A formula for success | Laura Onuoha

We believe that our people and their stories are fundamental to who we are as a firm. Our commitment to adaptability, collaboration, and professional excellence is reflected in our day-to-day work and also in how we celebrate the continued achievements of our alumni. Through our Reach Network, we foster enduring relationships, support career progression beyond our employees, and champion a diverse range of experiences within the legal sector and beyond. 

We chose to interview Laura because her career journey embodies these core values. She has demonstrated ambition, versatility, and authenticity throughout her career, progressing from being a trainee to an intellectual property specialist, to an in-house trade mark attorney at Formula 1. She reflects both the strength of community offered by the firm and the spirit of innovation that underpins our approach to law.

In this article, Simon Jupp, Winston Taylor Senior Counsel talks to Laura about her career and how she moved into an exciting role at Formula 1. 

Working in intellectual property (IP) law, never mind at Formula 1, was never part of Laura’s grand plan. Of course, that’s not to say that she never considered being a lawyer when she was young. 

“Growing up, before I knew what being a lawyer actually meant, my mum and I would watch a lot of true crime documentaries together. I think that sparked an interest in the field, leading me to study law at A-level. At the time, I imagined I might go into criminal law because it was the only type of law I’d seen on screen."

Things changed when Laura began her undergraduate degree at Southampton University. "I soon realized that criminal law wasn’t for me. Instead, I found myself increasingly drawn towards the commercial and corporate side. It wasn’t until my third year that IP law even appeared on my radar."

Upon completing her degree, Laura faced many choices familiar to aspiring lawyers. "What sort of law firm do you want to work for? Do you want to find an in-house role? Do you even still want to be a lawyer?" Laura initially chose to pursue a paralegal position, a move that proved pivotal when she accepted a patent paralegal role, which then evolved into a focus on trade marks. "Everything clicked for me; instinctively trade mark law felt right. It was commercial, creative, varied, and dynamic, and it felt like an area of law I wanted to focus on in my career." 

When an opportunity arose at the firm in its IP Team, Laura jumped at the chance. 

Laura joined the firm in 2015. At the time, the team was reasonably small and close knit. "That environment accelerated my development because from day one I was thrown into the deep end in the best way possible. While some law firms don’t let trainees and junior associates near clients for years, I was working directly with them, discussing strategy and making decisions on my own caseload as soon as I started. I was trusted to do these things on my own, but always with support should I need it. 

This early responsibility developed my confidence, autonomy, and sense of ownership over my work long before many of my peers in similar roles reached the same stage. In addition, because of the fairly small size of the team, I worked closely with multiple partners on a daily basis. 

This not only allowed me to learn from their individual approaches and knowledge bases, but it also gave me exposure to different clients with differing needs, meaning I could develop a more comprehensive understanding of IP law in the real world. 

But the part of the firm that stayed with me the most wasn’t the work. It was the people. There was something special about the culture in the team. We genuinely liked each other. We regularly went for drinks after work and spent time together outside the office, even setting up a book club at one stage! 

It didn’t feel forced or performative. It was just a good group of people who got on well. These relationships have stood the test of time, and I’m still in contact with many of my old team today." 

Although Laura seemed set for a future in private practice, life took another turn when Formula 1 presented itself as an unexpected opportunity. 

"This was a huge opportunity, and I was nervous about it, but my experience working at the firm–a huge powerhouse in itself—gave me the confidence to pursue something I may not have otherwise felt I could." 

Laura wasn't actively looking for a new role when she heard about the Formula 1 opportunity through a colleague. "I didn’t consider myself a Formula 1 fan, and I figured that would probably be held against me because they'd want someone who lived and breathed the sport or at least knew more about it than I did. I had to think long and hard about how to answer in the interview if that question came up! But in the end, I told the truth and, evidently, they weren’t looking for a fan but someone with the right experience and confidence to do the job. 

I honestly believe that my experience helped me to secure the role. I could demonstrate that I understood the needs of clients because I had direct contact with the firm’s clients from day one. I’m thankful to all my colleagues and the partners who helped me along the way." 

Transitioning from private practice to an in-house role was a significant change, but thanks to the exposure Laura gained at the firm, there wasn’t too much adjustment needed to move to such a large organization. 

For anyone considering a similar move, Laura advises thorough research before commiting to a new role: "Every company needs something different from their in-house lawyers. Be sure you know what your prospective role will encompass and involve. I’m purely focused on IP, and most of my time is taken up with trade mark opposition and related infringement work or challenging people's unauthorised use and registration of our IP. 

Some of my time is also spent drafting trade mark licences. This is what I wanted to be doing. I’d tell anyone to follow the same thinking when considering a new role–don’t work for a company simply because you're a fan of the brand, but instead make sure that the role itself aligns with your career goals and will offer the work you want to be doing day-to-day. This will help ensure you don’t end up losing your speciality, among other things.

One of the things I love about working in Formula 1’s Brand Protection team is that we're very hands on and do a lot of the substantive work ourselves. While we do use external firms for their specific expertise in each jurisdiction, we oversee and scrutinize everything they do on our behalf. Handling these matters in-house keeps things interesting for me and my team. There’s always something to do around here. As you might expect in Formula 1, we have to move fast too!"

Laura encourages others to make early moves into in-house roles, if suited: "I joined Formula 1 early in my career, but it was the right time to move for me. My perspective on things has slightly changed now that I’m the client. While I’m doing a similar type of work to what I did for the firm, I’m seeing it all from the other side and from within a business rather than from the outside.”

Sometimes hard work brings tangible rewards too. "I’ve been lucky enough to be able to go to various Formula 1 races during my time working here, including the races in Miami and Barcelona recently. I had a backstage pass, and while a lot of it was lost on me at first, it was fantastic to see how everything comes together, from the drivers and teams to the hospitality and the overall logistics. It was great to see Formula 1 in action and to be reminded of what we are all working towards, something that may not be at the forefront of our minds day to day when we're sat at our desks!"

Reflecting on her journey so far, Laura said: "I feel fortunate having worked for both the firm and Formula 1. You need to be on top of your game for both, but the professional rewards are limitless. I look forward to continuing the work I enjoy and seeing where my career will take me.”