Charles River Associates hires IP team from Kroll

Charles River Associates (CRA), a Boston-headquartered management consultancy, has hired a team of 20 consultants from the intellectual property (IP) advisory services practice of Kroll.

The team, led by vice presidents Chris Bakewell and Julia Rowe, joins CRA’s IP practice. Bakewell and the majority of the new team members are based in Houston, while Rowe is based in Chicago.

“This is a very exciting addition to our IP practice,” said Paul Maleh, president and CEO of CRA. “Rarely do we have an opportunity to bring in such an abundance of top talent all at once. Moreover, it is gratifying to welcome Chris and Julia back to CRA, as both worked here earlier in their careers.”

Bakewell brings 30 years of experience, including 17 years at Kroll (formerly Duff & Phelps), where he was managing director and leader of the IP advisory services practice. He has extensive expertise in IP valuation, licensing, and strategy, as well as patent infringement, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, and trademark and copyright infringement.

Bakewell is an accredited senior appraiser and certified licensing professional who has provided expert testimony on issues relating to value of rights of publicity and name, image, and likeness.

Before his tenure at Kroll, he spent four years as a principal at CRA. Before that, he held several senior financial management roles at Wartsila Energy.

He has an MBA from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bradley University.

Rowe has over 15 years of experience, including 13 years at Kroll. She has testified in numerous cases involving patent infringement, trademark infringement, copyright infringement, and theft of trade secrets, and has extensive experience analyzing international trade issues, lost profits, reasonable royalties, and unjust enrichment.

She most recently was a managing director in Kroll’s IP advisory services practice. Prior to her tenure at Kroll, Rowe spent three years at CRA, where she was an associate.

She has a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul University, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan, and a CPA designation.

“Chris and Julia are recognized experts in the field and are joined by an impressive team of experienced consultants,” said Daniel McGavock, leader of CRA’s IP practice. “I look forward to working with them to help clients address complex business and economic issues related to IP assets at a time when new technologies are both converging and developing rapidly, and the stakes are particularly high.”