Intellectual property in North

McDaniels Law

Boutique intellectual property firm McDaniels Law, based in Gateshead and Carlisle, handles the full spectrum of IP matters, regularly advising clients on the creation and ownership of IP rights, securing patents, trademarks and registered designs with particular strength in the furniture, textile, fashion and jewellery industries. The experienced team is adept in handling a myriad of multijurisdictional contentious and non-contentious matters. IP experts Niall Head-Rapson and Kelly Hudson jointly head up the group which also advises on registrability, oppositions, cancellation proceedings in the IPO, EUIPO and other IP offices. Carlisle-based director Adam Turley oversees mainly handles contentious matters before a range of courts.

Practice head(s):

Niall Head-Rapson; Kelly Hudson


Other key lawyers:

Adam Turley


Key clients

Damian Evans Design Limited


Equipment Supplies and Consultancy Services Limited


Hairjamm PTY


Fairfax & Favor Limited


Noble Corp Limited


Teemo Designs Limited


Backyard Furniture/Stdio PTY


Transmit Start-Ups Limited


Photobooth Props Limited


Meridian Upholstery Limited


Work highlights


  • Representing Damian Evans Design Limited in ongoing complex multijurisdictional negotiations related to a High Court claim concerning the interpretation of a contract, letter of understanding, and deed of variation which govern the licensing arrangement.
  • Representing Hairjamm in an appeal of an EUIPO decision in an invalidity action relating to an EU trademark.
  • Representing Equipment Supplies Limited in its claim against its former solicitor, Irwin Mitchell. The claim concerns professional negligence in Irwin Mitchell’s conduct of an intellectual property infringement claim it conducted against our client’s former partner.

Muckle LLP

The intellectual property team at Muckle LLP provides the full spectrum of IP support with specialist IP know-how in the tech, media, sport and charity industries. While esteemed practice head Alex Craig is the team’s key name for advising high-profile clients on non-contentious IP, data and tech matters, litigator George Festing oversees the contentious side of the practice and is regularly instructed to act in leading music industry matters. He is assisted by associate Alex Speirs who advises both individuals and corporates on contentious IP issues including passing off and rights infringement, cross-jurisdictional distribution agreements and debt recovery. John Devine left the firm in October 2022 to go in-house.

Practice head(s):

Alex Craig


Other key lawyers:

George Festing; Alex Speirs


Key clients

Thunderful


Version 1


I Portalis


Caribbean Premier League Limited


Meiyume (UK) Limited


Work highlights


  • Advised Swedish game development company Thunderful Groupon in its acquisition of British development studio Jumpship Ltd.
  • Acted for leading Irish technology and digital transformation provider Version 1 on three acquisitions in the qualifying period, Evoco Digital, Instinctive BI, and Automation Logic.
  • Acting for Meiyume (UK) Limited supporting its internal team with its contract negotiations.

Ward Hadaway LLP

Ward Hadaway LLP’s Newcastle-based intellectual property team provides contentious and non-contentious advice to tech start-ups, entrepreneurs and clients from the digital and creative sectors. The team led by Bill Goodwin, who is also a chartered trade mark attorney, has particular expertise advising spin-out companies from the university sector. A key practice area concerns trade marks where the team built a strong portfolio of blue-chip clients providing registration and portfolio management services as well as handling trademark disputes. The group, including Tim Toomey, Robert Glassford and associate Sally Hyslop closely collaborates with the firm’s IT specialists, including key figure Judy Baker. Alex Shiel  retired in March 2023.

Practice head(s):

Bill Goodwin


Other key lawyers:

Judy Baker; Tim Toomey; Robert Glassford; Sally Hyslop


Key clients

University of Newcastle upon Tyne


ScS Sofas


Tech Nation


Be Modern


Cellularevolution


Workwear Express


Lusso Stone


Rheal Healthfoods


ESP Diagnostics


Newcastle Building Society


Work highlights


  • Advising Kinewell Energy on all aspects of the protection of its IP and the development, licensing and customer contracts that it enters into to exploit that IP.
  • Acting for Tech Nation Limited and carrying out a wide range of IP work, including handling trade mark registrations, sponsorship agreements, publishing agreements and contracts relating to the various products which Tech City has developed, including Digital Business Academy, the Tech Nation Report and Tech Immersion.
  • Advising to Rheal Healthfoods Limited on a range of legal and IP issues, including the protection of their brand through trade mark registrations.

Mincoffs Solicitors LLP

The specialist TMT practice at Mincoffs Solicitors LLP has particular expertise in advising media and entertainment clients on intellectual property matters with significant expertise in brand licensing and franchising. The group has a strong track record in the creative and digital sectors including in relation to instructions with global brands in the toy, entertainment and licensing world. Antony Hall heads up the team which includes Stewart Irvine who handles the contentious side of the practice. Key clients include Steamforged Games Limited and consumer robotics company Dexory. Further, the department is frequently called upon by the region’s universities to advice on all IP-related matters.

Practice head(s):

Antony Hall


Other key lawyers:

Stewart Irvine


Testimonials

‘A clear understanding of our business at a granular level which helps build strong connections when opportunities arise.’

‘The practice is large enough to offer an all-round commercial service range, but still give clients specialist support and advice with their IP needs. The Mincoffs IP team are very approachable and patient when explaining the reasons for their advice.’

‘The individuals we deal with are good to work with and give the time needed to comprehensively deal with IP matters.’

Key clients

Coatsink Software Limited


Northumbria University


Generator North East


Little Learners Franchise Limited


Lingotot Limited


North East Screen Limited


Steamforged Games Limited


Plaza Collection Limited


Signifo Ltd


Work highlights


  • Advising Northumbria University’s Student and Graduate Enterprise Service by providing intellectual property advice to the University and its students and alumni.
  • Advising Manchester-based gaming company Steamforged Games Limited on the acquisition of various gaming and entertainment property titles by intellectual property acquisitions.
  • Assisting fashion retailer Plaza Collection with its portfolio management as it continues to expand, with international customers and manufacturers in India, China, Turkey, Romania and the UK.

Keystone Law

Keystone Law’s intellectual property offering includes handling both IP disputes and providing commercial IP advice, often with an international dimension. Will Sander is a UK and European chartered trade mark and design attorney with a broad practice ranging from protection and monitoring to exploitation of IP involving all IP rights from trade marks, patents, design, confidential information, copyright, to database rights.

Other key lawyers:

Will Sander


Key clients

Thane


Mockingbird Raw Press


Borough Kitchen


Immediate Media


Not on the High Street


Galgorm Hotel and Spa


Lumon Pay


Zero Carbon Farms


Kooth Plc


Work highlights


  • Advising Thane on the global protection of core brands, involving the management and prosecution of scores of trademarks in the UK, EU, North America, South America and other jurisdictions, the management and prosecution of numerous registered designs.
  • Acting for Mockingbird in multiple trademark (and related IP) matters, currently involving trademark prosecution matters covering or anticipated to cover the UK, EU, and USA.
  • Acting as the global trademark counsel for Immediate Media, involving maintaining and securing trademark protection in multiple jurisdictions, and the advice on multiple associated issues, including contentious issues.

Sintons LLP

Pippa Aitken heads up the Newcastle-based intellectual property team at Sintons LLP with particular strength in brand protection and trade mark portfolio management. Karen Simms advises clients in the protection of know-how and trade secrets, the commercialisation of IP rights, and the registration of national, EU and international trademarks. Hilary Waters handles the contentious side of the practice and associate Chloe Dinsdale specialises in commercial contracts in the public sector.

Practice head(s):

Pippa Aitken


Other key lawyers:

Karen Simms; Hilary Waters; Chloe Dinsdale