Norton Rose woos DMH Stallard IP partner

Norton Rose has raided DMH Stallard for IP ­partner Jonathan Ball, who only joined the South East firm ;a ;year ;ago ;from ­Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Ball, who had been a ­senior associate at Freshfields, will head Norton Rose’s contentious IP practice, working closely with communication, media and technology (CMT) chief Mike Rebeiro, who heads the non-contentious side.

Norton ;Rose ;global ­disputes ;head ;Antony ­Dutton said Ball’s hire was in line with the firm’s growth strategy ;for ;IP ;and IT, adding: “It’s essential that we strengthen our ­contentious intellectual property offering. Jonathan’s extensive experience in this area will complement our existing capabilities and help us achieve further growth.”

Ball, who starts at ­Norton Rose in September, said of his new firm: “Nortons has a strong focus in the Middle East and India.

“As the IP landscape is changing internationally, I look forward to working within the practice’s global network.”