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Leading Silks

Geoffrey Hobbs KCOne Essex Court ‘Geoffrey is a doyen of the IP Bar with particular strength in trade marks and copyright. He is a gifted advocate who holds the attention of the court, in particular at the appellate level, where much of his work is done.’
Andrew Lykiardopoulos KC – 8 New SquareAndrew has excellent strategic thoughts and input. He is a real team player who goes the extra mile to get the best result for the client, and he is detailed and hard working.'
Charlotte May KC – 8 New Square 'Charlotte is thorough and tenacious, and no stone is left unturned. She is also a great team-player and her advocacy is clear and precise.'
Tom Mitcheson KC – Three New Square 'Tom is a go-to barrister on technically difficult life sciences cases. He has a very good background in the life sciences and is able to distil cases into simple concepts easily and speedily, he provides cutting edge advice and his advocacy is smooth like butter, and he is very credible before the bench.'
Justin Turner KC – 8 New Square 'Justin is an absolute legend.'
Mark Vanhegan KC11 South Square ‘Mark is a class act. He is calm and thorough in court and he is often the difference between winning and losing a case.'
Andrew Waugh KC – Three New SquareAndrew is hard working and rigorous. He is always well prepared and willing to go the extra mile to get a good result.'
Michael Edenborough KC – Serle Court 'Michael is an accomplished advocate and is great at running complex points. He is very clever, thorough, and hardworking, often turning things round very quickly, and another strength is that he has a strong sense of how a case will ultimately pan out.'
Thomas Hinchliffe KC – Three New Square 'Tom is adept at both life sciences and technology cases, making him very versatile. He is very involved in his matters and provides excellent and timely advice, and on his feet, he has a great manner with the bench and is persuasive in his advocacy.'
Philip Roberts KCOne Essex Court ‘Philip is an outstanding advocate and certainly one of the top trade mark silks. He is deeply knowledgeable of the law and brilliant in court.’
Benet Brandreth KC11 South SquareBenet is an exceptional, classic advocate who is known for his comfortable and flawless presentation even in difficult technical cases. He is also a formidable cross-examiner and his opponents have been known to completely abandon their factual and expert evidence mid-trial following his careful deconstruction of their case.’
Nicholas Caddick KCHogarth Chambers 'Nicholas has huge gravitas and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. '
Martin Howe KC – 8 New SquareMartin commands respect, as he is thorough, thoughtful, and extremely knowledgeable. He is excellent at seeing the whole picture as well as the detail, he knows the law inside out, he digests the facts quickly, and he is excellent at advising on strategy.
Ian Mill KCBlackstone ChambersIan has great judgement and a great client-side manner. He is great in front of any judge and he truly has the ear of the court.’
Brian Nicholson KC11 South Square 'Brian is one of the top silks at the IP bar. He is superb on his feet and a delight to work with.'
Jeremy Reed KC – Hogarth ChambersJeremy is great to work with and open to client and instructing principal’s input, but appropriately tenacious when required. His advocacy is calm, respectful, and compelling, and he is able to develop a good rapport with judges and tribunals.'
Nicholas Saunders KC – Brick Court ChambersA silk with a measured and serene style of advocacy.’
James Segan KCBlackstone ChambersJames has exceptional clarity of thought which feeds through to exceptionally succinct and persuasive advocacy skills. He is absolutely at the top of his game.’

2022 Silks

James St Ville KC – 8 New SquareJames is renowned for his attention to detail and the amount of time that he invests into getting his cases in the best possible position for success. His advocacy skills are very good, and he has a persuasive style.’

2023 Silks

Richard Davis KCHogarth ChambersRichard is very personable and knowledgeable, and not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get on as part of a team. He is passionate in his advocacy, he reads the papers thoroughly, and his being a qualified patent attorney gives him a proper understanding of the underlying process.’

Leading Juniors

Stuart BaranThree New SquareStuart is a fantastic junior and a top choice as one of the best at the Bar. He provides well-thought-out and timely advice, has a strategic input, and works well within a team setting.’
Miles Copeland – Three New Square 'Cool, calm, and collected, and razor-sharp, he is lovely to work with.'
Michael Hicks – Hogarth ChambersMichael has such an eye for how a judge will see a case. His ability to take in detail and produce clear and thought-out pleadings is brilliant, and his cross-examination style is measured and effective.’
Guy HollingworthOne Essex CourtGuy is an excellent communicator, very pragmatic, and strategic. He thinks about the client and the ultimate objective and provides effective and timely advice, he is excellent on his feet in court, including in relation to obscure issues and points of procedure which are raised without prior warning, and he has adapted to be excellent both in person and in hearings that occur online.'
Kathryn Pickard11 South Square 'Kathryn is always calm and unflappable, and has a deceivingly razor-sharp mind. She thinks on her feet very quickly and her advocacy is brilliant - she has a calm yet forceful nature to her advocacy, and she has a lot of credibility with the bench.'
Chris Aikens11 South SquareChris is a clear thinker and is able to articulate strategy well to solicitors and clients. His advocacy is cool and well-paced, and he is able to win against more senior, grandiose, and flamboyant opponents.'
Jessie Bowhill – 8 New Square ‘Jessie is intelligent, well-prepared, and tenacious. She has a very well-structured approach to everything she does and her advocacy is excellent; one of the best trade mark barristers at the Bar.’
Denise McFarlandThree New SquareDenise communicates clearly with clients and is a compelling advocate who builds a logical and persuasive case.'
Katherine Moggridge – Three New Square ‘Katherine is an extremely bright and enthusiastic junior barrister who understands the best way of working with a team. She has fantastic experience and is rightly considered to be one of the leading junior patent barristers.'
Geoffrey Pritchard – Three New Square ‘Geoffrey is a deep thinker and believable in front of a judge. He is one of the most hardworking juniors and he gets his points across because of a fundamental honesty of demeanour.’
Jaani Riordan – 8 New Square ‘Jaani is one of the best all round juniors at the IP Bar. Brilliant for both patent and non-patent work, he is super hardworking and goes into forensic detail.’
Tom Alkin11 South SquareTom has first-rate judgment and an ability not to lose sight of the big picture.'
Tim Austen – Three New Square 'Tim is very thoughtful and provides plenty of good ideas and solutions.'
Charlotte BlytheHogarth Chambers ‘Charlotte is a very able advocate, and she is particularly effective in listening to the submissions of opposing parties and feedback from the UKIPO hearing officer and rebutting each of the points raised in a very clear and persuasive manner.’
Ashton Chantrielle8 New Square 'Ashton is excellent at both the paperwork and the advocacy. She is organised, engaged, involved, keen, and brilliant on her feet.'
Joe Delaney – Three New Square 'Joe is a strategic thinker and a great member of the team. He comes up with creative points and is not afraid to take a different position from the leader if he thinks it is the right thing to do.'
Christopher Hall11 South Square ‘Christopher is one of the leading juniors at the IP Bar; he is a great all-rounder and an excellent advocate who can hold his own against more senior barristers.’
Jeremy HealdThree New Square 'Jeremy is extremely bright and has a mastery of the technical and legal detail in patent cases. He is one of the most adept barristers at stress-testing a case to overcome difficult issues.'
Jonathan Hill – 8 New SquareJonathan is excellent technically. He gives great strategic advice, clients love him, and he is one of the best IP barristers.'
Victoria Jones3PB 'Victoria is a first choice for all contentious trade mark matters, as she has an excellent understanding of IP law and practice and an ability to explain complex issues in plain English. She is a formidable opponent.'
Jonathan Moss – Hogarth ChambersJonathan is a real team player and great for bouncing ideas around to mutually develop the strongest case. He has very good advocacy skills and deals extremely well with interventions from the judge.'
Jamie Muir Wood – Hogarth ChambersJamie is very good with clients and he is very bright. He knows his stuff across all areas of IP, and is very commercial in the advice provided.'
Daniel Selmi – Three New Square ‘Daniel is very responsive and pragmatic in dealing with the build up to cases. He gets stuck into the detail immediately.’
Stephanie WickendenSerle CourtStephanie is an excellent advocate who is never afraid to challenge views. She provides clear and pragmatic advice.'
Theo Barclay – 4 New Square Chambers ‘Theo is detail orientated, personable, and a brilliant advocate. He is collaborative and strategic with a firm grip on the legal issues, but he also has a real awareness of the commercial background and client relationships.’
Iona Berkeley – 8 New Square 'Iona is extremely bright, thoughtful, thorough, and practical. She has a good grasp of the court's likely reaction to a case and can be relied upon to anticipate potential issues.'
Sam Carter – Hogarth ChambersSam's strengths include good attention to detail and great knowledge of complex areas of IP.'
Thomas Elias – Serle Court ‘Thomas undergoes very thorough preparation, with a keen eye for detail and analysing the matter to find the best way to present the case. He is a strong advocate who is not intimidated by more senior opponents.’
Adam Gamsa – 11 South Square ‘A thorough junior who is easy to work with.
Dominic Hughes – Three New SquareDominic has a very good grasp of the detail and technical aspects of cases and he reads around the technology in question so that he understands it and the market in which it is used. He is very good with clients and explains matters clearly, and he has excellent commercial awareness and always has an eye on the clients’ objectives.’
Georgina MessengerThree New Square 'Georgina understands matters very quickly with a very fast processing power. She has excellent attention to detail, is very efficient on trade mark matters, and an extremely useful resource.'
Jacqueline Reid11 South Square ‘Jacqueline gives clear and direct advice to both solicitors and clients alike. She is very robust and will fight the client’s corner, and she is well-prepared and always knows the case well.’
Nick Zweck – Hogarth ChambersNick brings a level of analysis that is at least as good as, if not better than, any other experienced junior working in IP. He has international experience and clients really feel they are working with someone who understands their problems, and it often is an advantage that he has practised in more than one jurisdiction.'

Rising Stars

Mitchell Beebe – 11 South SquareMitchell is extremely responsive, personable, and intelligent.'
Beth Collett – 8 New SquareBeth is easy to speak with, tactically astute, and highly responsive.'
Alice Hart – Three New Square ‘Alice is very detailed and thorough. She is an excellent team player.'
Thomas Lunt – Three New SquareThomas is razor-sharp, enthusiastic, and works hard. He practises with a degree of competence far beyond his year.’

Intellectual property in London Bar

11 South Square


11 South Square is well-known for its work on leading IP cases in first instance trials and appeals, and its members are well-versed in appearing before the European Patent Office, General Court, and Court of Justice of the European Union. Iain Purvis KC has an all-encompassing IP practice, from patents to trade marks, and Michael Silverleaf KC is notable in cases involving complex technical facts, including monoclonal antibodies, medical devices, drug delivery systems, automotive catalysts, and wind power generation. Of recent note, he acted for the claimant in Original Beauty Technology Company & Others v G4K Fashion & Oh Polly, which concerned claims of passing off and infringement of design rights. With his scientific background, Mark Vanhegan KC is regularly instructed by high-profile clients across all levels of courts and tribunals, and he successfully represented Philips in a trial concerning the validity of two of its patents. The set is also home to patent expert Piers Acland KC, and Hugo Cuddigan KC, who has substantial experience in the music and entertainment industries.

Testimonials

‘The clerks at 11 South Square are very helpful and engaged with matters to ensure smooth running. Ashley Carr is fantastic and always on hand if listing or availability issues arise and is very keen to smooth things over if unexpected availability issues do happen from time to time.’

‘Jordan Foley and Sam Fullilove are the best IP clerks.’

‘A strong set and among the strongest for IP.’

‘They are leaders in the field.’

‘The barristers at 11 South Square have a broad range and depth of experience and they instil confidence that they can resource any IP issue.’

‘The clerking at 11 South Square is second to none. They are extremely responsive and flexible when the need arises.’

‘The clerks do a brilliant job.’

‘The clerks are responsive and friendly.’





8 New Square


The team at 8 New Square has a strong reputation for regularly handling major intellectual property litigation, with expertise across the entire range of patents, copyright, and trade marks, representing clients in all levels of the court system. Michael Tappin KC represented the claimant in Nokia v Oppo, a claim regarding patent infringement in the telecoms sector. Andrew Lykiardopoulos KC is notable in patent-related cases, and Martin Howe KC is strong in IP mandates concerning technology, including those involving the internet, broadcasting and computer systems, as well as biotech and pharmaceuticals. High-tech patent litigation is a significant strength of James Abrahams KC and he represents clients in the telecoms, pharmaceutical, advanced medical devices, and engineering industries. Lindsay Lane KC has a broad-ranging practice, with significant expertise in database rights, designs, passing off, and confidential information; she is instructed by the claimant in Ensygnia v Shell regarding a patent concerning bar codes. Justin Turner KC joined the set from Three New Square in July 2022.

Testimonials

‘The team is slick and professional, especially Nick Wise.’

‘Responsive and reliable. Nick Wise is a pleasure to deal with.’

‘8 New Square is an excellent IP specialist set, with real strength in depth.’

‘One of the best IP sets.’

‘They have great strength in depth and are very easy to work with, as well as being genuine experts.’

‘Excellent chambers with helpful and knowledgeable clerks and a wide variety of excellent barristers.’

‘Very strong set for all types of IP disputes.’

‘Nick Wise is very good.’

Work highlights














Hogarth Chambers


Hogarth Chambers is strong in handling instructions concerning trade marks, copyright, designs, confidential information, and increasingly, patents. Its members regularly appear before the UKIPO, High Court, and Court of Appeal, as well as the Supreme Court. Head of chambers Nicholas Caddick KC was instructed on behalf of the claimant in Studiocanal Films v Wild Bunch SA, a High Court action regarding a copyright licence agreement for fifteen animated films made by Studio Ghibli. Roger Wyand KC advises on a range of patent cases involving pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and electronics, and Alastair Wilson KC is strong on patent actions with heavy technical content. Andrew Norris KC is another notable group member. In team news, Richard Davis KC, who is also qualified as a patent attorney, made silk in 2023 and Simon Malynicz KC joined the set from Three New Square with a strong practice in contentious trade mark matters - he is representing Tesco in a dispute with Lidl regarding an alleged trademark infringement arising from Tesco’s use of a yellow circle in Tesco Clubcard branding.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are thoroughly sound individuals, many of whom have stacks of experience. Ian Bowie and Clive Nicholls are so well-known in IP circles that they need no introduction.’

‘The clerks are brilliant. Clive Nicholls and Ian Bowie lead a brilliant team.’

‘Ian Bowie is one of the most experienced IP clerks in the business.’

‘All of the clerks at Hogarth are always very helpful. John Davies is particularly helpful when it comes to negotiating diaries and agreeing fee arrangements.’

‘All the clerks are very good.’

‘Hogarth has a number of junior barristers who are reliable and do a good job.’

‘One of the best IP chambers.’

‘Hogarth is a go-to set for soft IP. Great clerks and barristers that love their work.’





Three New Square


The members of Three New Square are sought after for their skills in complex patent disputes, in addition to cases involving copyright, passing off, trade marks, and design rights. Guy Burkill KC focuses on patent litigation in the technology and telecoms sectors – he represented Apple and its distributors in a high-value telecoms-related patent dispute involving eight patents in four patent families against Optis, which claimed that Apple was using its technology without an appropriate license.  Douglas Campbell KC‘s practice encompasses both patent and non-patent work, and Thomas Hinchliffe KC has expertise in the pharmaceutical and electronics sectors.  Tim Austen regularly appears before the Patents Court, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, and the Court of Appeal he was also instructed by Match Group in successful trade mark infringement and passing off proceedings against Muzmatch, a Muslim dating app that claimed it had a defence of honest concurrent to be able to use the term ‘match’ in its branding. Charles Brabin is skilled in patent work regarding electronics, as is Joe Delaney.

Testimonials

‘Tim Fairburn is excellent; communicative, honest, and always flexible on brief fees and timings.’

‘Excellent; Nick Hill is always very easy to work with.’

‘Nick Hill is brilliant and a go-to clerk.’

‘Three New Square is an excellent set with great depth.’

‘Excellent chambers with lots of highly recommended barristers.’

‘Great strength in depth, including a good spread of experience.’

‘Three New Square is the chambers of choice as the barristers there are first-rate.’

‘There are extremely competent juniors there.’





Blackstone Chambers


Blackstone Chambers is highly reputable in trade mark and copyright matters in the media and entertainment industries; Robert Howe KC is highly adept in this area and he represented the defendant in Warner Music v TuneIn before the Court of Appeal, a case regarding if hyperlinks are a form of communication to the public. James Segan KC frequently provides representation before the Patents Court, as well as the Copyright Tribunal - he represented Ocado on a patent dispute with Norwegian company Autostore concerning the robots used in its warehouses.

Testimonials

‘Danny Compton is very good at arranging help with very busy barristers.’

The set and the clerks are excellent.’

‘Blackstone Chambers provides good service, particularly with a number of very good KCs.’

‘Blackstone is a leader in the field of IP.’

‘Blackstone has a number of strong barristers who delve into IP disputes.’

‘The clerks are supportive and efficient.’

‘The clerks are very helpful.’

‘Clerks are friendly and helpful.’





One Essex Court


One Essex Court has significant expertise across a wide range of IP disputes, including those involving trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs, comparative advertising, database rights, trade secrets, and privacy. It also handles contractual and licensing disputes involving IP rights, and the set has been increasingly active in patent-related mandates. Geoffrey Hobbs KC is the senior appointed person that hears appeals from the UK Registrar of Trade Marks under s76 Trade Marks Act 1994, and both he and Philip Roberts KC are instructed by the claimants on the landmark Supreme Court case Sky Plc v Skykick UK regarding trade mark infringements and the test for determining bad faith in the Trade Marks Act 1994. Emma Himsworth KC also sits as an appointed person, and is particularly skilled in matters involving trade marks and passing off, and senior junior Guy Hollingworth represents the claimant in TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited v Stitch Editing Ltd, a case concerning Stitch Editing’s application to register the trademark STITCH.

Testimonials

‘One Essex Court is well managed. The team of clerks are organised, easy to deal with, and quick to respond. Jackie Ginty and Jack Leppington are fantastic to work with and offer excellent support on every matter.’

‘Jackie Ginty and Jack Leppington are both great clerks and very responsive.’

‘The clerks are incredibly helpful and very responsive.’

‘Good, responsive, and timely.’

‘One Essex Court works together seamlessly. If one particular counsel is not available, an alternative is offered, and the alternative works collaboratively with former counsel to ensure continued representation for the client. Clients really value the consistency that comes with this approach, as well as getting effectively two views on their case!’

‘They are all excellent lawyers who are a pleasure to work with.’

‘One Essex Court has a set of outstanding advocates.’