John Hull

Partner, Beck Greener

John Hull is a partner at Beck Greener. He has over 15 years’ experience as a patent attorney, helping clients to protect inventions, designs and other intellectual property, working mainly in the chemical sector. His practice focuses on the specialist areas of polymers, catalysts, medical devices and scientific instrumentation.

He has also advised extensively on pharmaceuticals, chemical engineering, packaging and mechanical devices.

As well as prosecuting cases at the European and UK Patent Offices for a variety of multinational corporations, John has comprehensive experience of handling oppositions and appeals at the European Patent Office, with a high success rate. 

John has passed the Intellectual Property Litigation and Advocacy course providing him with enhanced rights to conduct IP litigation in the UK courts and has recently run a case before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

John enjoys representing small and medium-sized UK companies, working closely with clients from early stage development right through to product launch. John has considerable experience and understanding of inventors and bringing new inventions to market including assignments and licensing.

Patrick Hobbs

Senior Manager, S&W

Patrick is a a senior manager specialising in R&D incentives advisory, specifically for engineering and technical clients. This includes the preparation of submissions for HMRC and more tailored financial and advisory services for companies across various industries. In his current role, Patrick helps clients across various sectors to claim tax relief for their innovative activities, such as developing new products, processes, or software. He work with a diverse and collaborative team of tax specialists, engineers, and scientists, who provide technical and financial support to clients.

Sam Meiklejohn

Partner, Gateley

Sam focuses his practice on equity capital markets, public companies and corporate governance. He advises corporates, investment banks, brokers and major shareholders on a broad spectrum of capital markets matters including primary and secondary securities offerings listed on both UK and international stock exchanges. His experience covers a wide range of sectors, including life sciences, technology, and biotech. He also has significant cross-border transactional experience, including transatlantic, pan-European and across the MENA region. Sam also advises private companies, founders, and venture capital firms on private fundraises from seed capital through to series fundraising. Sam works with start-ups and founders on all aspects of corporate growth strategy, scale-up and university spin-outs.

Maurizio Marullo

Senior Partner, LAWP

Maurizio Marullo is a Partner at LAWP.  His practice focuses on commercial, corporate, international tax law and criminal tax law. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint-ventures, corporate finance transaction as well as in estate and succession planning, insolvency and restructuring procedure. He is also involved in real estate transactions.

Author of publications on commercial and tax law. Maurizio is the co-author of the Italian chapter of the volume International Tax Systems and Planning Techniques published by Sweet & Maxwell.

Lecturer and speaker at seminars and conferences on commercial law and tax criminal law; lecturer at postgraduate Master courses in Taxation and Business Law organized by Il Sole 24 Ore Business School.

Admitted to practice before the Italian Supreme Court since 2015.

Roy Saunders

Founder and Chairman, IBSA

Since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1967, Roy Saunders has accumulated a wealth of commercial experience working independently in commercial property, international tax, advertising and other industries. He is the Chairman of IFS, a boutique international tax practice based in central London. Academically, he is known throughout the world for his many books and publications, the foremost being his red book, International Tax Systems & Planning Techniques published by Sweet & Maxwell. Roy has also taught an MA Course on International Taxation at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London.

Roy is very proud of the fascinating client base of entrepreneurial individuals that he has built up at IFS. He feels strongly about the role that ethical tax structuring plays in the growth of an economy, and that this needs to be better understood by the public at large. Roy founded the IBSA to enable business professionals around the world to discover new business relationships and promote best practice by creating sustainable business structures compliant with international transparency, corporate governance and social responsibility.

Caroline Bennett-Akkaya

Partner, 1291 Group

Caroline Bennett-Akkaya is a Partner based in 1291 Group’s office in Geneva since 2020, where she drives client relationship growth across the firm’s European operations. Holding a degree in French from the University of Reading and a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Caroline is a fully qualified TEP and holds licenses from FINMA and the FMA to provide insurance advisory and brokerage services.

With over 30 years of experience in the corporate, trustee, and insurance sectors, Caroline brings expertise honed across London and Geneva, advising high-net-worth (HNW) clients in Europe, the UK, and the Middle East. She specializes in integrating trust and insurance solutions to deliver tailored wealth preservation strategies. A respected thought leader, Caroline frequently speaks at STEP conferences on the combination of trust and insurance solutions

Ricky Wilson

Director, Evelyn Partners

As a Fellow and Chartered Financial Planner with over 20 years of experience, Ricky specialises in helping entrepreneurs and high-net-worth families in the Thames Valley build, protect, and grow their wealth. His approach combines strategic cash-flow planning, pension and retirement solutions, and estate planning to create clarity and confidence for the future. Recognised as one of The Times Top Rated Advisers, he delivers bespoke financial strategies that align with complex personal and business goals. He works closely with leading professionals, including family and corporate lawyers, STEP-qualified solicitors, deal advisers, and corporate finance specialists, to ensure every aspect of your financial life and business exit is seamlessly managed. As a Resolution member, he also supports clients through life’s most challenging transitions, such as divorce, with sensitivity and expertise. Whether you’re planning for succession, optimising investments, or safeguarding your legacy, Ricky provides advice designed to give you peace of mind and financial freedom. 

 

Catherine Jewell

Partner, Beck Greener

Catherine Jewell is a Partner at Beck Greener LLP and provides patent-related services in the chemical field, from initial advice on patentability, to drafting and filing applications and their prosecution, including opposition and appeals. She has a particular interest in the new unitary patent system which is expected to come into force in Europe in 2017.

She is also a Chartered and European Trade Mark Attorney and has advised on a variety of issues in relation to the use and registration of marks, from clearance searches and pre-filing advice, through to opposition and invalidity/revocation actions.

The majority of her experience relates to European patent and trade mark applications, but she has also handled global portfolios covering countries such as the US, China, Korea, Japan and Canada.

Catherine worked in solid-state and materials chemistry before joining the IP profession, concentrating on the synthesis of inorganic materials and manipulation of their structure and properties.

Bern Gilbey

Partner, Head of Tax Solutions, Gateley & Founder, Ligdol Consulting

Bern provides tax advice in relation to a wide range of both domestic and international corporate tax issues. This includes identifying planning opportunities for corporate and individual vendors as well as advising on the tax efficient methods of restructuring corporate groups. Bernhard regularly provides advice to clients on employee benefits schemes ranging from the advice to remuneration committees as to suitable incentive arrangements to the drafting, implementation and ongoing administration of share option and restricted stock rules.

Bernhard is a Director of the International Tax and Investment Center, member of the International Fiscal Association and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Caroline Urban

Partner, Howard Kennedy

Caroline is a bilingual (German and English) and will be joining Howard Kennedy's Corporate Team as Partner in June 2026.

Caroline has particular expertise in advising strategic roll-up businesses that acquire a number of businesses in the same industry sector. She has advised several of these businesses from incorporation up to ten acquisitions, thereby gaining sector expertise and becoming a trusted adviser to such clients and helping them navigate ancillary legal matters. Alongside this expertise, Caroline also advises investors on making equity investments and businesses on taking equity investment from early stages through to exit.