarks and trade secrets. Her role will have a particular focus on enhancing the IP practice in Europe and furthering cross-border collaboration with the US and Asia.

Thera Adam-van Straaten said:

“The Eversheds Sutherland IP practice in Europe has combined all the right ingredients to be an IP force to be reckoned with. IP brings significant value to many key sectors; by building on the strategic growth of our current capability, we will enhance the service we provide to meet the growing needs of our global clients. I look forward to continuing to work with Pete Pappas to ensure its success.”

Pete Pappas, Global Co-Head of IP, added:

”I am very glad to team with Thera Adam to lead our global IP practice, which has the pleasure – and tremendous responsibility – of protecting some of the world’s most valuable inventions and brands. We grew by more than 23% globally as an IP practice to meet the ever-changing, growing needs of our clients, and we will continue to mould our practice to best serve them and new clients.”

Simon Crossley, Co-Head of Global Commercial, added:

”Intellectual property is a top concern for most, if not all, of our clients worldwide, which of course makes it a top priority for Eversheds Sutherland. We will support Pete and Thera as they grow our IP team to best serve our clients in this important and indeed critical aspect of business.”

Our IP team is repeatedly recognised by Chambers and 12 of our lawyers were recently acknowledged in the World Trademark Review’s (WTR) ‘World’s Leading Trademark Professionals’ list for 2020, of which Thera was one. Thera is described in WTR as being “pragmatic and to the point, she is a down-to-earth lawyer who fully understands the business aims and objectives of her clients.”