Meet the team

Julian Adamson

After studying at Bristol University and subsequently Richmond, the American International University in London, Julian possesses unique US and UK Honours in International Business. Having joined Adamson & Partners as an Associate in 2012, Julian became a Partner in 2015, taking responsibility for our Nordic and German teams before moving to Munich in 2018 to establish our Munich office, the principal European IP location. In 2024, Julian became Managing Partner of the firm. Julian focuses on leadership level in-house and law firm appointments, exclusively within the IP prosecution and litigation spaces. His comprehensive understanding of the global IP market, especially within Germany and the Nordics, has made him the go-to person for IP executive search, both within industry and for lateral Partner hires. In addition, Julian conducts IP Team Audits and Talent Benchmarking, providing his clients with customised assessments to answer critical talent management and succession topics.

« Julian is an outstanding recruitment advisor with full personal engagement and credibility. What impresses me the most is that he really understands our company, our culture and our specific needs. Adamson’s support in attracting highly qualified talent to Maiwald has been extremely helpful in moving our firm forward.  I trust Julian’s opinion and perspective and have always valued his partnership. »

“What sets Adamson & Partners apart from other search firms is their unparalleled knowledge of top diverse talent in the IP space. Not only are Julian & his team able to identify and engage the leaders we need today but, importantly, those of tomorrow who integrate seamlessly into our organisation.” FTSE 100 Global Pharmaceutical Company

Christopher Adamson

Christopher joined Adamson & Partners in January 2003 to spearhead the company’s expansion into the Legal market from its London City Office. Becoming Managing Partner in November 2014 to drive the growth of Adamson & Partners – which saw the opening of the Munich office in 2018 – he is responsible for growing and managing the firm’s network and capability in the France IP market as a fluent French speaker. Additionally, he oversees IP Litigation Partner and team hires for law firms across Europe, together with senior legal in-house appointments for clients on a global basis. Christopher manages retained searches on behalf of law firms for Intellectual Property Lawyers, usually at Partner level, with particular expertise in helping firms grow their IP practices on an international basis. Key jurisdictions include the UK, France and Germany. In January 2024, Christopher became the firm’s Senior Partner.

“Adamsons has shown a remarkable ability to understand our needs and expectations, and to match them with the best candidates available. Chris has an extensive knowledge of the IP profession of and has been very responsive and attentive to our feedback and queries throughout the process for each candidate. We have greatly appreciated the dedication and commitment to ensuring our satisfaction as a client. Ipsilon Group, 2023

Rene Chung

Rene Chung is responsible for senior Intellectual Property appointments across Europe, USA and Asia.  Specialising in pan-European and cross-border international assignments, Rene works with multinational companies and small to medium enterprises across a broad range of industries: Telecommunications, High-Tech / Software, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Medical Device, Industrial Engineering, Chemicals, FMCG, as well as IP law firms. Furthermore, Rene heads up the firm’s IP Licensing and Monetization practice. Rene holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering (Petroleum & Process Engineering) from University of Waterloo, Canada.  She worked as a Process Engineer in the chemical and automotive sectors in North America prior to joining the Executive Search business.  Before joining Adamson & Partners in 2009, Rene worked for two top-tier international executive search firms focusing on the Oil & Gas and Energy. She has worked and lived in Toronto, Hong Kong, Shanghai and London. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Rene speaks fluent Cantonese and intermediate Mandarin. She brings with her a diverse cultural background and extensive international work experience.

“Rene Chung from the Adamson & Partners team came highly recommended to us when we sought to hire our first IP Licensing Executive. This meaningful position would guide the initiation and build out of our licensing program and practice. From the moment of first discussion, it was clear Rene was determined to make our search for the right candidate a success. She sought out to intimately understand our needs and our business in order to help deliver a professional service and good outcome. The AP team did a marvellous job with guiding us through the defining process for the role, setting the attributes to seek from the position and working in alignment with various teams within our organization, including our talent acquisition function. With her thoughtful marketing plan for the position and the reach of her network makes it clear that Rene is terrific for supporting any enterprise looking to make a meaningful executive hire. I would highly recommend her and AP for their services.”

Milli Bouri

Milli is a Partner at Adamsons and has over 25 years of international Executive Search experience. Born in Malawi, Milli moved to the UK in 1996 to study Computing and Management. She began her career with a leading graduate recruitment company, where she launched and developed the IP division. Milli was promoted to a Senior Consultant before leaving to join a boutique Search and Selection firm offering a more bespoke approach. In 2004 she opened her own consultancy, continuing to offer her expertise in IP recruitment to leading Private Practices and In-house departments in the UK. Milli successfully managed her own firm for over 6 years developing and growing her portfolio of clients in the UK, before joining Adamson & Partners in 2010. Milli has extensive experience working exclusively within the Intellectual Property & Legal sectors for innovation-driven companies, and IP law firms. Not only has she successfully placed hundreds of IP professionals but followed their careers and remained a close and trusted contact in the industry. Milli knows first-hand the importance of using an advisor you can trust in a relatively small and close-knit market. Milli also heads up the M&A Transactions practice within the firm, having successfully supported several mergers in recent years. She has the experience to offer expert guidance throughout the M&A process to ensure a highly confidential advisory and mediation service, from start to finish.

“Milli Bouri is excellent.  She has a thorough understanding of the marketplace and of the organisations within it.  She acts with a genuine desire to match people with roles for a good fit and for long-lasting success.  She listens and suggest accordingly.  A true trusted advisor.”

“Over the course of the last 5 years, Mewburn Ellis has been through a period of rapid growth, necessitating the recruitment of part qualified and qualified lateral hires.  Milli has been at the forefront of helping us to find the right people to fit in with the culture of Mewburn Ellis and who meet our need that they are “trained for excellence”.  Milli has also been instrumental in supporting the development of an exciting new practice area in bioinformatics and digital health from conception to being a European leading practice in the field.”

“I have been working with Adamsons for over 20 years. In my opinion, they remain a cut above the rest in terms of sector knowledge and professionalism, and in terms of their range of services. I have been working with Milli for a decade of that time and we have had an extremely fruitful relationship, including securing multiple senior lateral hires and even placing our CEO. Milli has an impressive knowledge of the IP sector and she knows everyone; or, put another way, everyone knows Milli, and I am sure hold her in equally high regard. Where we benefit the most is from her understanding of our company, our leadership values and our culture. Milli has a strong sense of who will fit and who won’t, which saves us a lot of time and reduces recruitment risk, which is always present with senior level hires. Looking forward to a few more enjoyable and productive years working with Milli and Adamsons.”

Jessica Wohlert

Jessica is a senior member of Adamson’s Research function operating from Munich and London. She assists multinationals, SME’s, start-ups and leading law and patent practices in discovering exceptional leaders and professionals in the Legal & IP market. Her extensive network, coupled with a deep understanding of various industries and cultures, enables her to connect the brightest minds in IP with the right opportunities in the market. Based on her background in operations management and her prior career as an SAP-Consultant for a Big4, Jessica is furthermore responsible for A&P’s operational processes and systems and has integrated a continuous process of improvement for maximum efficiency in our service offering.

Rose Zeitler

Rose is a senior member of the Adamson & Partners’ research team based in Munich. Rose joined the firm in 2021 from a SHREK firm where she executed complex C-Suite and Board appointments and executive assessments in the Life Sciences arena on behalf of global clients in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Prior to this, Rose worked in other boutique and mid-sized UK based executive search firms in project and client management. Rose has since developed her industry expertise within the IP profession and enjoys supporting clients in the automotive, chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering, and software space as well as building an extensive network across Europe and the US within notable IP law firms. Rose speaks both French and German at a professional level.

Lisa Bonauer

Lisa is a Senior Associate in the Munich team and splits her time between the Munich and London office. Prior to joining Adamson & Partners in 2023, she worked at a top tier British law firm specialised in Intellectual Property. Lisa has honed deep patent & trademark expertise, which she gained over more than 6 years in private practice. She focuses on executive search and is predominantly involved in handling a large variety of projects covering M&A, Intellectual Property and Legal assignments across Europe as well as internationally. Lisa is dedicated on helping clients attract and retain market-leading talent. Using her profound IP knowledge, Lisa tailors research strategies to clients’ needs and accomplishes the respective processes, striving to always get the best results.

Julia von Sondern-Forsgren

Julia is a Senior Research Associate based in our Munich office.  Julia specialises in recruiting lawyers and patent attorneys at all levels of seniority, for both multinational and domestic companies, as well as private practice firms across a wide range of industries. She has a wealth of research experience and specialist knowledge in the legal sector. Prior to joining Adamson & Partners in 2021, Julia worked as a consultant in another leading international legal search boutique in Munich. After graduating with a BA Honours in International Business from the European Business School in London in 2005, Julia began her career as a consultant in an Executive Search firm and in the international HR Department of a multinational company. She has been working in the legal recruitment sector since 2010.

Lydia Reay

Lydia is a senior member of the Adamson & Partners’ research team based in London. Lydia has joined the company from a SHREK firm where she sat in the Corporate Officer’s practice with a focus on Legal & Compliance, placing General Counsels and Compliance Officers across multiple industries and on a global basis. Lydia has worked on assignments across the UK, U.S, Europe, the Middle East and Africa in predominantly heavily regulated industries such as Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Energy & Infrastructure and Manufacturing. Lydia has also carried out complex assignments within the Risk space, working closely with multinational banks on C-suite placements and restructuring projects. Lydia’s deep understanding of the Legal function and her extensive network allow her to access a broad range of talent.