Taylor Wessing has hired Jamie Humphreys as a partner in its London disputes team from Cooley, strengthening its product liability and product safety practice ahead of its planned combination with Winston & Strawn.
Humphreys arrives after just over a decade at Cooley, which he joined after it merged with his previous firm Edwards Wildman Palmer. His practice spans product liability, regulatory compliance, investigations, product recalls and litigation.
His appointment comes as Taylor Wessing and Winston & Strawn voted to combine to create Winston Taylor. One of the new firm’s key focus areas will be technology-driven markets, encompassing product liability-related litigation, investigations and cross-border regulatory matters.
Humphreys advises clients across the full product lifecycle. His expertise covers technology, online marketplaces, electrical and gas appliances, automotive products, construction products and consumer goods, and he has acted on multi-jurisdictional recalls and safety issues.
Taylor Wessing said the hire aimed to support its strategy of developing a comprehensive, end-to-end products practice amid growing demand from clients navigating new UK and EU product safety and regulatory requirements, especially among large, cross-border businesses.
Humphreys has also represented clients in investigations by the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, and is regularly called on to engage with international regulators, not least on complex multi-jurisdictional recalls and safety issues.
Shane Gleghorn, UK managing partner at Taylor Wessing, said: “[Humphreys] brings exceptional expertise in product liability, regulatory investigations and product safety, all areas of growing strategic importance for our clients.”
Katie Chandler, head of Taylor Wessing’s disputes team, said Humphreys’ “whole-lifecycle approach, regulatory expertise and strong relationships with global technology and consumer products companies are a tremendous addition to our team, particularly the product liability and safety offering”.
She added: “Together, and as part of the broader Winston Taylor platform, we will be exceptionally well placed to compete for the most significant mandates in the UK and internationally.”
Humphreys said he was excited to join “at such a pivotal moment in the firm’s evolution”. He cited the strength of the disputes team, the product liability offering and the international reach and vision of Winston Taylor as “individually very compelling”.
“Collectively, they provide an outstanding foundation for building a genuinely differentiated, global products practice for our clients,” he said.
In LinkedIn posts, Humphreys also reflected on his time at Cooley. “I feel incredibly privileged to have worked for so many wonderful clients on cutting-edge cases alongside my amazing colleagues,” he wrote. “And more by accident than design, I discovered a fascinating and fast-moving area of law that, for my money, is the most exciting area to practice right now.”
He added: “I’m indebted to so many great clients, mentors, supervisors and colleagues who have helped me over the past 20-odd years, improving me as a lawyer and a person while never losing sight of the importance of having fun.”
Humphreys said the products sector was in “enormous flux”, pointing to “new rules, new technologies and new(ish) regulators shaking up established norms”. He added: “It feels like the perfect time to start something new.”
Taylor Wessing’s UK and Benelux arms recently announced a reduced partner promotions round ahead of the Winston Taylor launch, although it has been active laterally. The German and French offices will announce their promotions in May.
Recent London lateral hires by Taylor Wessing’s UK arm include IP partner Henry Priestley from Russells, competition partner Stephen Whitfield from Travers Smith, property tax partner Gemma Grunewald from DLA Piper and leading dealmaker and renowned commercial partner Jeremy Drew from RPC.
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