The Legal 500

United Kingdom > South West > TMT > Intellectual property

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Bond Pearce LLP’s clients include B&Q, Royal Mail, English Heritage and new client Qinetiq. It provides J Sainsbury with a legal audit service for all of its grey market trading, including trade mark analysis, and assisted Marks & Spencer in IP litigation. Tom Phipps heads the team.

Burges Salmon LLP’s team is ‘consistently responsive, accessible and well placed to deploy required resources’. It advised The Carbon Trust on IP matters regarding Pyrolysis Challenge, and the University of Bristol on establishing and operating the National Composites Centre. Other clients include Harrods, the Virgin Group, and Discovery Communications Europe. Jeremy Dickerson and practice head Helen Scott-Lawler are recommended.

Osborne Clarke’s high-profile clients include Marks & Spencer, Mulberry Group, Microsoft and new gain Toni & Guy. The team advised Eurostar on the IP aspects of its rebranding. Clare Robinson heads the practice, with Sean Jauss leading on the non-contentious side.

James Touzel heads TLT LLP’s group, which represents several well-known brands, including Comparethemarket.com. Parragon Publishing is another client, and the team also advised Peacocks Stores and BonMarche on IP and design right matters.

Mark Lomas heads the practice at Ashfords LLP, which recently acted for Wasabi Frog on various trade mark filings, enforcement actions, oppositions and design infringement claims, and also advised the South West Grid for Learning Trust on the protection and exploitation of IP rights in E-Learning and E-Safety. Penhaligon’s, the perfume house, is another client.

Michelmores LLP represents the University of Plymouth, which it assisted with its IP commercialisation partner selection project. The team also acted for the Office for National Statistics in producing IP licence agreement templates. Rehman Noormohamed provides ‘timely and strategic’ advice, and is ‘extremely supportive’.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards’ clients include Airbus Operations, Clarks Shoes, and Weston Cider. The team also advised Hills Group on the IP aspects of a planned new mechanical biological treatment plant. The ‘excellent’ Doug Locke heads the team, which also includes Jonathan Oddy, who joined from Manches LLP.

Alan Pratt at Beachcroft is recommended.

Charles Russell LLP’s Patrick Gearon offers ‘clear, commercially focused’ advice.

Foot Anstey’s IP team is ‘excellent on all counts’, with Marlene Howels particularly recommended.

Humphreys & Co. offers ‘expert advice’, and Robert Humphreys is recommended.

BPE Solicitors LLP’s Iain Garfield is recommended.

Tim Walker is recommended at Rickerbys LLP.

Roxburgh Milkins LLP’s Ian Grimley is recommended.

Andrew Braithwaite is noted at Thrings LLP.

The ‘excellent, very efficientJessica Bent heads the team at Withy King LLP.

Lucy Morgan is recommended at Follett Stock.

Mark Lello has notable patent expertise, and heads Parker Bullen LLP’s ‘very professional’ team.

At Steer & Co, the ‘conscientiousRebecca Steer is recommended for copyright matters.

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW
  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW
  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to