Julius Stobbs, Stobbs Founder: “We have large numbers of amazing people, with great formal training and huge legal expertise. We will always be rigorous in our legal analysis. This will always be the starting point for what we do”

Stobbs, founded by Julius Stobbs, was born out of a desire to disrupt the traditional legal industry. Julius recognized that the legal sector is often conservative, with consumer perceptions deeply ingrained, making it challenging to introduce new concepts and gain trust. However, he noticed that clients were frequently dissatisfied with the status quo, creating an opportunity for a firm that could offer something different—more commercial, practical, and cost-effective solutions. Stobbs was established with a commitment to provide answers, not just options or problems. By focusing on what clients truly need and want, the firm has grown significantly. This growth has been driven by a distinctive approach that prioritizes client feedback and a constant effort to expand and refine their services to better serve brand owners.

Stobbs has established itself as a unique and disruptive force in the legal industry, delivering innovative and client-centred solutions that challenge the conventional norms.

In conversation with Julius Stobbs, Founder of Stobbs

Q. With a focus on both legal and commercial aspects, how does Stobbs tailor its services to meet the specific needs of clients across different industries, and what criteria do you use to determine the most effective strategy for each client?

 I was brought up to always ask “Why?” Why are we doing whatever the thing is? Taking a strategic approach is a manifestation of understanding the why and purpose and translating that into action.

We always look to understand strategy. If there isn’t one, we look to help to create one. This allows a more holistic and prioritised approach. Too many lawyers look to answer the question that is asked, and many do that very well and very professionally. But the real skill is to wonder why that question is being asked and provide some other questions where appropriate.

Looking to solve a problem in the best way to meet the needs of the specific client starts from an understanding of what is and isn’t important and what is and isn’t important in the world of IP, but then it must be about tailoring that to the needs of the client. This requires a proper understanding of the business in front of us as well as the technical IP aspects, and the needs and desires of the instructing party.

Then we tailor accordingly. Tailor to fit the strategy, to fit the budget, requirements for speed, need for publicity (or secrecy), need to be aggressive, need to be understanding. The overall approach (strategic, commercial, cost effective, practical) will not change, but the specific manifestation of that for a client will be different every time.

Q. Stobbs is known for its imaginative and practical application of law. How do you balance creative solutions with the rigorous demands of legal compliance, especially when addressing clients’ unique and evolving needs?

We have large numbers of amazing people, with great formal training and huge legal expertise. We will always be rigorous in our legal analysis. This will always be the starting point for what we do.

We have to have real depth and rigour in relation to our legal understanding and analysis. The creativity comes from the application of that, how it is explained, how it is tailored to the situation, and creating clear recommendations and being confident and clear in those recommendations. Not only considering formal legal options, or only pursuing cases where the merits suggest there will be a win in Court. Sometimes practicality dictates that a different result is required, and so non-traditional routes need to be followed. The key is to be open to those different routes, not only prioritise the formal legal approach, and truly tailor the approach to strategic needs. Identify and manage the risks. Be on the same page and in step with the client. An expert advisor of course, but a partner for the client, helping to achieve their goals, pulling in the same direction.

In a traditional legal environment rigour is not usually the problem. Conservatism is. Concern over being sued. Concern over getting it wrong. It stifles creativity and prevents the provider from doing the right thing. But open communication and partnership with the client cuts through this.

Q. Stobbs aims to be the world’s leading brand advisory company. How do you envision reshaping the world of trademarking and IP, and what innovative strategies are you employing to achieve this goal?

We are already, hopefully, changing the landscape. We are doing that through our approach to the work and our breadth of offering. But our culture is also critical. We are not trying to look or operate like a law firm. Our manifesto says “If you have ever worked with or within the law profession before, this is nothing like that”. This culture extends of course to how we deal with clients – we care, we provide clarity and simplicity, we cultivate our relationships, and we look to crush our tasks – but also importantly to our staff.  We care about and want our staff to embrace who they are as individuals. Share that individuality. Care about their colleagues and work properly as a team. A community that cares for each other. This in turn helps our staff to feel valued and safe and in turn to do their best work for our clients.

As we continue to develop, we are looking to make our services more and more international. The world of brands and commerce knows no boundaries, but traditional law does. Our clients need international help, international strategy and knowledge, and specific local execution. The days of focusing only on one place, one legal system, one priority, are gone. We have always had an international outlook and our growth allows us to focus more and more on being able to provide truly international support for our clients.

Q. Given the rapid changes in intellectual property law, how does Stobbs stay ahead of legal developments and integrate new legal insights into your services to ensure that clients receive the most current and effective advice?

This is a key part of the excitement of the world of IP. It evolves as the world evolves and develops. A conservative and traditional mindset will be left behind. Understanding the evolving world and the evolving framework of IP is an essential part of being good at the work. We have to understand business, commerce and how IP interacts with it to do what we do. So, we treat it as an essential part of our day to day. As long as it is treated that way, we will never have a problem with staying on top of developments and keeping our clients abreast of them.

Meet the leader behind the success of Stobbs

Julius Stobbs, Founder

Julius founded Stobbs in 2013 with the mission to become the world’s leading brand advisory company, better serving clients through the principles of Intangible Asset Management. Julius has overseen the growth from a team of 18 people in 2013 to over 230 today – all committed to supporting the most well-known organisations who care about their brands.

Prior to founding Stobbs, Julius was Head of Trade Marks at Ipulse. He was also a Partner at a major European firm for seven years. Julius has an unparalleled knowledge of trade mark, registered design and copyright law, and applies this in a commercial way to provide practical and proactive advice for his clients. Clients appreciate Julius’s ability to combine a relaxed manner with an ability to grasp key issues quickly and provide focused advice.

He has extensive experience in contentious trade mark proceedings. In the UK his experience includes many appearances before the Appointed Person, and he is the most often heard trade mark attorney in inter partes proceedings at the UK Intellectual Property Office. He also has experience of proceedings before the UK High Court and IPEC. Julius also has vast experience of dealing with oppositions, cancellations and appeals before the EUIPO and of further appeals to the General Court and the European Court of Justice.

He provides advice on management and organisation of IP portfolios, trade mark and domain name policies, as well as IP strategies. He has substantial experience in IP issues relating to tax restructuring and in respect of licensing issues. Julius has extensive experience in dealing with domain name complaints and has had many successes before ICANN and Nominet and other domain tribunals. He also has considerable experience in advising on the acquisition of domain names, and in particular top-level domains. He has advised on and gained experience of the Companies House Tribunal.

Julius has served on the Organising Committee for the International Trade Mark Attorneys’ Annual Meeting and is a regular speaker at INTA and other events. He trains candidates for the CITMA exams and has also lectured on International Trade Mark Law at Manchester University. He spends his spare time studying for additional degrees, playing golf (in which he has represented his country) and making jewellery (commissions welcome). 

“We always look to understand strategy. If there isn’t one, we look to help to create one. This allows a more holistic and prioritised approach”