The Legal 500

Carpmaels & Ransford is a leading and progressive firm providing services in all areas of intellectual property. Its leading status in the profession is not an accident: it is the product of expertise and experience, underpinned by a lot of hard work. Maintaining that position requires constant learning and improvement, the desire to set continually higher standards and the ambition to exceed client expectations, not merely meet them.

The firm: Carpmaels & Ransford has been at the vanguard of intellectual property for over 200 years. Its pioneering roots in London now extend to Munich and around the globe with long-standing client relationships in the US, Asia and across Europe.

The firm is packed full of enthusiasts. Outside work, employees are skiers, surfers, musicians, singers, horse riders and sailors, to name a few. The firm believes that multi-faceted people make for a more dynamic workplace. It encourages individual talent and originality, rather than a corporate uniform.

What unites the firm is the intellectual energy that runs through it, the depth of its knowledge, a combined skill in solving the most challenging problems, an awareness of the necessity for pragmatic advice, and its commitment to meeting and exceeding client expectations. Together, Carpmaels & Ransford creates clarity from complexity with the application of intellectual rigour.

Types of work undertaken: Carpmaels & Ransford is a window on the world. Its work spans everything from life-saving pharmaceuticals to ground-breaking biotechnology, household name brands to global electronics.

Its broad-based technical expertise is organised into dedicated teams, with key technical and professional skills specific to both emerging and established industries. Each team represents a pool of specialist knowledge where developments in the law and technology are closely followed. Whenever relevant, that knowledge is shared between teams. This enables the firm to constantly maintain the highest levels of service that its clients have come to expect.

Patents: the firm has experience in drafting, preparing and prosecuting UK and European patent applications and dealing with all aspects of oppositions and appeals before the European Patent Office. It handles several thousand pending applications and has one of the largest opposition practices in Europe. It has unmatched experience in representing clients at formal oral proceedings before examining divisions, opposition divisions, appeal boards and the enlarged board of appeal at the EPO. Intellect, experience, knowledge and commercial acumen – a potent combination with which to approach any challenge.

Trade marks: creating clear differentiation from competitors is something every brand owner seeks. Carpmaels & Ransford’s proven expertise across all areas of trade mark work, including clearance searches, worldwide registration and litigation, helps brands win and maintain real competitive advantage. Brand understanding, pragmatic advice, added value, expert negotiation – a formidable team who measure success against client objectives.

Design and copyright: the firm’s role is to protect designs and ensure that ongoing enforcement will be straightforward and effective. It advises on the complex and often inter-related areas of registered designs, unregistered design rights, copyright and defence against infringement of third-party rights. Clarity, security, effective defence, thinking beyond a problem – a trusted team to protect clients’ valued assets.

Transactions and restoration: it is vital that clients obtain robust legal title to their IP. To this end, the firm has extensive expertise in transactions involving IP rights. It is highly experienced in evaluating title and preparing suitable agreements to ensure robust legal title, whether by way of assignment or other legally effective transfer, licence, franchise or security. Focus, tenacity, attention to detail, results-orientated – supreme expertise directed towards achieving optimum effectiveness for clients.

Number of partners 15
Number of other fee-earners 50
Total staff 140