It’s my pleasure to be in conversation with Rachel Conroy, head of the trade mark team at Boult. As head of group, she is heavily involved in client management and group management.
MP: Firstly Rachel, many congratulations for being listed in IP STARS Top 250 Women in IP, MIP, 2025; Recognised as a star, IP Stars, MIP, 2025; Recognised Individual, WIPR, 2025; and Recognised individual, WTR 1000, 2025 and to your team for your recent MIP awards where you were named UK Trademark Prosecution Firm of the Year, (Patent & Trademark Attorney firms) and ranked as a tier one firm. To start us off, how long have you been at Boult?
RC: 18 years, now.
MP: And what are you most proud of in your career at Boult?
RC: Getting to where I am in leading the trade mark group. Being a trade mark attorney ticks all the boxes for me; it allows me to use my legal skills and knowledge, assist clients in achieving their goals and do a job that I genuinely find interesting; trade mark law is always evolving so we are always learning. Now, too, I get to be involved in management and develop my business skills.
MP: How do you find leading the team?
RC: I really enjoy it. I run a tight ship and I am proud of it. Every now and then there are challenges, which is to be expected, but we’re a great team. I think it’s telling that when recruiting, we consider team fit as a really important selection criteria. That’s critical to us – we have a great balance in the team and expect new hires to get along. We’re all rowing in the same direction.
MP: Any advice you would pass on to your younger self? Did you join Boult straight from university?
RC: I did; I got lucky landing a job at Boult from university. I would say, follow your instincts. Have faith that if you put in hard work, achievements will follow.
MP: You mentioned challenges before. Are there any challenges that, with hindsight, were actually positives for you..?
RC: Surprisingly, Brexit. It spurred us on to grow our presence in Europe. That was likely to happen anyway, but it was brought forward through necessity and has been a good thing overall. It’s great to have European colleagues supporting on European matters but also seeing them work on national matters in Spain and Germany too. We are a large trade mark group and the size of the team, plus the expertise within it, really sets us apart, I think.
MP: What’s your favourite part of the job?
RC: It’s the people. Honestly. We have a great team and working with all of them is a pleasure.
MP: Are there any skills that you find particularly important in your job?
RC: Organisational skills are key. I was the girl at school with the colour-coded pencil case… I think that a good attitude and organisational mind-set, has been a major benefit throughout my career. On the management side specifically, I would say the fact I’m not afraid to have difficult conversations. Also, openness. That benefits everybody. I am a big fan of Brené Brown and there’s one particular line of hers that always stays with me: “clear is kind”.
MP: Do you have a typical day?
RC: No, not really. I do have some regular commitments, but it can change a lot. Usually, I spend much of my day speaking to people, either internally or with clients. My day is focused on both client work and management of the practice and so prioritisation is key. Some parts I can predict, but other parts of my work are less predictable, which helps to keep it interesting.
MP: How do you see the landscape for trade marks looking in the future?
RC: There is lots of talk about AI within the profession at the moment. I think there are many ways in which AI will serve us very well in the future, in helping us to streamline processes and become more efficient, but it cannot replace our technical skills and abilities. As in many legal professions, the application of trade mark law requires nuance, which I don’t think AI will ever be better at than professionals.
MP: Thanks Rachel – do you have any closing thoughts?
RC: I would end by saying that the working world has changed a lot in the last 18 years that I’ve been in the profession and there will continue to be change. It’s important that we keep up with this and continue to offer the best service we can to our clients. I am confident about the future. We’ve got great partners in our firm and our team is going from strength to strength. I’m fortunate to have such a strong and supportive group of colleagues around me. That’s so important.
If you wish to find out more about Rachel and her trade mark practice, details can be found here, and you can contact Rachel at rconroy@boult.com. Until next time, thanks for reading our conversation with Rachel, allowing you to get a sense of the fantastic people at Boult. Read the full series here.
