TJG hiring builds on firm's IP plans

Taylor Joynson Garrett's (TJG) plan to concentrate on intellectual property, telecoms and corporate work has continued to fall into place with the hiring of IP partner Mark Hodgson.

Hodgson joins TJG on 1 May after 13 years at Simmons & Simmons.

TJG has been ranked slightly below Simmons & simmons in the patent IP work that Hodgson concentrates on. But since a review of its strategy by Hodgart Temporal last summer, TJG has decided to concentrate particularly on its IP and telecoms work, whereas the larger Simmons & Simmons is dominated by its corporate practice, which it is determined to build upon.

TJG has linked some of its corporate lawyers with its IP department to form a technology and life sciences group which Hodgson will be a part of. Gary Moss, TJG's head of IP, said that the cross-departmental group was formed after the hiring of corporate partners Tim Stocks of Withers and Simon Walker of Manches & Co.

"Both have very high-tech clients which goes with our existing expertise in that area," said Moss. "We formed the group to indicate to these companies that we do know what their business interests are and can provide them with assistance across the board."