The Legal 500

Work Department

Intellectual property and media team.

Position

Melanie is a partner in the intellectual property and media team specialising in the resolution of disputes involving intellectual property, and the law of defamation and privacy. Melanie’s intellectual property work includes: enforcement and protection of clients’ intellectual property; disputes relating to the infringement of trade marks; passing off; unlawful use of confidential information and trade secrets; the infringement of (registered and unregistered) designs, copyright and patents. The sectors to which Melanie’s expertise extends include: retail; textile; fashion; manufacturing. Melanie also has a particular experience in trade libel and reputation management, particularly in the context of social media and networking platforms, and the management of adverse or intrusive media coverage of clients’ business interests or personal lives. Melanie has been regularly appointed by the court to act as supervising solicitor in executing search and seize orders in intellectual property cases, and has recognised experience of search orders from all perspectives (whether claimant, defendant or supervising solicitor). Melanie was short listed in the Young Lawyer of the Year category in the Insider North West Young Professional Awards 2010. She was also awarded Pannone Lawyer of the Year in 2010. Melanie’s clients include corporate organisations and their directors, together with high profile individuals. Notable cases include: the reported case of Wasabi Frog Limited v Miss Boo and Gulfraz Mohammed [2009] EWHC 2767 (Ch), which judgment was picked up by a number of commentators in the legal press as the case included the reliance, we believe for the first time, by the court on Google ad-words traffic as evidence of confusion; acting for the influential British singer and musician, Siouxsie Sioux (the vocalist for the internationally well known band Siouxsie & The Banshees, and subsequently The Creatures, who was at the forefront of, and instrumental in, the creation and development of punk rock in the 1970s and subsequently in post-punk, new wave, gothic and alternative rock) in relation to the management of her image rights and the unlawful use by third parties of her stage name; acting for a former chief executive of a plc in relation to a series of defamatory articles which appeared in ‘The Daily Mail’ and ‘The Mail on Sunday’; advising and acting on behalf of The Hay Group Management Ltd in respect of the protection of its intellectual property and preventing the unauthorised and unlawful use of its confidential information. The Hay Group Management Ltd is the UK operation of a well established and highly respected global management consultancy business, Hay Group.

Career

Trained Cooper Sons Hartley & Williams (Manchester), qualified 2002, 12 partner general practice with offices in Manchester, Buxton and Chapel-le-Frith. Moved to Pannone LLP as a newly qualified solicitor in 2002. Appointed to senior associate at Pannone LLP in 2009, partner May 2010.

Languages

French.

Member

Longstanding committee member for the Association of Woman Solicitors, Manchester.

Education

Upton Hall Covent School, Wirral, Merseyside; University of Manchester (1999 English Law and French Law LLB (Hons), 2(1) four year degree course); The College of Law (Chester) (2000 Legal Practice Course, with distinction); Nottingham Law School (2009 Post Graduate Diploma in Commercial Intellectual Property, with distinction).

Leisure

Training for 10k runs, music, films, reading, eating, drinking, socialising.

Practice Areas

Defamation and privacy; Intellectual property; Media and entertainment