By David Kirby
CJCH Consulting is a progressive and innovative company with Head offices the capital of Wales, Cardiff. An evolution from, and partner with, CJCH Solicitors, CJCH Consulting came to be in July 2017 after many successful years combating intellectual property (IP) crime and more recently being awarded a government grant from the Welsh Assembly to expand the digital IP protection and enforcement work already being delivered. Throughout 2017, CJCH Consulting closed major deals to represent major software companies, and on behalf of these clients brought legal cases against infringers on their intellectual property and commercial software.
CJCH Consulting has been in the headlines of Welsh and UK newspapers numerous times, perhaps most notably after recovering £20,000,000 for their clients through our Anti-Piracy and Compliance work. Given the efficient number of team members assigned to each case, the relative revenue generated is quite an achievement. Stephen Clarke is the CEO of the company, and one of those responsible for the firm’s exponential growth in the past year. I spoke to him about where the company began, where the company was heading, and how the company continued to stay ahead of the curve.
I first asked Stephen about the decisions behind making CJCH Consulting separate to CJCH Solicitors. The answer is relatively simple: Identity.
CJCH Consulting was conducting business as global company with international clients, whereas CJCH Solicitors was dedicated to being a local South Wales Law Firm with a commitment to their local clientele. The company did not want to put off loyal customers on the legal side of the business by losing their personable identity and becoming less approachable, but equally wanted to be seen as being able to compete in a global market. According to Stephen Clarke, CJCH Consulting is a physical representation of “the breadth of work we are doing and the services we have developed and can offer moving forward”; a service that very few companies can provide.
Stephen envisioned and nurtured the consultancy service and the Anti-Piracy and Compliance speciality which is one of the main driving forces behind the recent company’s growth. When asked about the future of the company and where it was headed, he stated that the company was looking to expand its client base by at least 50% in the next year. In addition, after consolidating the growth and success of past year, CJCH Consulting has hired a specialist contractor as a subject matter expert to “actively engage new clients and help pair their needs with bespoke solutions”. Historically, the company has always been approached by potential clients, and its reputation spread by word of mouth. The firm wants to continue to leverage on that positive reputation to continue to grow, evolve and dynamically adapt to the ever-changing needs of the market in the cyber and intellectual property industry.
Stephen was quoted as saying that “moving forwards, all businesses, not just in our field of work, are becoming more dependent on technology. In the industry we work in, technology is bound to be of assistance in the future and we see that it needs to be integrated with our personnel rather than replacing them.” The opportunity for the firm, then, is continuing to keep up with the times for the good of our clients, present and future, and the greater community without losing the service and personnel that make CJCH Consulting a valuable business partner.