Barnes Law is a boutique commercial law firm based in the heart of Mayfair

Yulia Barnes is our Managing Partner and an experienced solicitor of more than 20 years. She specialises in commercial and corporate law, dispute resolution and corporate governance for commercial clients and high net-worth individuals.

Experience

‍Yulia  first qualified in Russia, before then qualifying in England and Wales. Following this, she worked at a large international law firm, before becoming a partner at a regional law firm heading up the Dispute Resolution department.

Yulia’s career then took her in-house, before she decided to start Barnes Law, her own boutique practice, with the aim of providing exclusive services to HNW individuals and privately-owned businesses in 2018.

‍Yulia’s practice is wide spanning, but she has particularly extensive experience in commercial litigation and contentious trusts, as well as regularly advising on M&A deals.

‍Approach

‍Yulia and the wider Barnes Law team are recognised for their strong awareness and skills across the broad spectrum of both commercial and corporate law.

Yulia takes a practical and professional approach to all matters and is dedicated to ensuring clients’ objectives are achieved in the most cost-effective way possible. She prides herself on her problem-solving, her commercial acumen and project management skills, while being robust in negotiation.

Yulia brings a personal touch to every case and immerses herself in all her clients’ businesses to gain a deep understanding of their position and the best approach to achieve their strategic objectives. This has led her to be recognised as a leading professional in her field.

In her spare time Yulia enjoys sailing, hiking and theatre.

Mark is an experienced solicitor whose practice areas include intellectual property (IP), IT, data protection and general commercial law.

Mark advises businesses of all sizes – from sole traders to corporations. Among his clients are: clothing and lifestyle brands, restaurants and food suppliers, IT companies, banks, hedge funds and venture capital firms, education providers, medical and pharmaceutical brands.

Outside of his practice, Mark also advises members of the Institute of Directors as part of its Directors’ Advisory Service.

Recent transactions

• Prosecuting a UK trademark application on behalf of an education provider and representing them in related UK IPO opposition and revocation proceedings;
• Advising a publisher and a delivery business on data protection matters, B2B and B2C Ts & Cs of sale, website and app Ts & Cs, all aspects of global brand protection;
• Advising footwear brands, alternative asset managers and hedge funds on their global brand protection, including overcoming various refusals, representing them in opposition proceedings and settlement negotiations;
• Representing a central bank in opposition proceedings before the UK IPO;
• Advising a lifestyle brand concerning trademark clearance and protection, negotiations for a website/app development and maintenance agreement.

Will joined Barnes Law as an Associate Solicitor in Spring 2023, shortly after qualifying in September 2022.

Will offers a full service across the residential and commercial property sector. Will acts for clients including high-profile individuals and private companies on a vast range of property matters involving buying and disposing freehold and leasehold properties, and matters involving transfers, leases, and assignments.

Alongside residential conveyancing, Will also advises on matters ranging from the investment acquisition, management, and sale of real estate assets to the purchase and development of new properties.

Away from the office, Will can be found reading or playing golf. While he played rugby until university and rowed throughout his degree, he now tends to watch both from the sidelines. During the winter, he can also be found skiing.

Will plans to continue developing his legal skills and experience at Barnes Law under the expertise and guidance provided by Yulia.

Alex joined Barnes Law in September 2023 after finishing his master’s degree in law. Prior to joining Barnes Law, Alex worked as a property litigation paralegal at Ashfords LLP.

Alex assists Yulia in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Alex works closely across the entirety of the firm’s litigation practice by drafting procedural documents, taking instructions from clients, preparing applications, and attending hearings. Alex is adept in handling residential landlord and tenant disputes, particularly those involving high-value properties, and especially enjoys assisting clients in disputes involving international arbitration.

In respect of our non-contentious services, Alex is experienced in reviewing and drafting commercial contracts.

Outside the office, Alex enjoys reading and hiking. Prior to working in law, Alex was a competitive tennis player. Alex continues to develop his skills in legal practice under Yulia’s guidance, and plans to sit the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exams (SQEs) in 2024.

Nadine joined Barnes Law in February 2024.

Having graduated from the faculty of law at Saint-Petersburg State University with a law degree, Nadine has become a qualified lawyer in a civil law jurisdiction. She has honed her expertise through work as an in-house and pro-bono lawyer, specialising in various areas of commercial law, particularly intellectual property matters.

Nadine furthered her education by obtaining an LLM degree in intellectual property law from Queen Mary University of London.

She has successfully passed the Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE) Part 1 and is currently pursuing her professional growth by studying for SQE 2 with the aim of becoming a qualified solicitor in the UK.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Nadine is a keen traveler, likes photography, attending art exhibitions, and practicing yoga in her free time.

Nadine is looking forward to developing her legal skills at Barnes Law under Yulia’s leadership.

Maria has joined Barnes Law in October 2023. Maria is a Trademark and Design Attorney. She has deep understanding of the intricacies of intellectual property law. Maria’s expertise extends to the European Union, where she is recognised as a Qualified EU Trademark and Design Attorney, adept at navigating complex landscape of EU trademark law to protect and advance the interests of her clients.

Maria is also a part-qualified UK Trademark Attorney, demonstrating her commitment to offering comprehensive trademark solutions across multiple jurisdictions. This combination of qualifications empowers Maria to provide strategic cross-border intellectual property advice and a result driven representation.  

Maria helps businesses to safeguard their innovations and brand identities, ensuring their intellectual assets are well protected in a dynamic global marketplace.

In her free time, Maria enjoys reading, going to Pilates and cardio classes, and walking in nature.

Maria is looking forward to continuing the development of her legal skills at Barnes Law.