Publishers Association appoints new General Counsel and Director of Policy

The Publishers Association announced today that William Bowes would be its new General Counsel and Director of Policy.

William will join the Publishers Association from Cambridge University Press later this year, where he is currently General Counsel and Company Secretary, a position he has held since 2011. He has a particular speciality in copyright and has been active in the industry on a range of issues, both as chair of the Publishers Association’s International Board and prior to this as chair of the Publishers Association’s Academic, Professional and Learning Publishers Council.

Before joining Cambridge, William qualified as a solicitor as part of the intellectual property team at Wragge & Co (now Gowling WLG) in London. He has subsequently worked with Penguin Books and Informa PLC and in 2015 was listed in The Lawyer’s Hot 100.

Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, Stephen Lotinga said:

“I’m thrilled to be able to welcome Will to the Publishers Association. It’s a real achievement for us to attract someone of his talent to help support our members in the future.

“In Will we feel we have found someone who is not only an exceptional lawyer but fundamentally understands the challenges the publishing industry faces and the best way to address them.

“He brings with him a wealth of experience, commitment and knowledge and we look forward to putting that to use for the benefit of our whole industry.”

William Bowes said:

“I am delighted to be able to help the publishing community at this important time. We are all used to managing the business implications of the law as it stands today, but political events, judicial developments and technological trends mean that we must also grapple with what it might be tomorrow. 

“There is a lot of urgent work to do, including explaining the benefits of copyright, playing our part in ensuring online is a safe place to enjoy and create content but also one where fair trade can take place, fighting for the freedom to publish and campaigning for a free and open trading environment that enhances global interconnectedness for author and reader communities of which we are a part.

“I’m looking forward to helping publishers tell their story to decision makers and opinion formers, to ensure that the UK remains the world’s great meeting place for all those involved in creating, making, and sharing the best stories and most useful content.”