Barker Brettell LLP > Southampton, England > Firm Profile
Barker Brettell LLP Offices
MEDINA CHAMBERS
TOWN QUAY
SOUTHAMPTON
SO14 2AQ
England
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Barker Brettell LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Trade mark attorneys Tier 1
Barker Brettell LLP is praised for providing its clients with ‘commercially sound and proactive advice’, and it is highly experienced in representing clients before the UKIPO, EUIPO, and WIPO. It handles a substantial volume of UK and EU trade marks filings, and coupled with its growing strengths in Sweden, it is well-placed to offer a seamless service to domestic and oversea clients. The group boasts a wide-ranging client base, covering the aerospace, automotive, computing and software, cosmetics, energy, food and drink, medical, and education sectors. Birmingham-based Catherine Wiseman leads the team and her offering encompasses assistance with global portfolio management, freedom to use and register trademarks, and filing and prosecuting trademark applications globally. Lucy Walker is another name of note with expertise in the policing and enforcement of rights domestically and internationally, due diligence matters, and IP issues in liquidation proceedings. Tracy Arch also manages the trade mark portfolios of global clients. Lisa King, ‘go-to IP advisor’ Rosalyn Newsome, and ‘excellent trademark attorney’ Rosanne Farmer in Birmingham, and the ‘very strong lawyer, strategist, and logician’ Ian Pearce and Louis Pittortou in Southampton are also key members of note.Practice head(s):
Catherine Wisemam
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Catherine Wiseman and her team are pragmatic and professionally skilled. They have extensive knowledge of the legal aspects, and you are always in good hands.’
‘Ian Pearce is a very strong lawyer, strategist, and logician. He is responsive, courteous, and delivers top-quality work product and service.’
‘Barker Brettell provides a tailored and personal service, resulting from the key leads building a relationship to understand the business. They take time to understand how different areas of the business operates and what suits them.’
‘Rosanne Farmer is an excellent trademark attorney. She is very knowledgeable and action orientated in managing portfolios.’
‘The Barker Brettell team is attentive to clients, and they offer commercially sound and proactive advice to complex matters in a way that is easy to understand.’
‘Rosalyn Newsome is a go-to IP advisor. Her technical knowledge is excellent, but it is her ability to communicate with clients which is the reason I repeatedly refer work to her.’
‘Rosalyn Newsome genuinely wants to understand the client’s end goal, and creates an IP strategy to support the commercial aims.’
‘The team quickly becomes part your business. They are on hand for advice whenever required, and they also make you feel a part of their team, creating an approachable dynamic and making it easy to reach out to each team member directly.’
Key clients
ADM Protexin
AETN
Altro
Autoglym
Amouage SAOC
Aston Manor
Automobile Club Di Brescia
bit.bio
British Racing Motors
Carma Laboratories
CH&Co
Compass Banca
CSME Technology
ENI S.P.A
Epson Europe
Etihad Airways
EVAC+CHAIR
Femme Luxe Fashion
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
Fine Agrochemicals
Fiserv
Fosroc
Grenade
IMI
Impossible Foods
International Flavours and Fragrances
Keller Group
Kendamil
Kingston Technology Corporation
Liberty Group
LVMH
Fresh. Inc
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company
Modere
Minova
National Express
Panasonic Avionics
Pentair
Pizza Hut UK
Schlumberger
SEH International
Severn Trent Water
Sheltered Wings dba Vortex
Spectrum Brands
Tempshield
The Binding Site Group
The Boots Company
University of Chicago
University of Notre Dame
Wolseley Group
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Work highlights
- Advised Autoglym on registering their UK trade mark for SUPER RESIN POLISH.
- Advised Jaguar Land Rover on registering their EU trade mark trade mark application for the shape of its iconic Land Rover Defender vehicle.
- Advised Evac+Chair North America LLC on multiple global trade mark disputes over the registration of EVAC+CHAIR.
TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Patent attorneys Tier 2
Barker Brettell LLP displays ‘very high levels of competence in many different sectors and industries’, including life sciences ad chemistry (which are key areas of strength for Yvonne Johnson), aerospace, and medical devices; it also has an impressive list of universities in its client roster. The team handles a large volume of UK and European patent filings and drafting matters. Senior partner in Birmingham John Lawrence jointly chairs the team alongside managing partner of the Birmingham office Andy Tranter, and Alan Wilson, the lead partner in Southampton. The UK-based team is also complimented by the firm’s growing Swedish patent offering.Practice head(s):
John Lawrence; Andrew Tranter; Alan Wilson
Other key lawyers:
Oliver Pooley; Richard Abel; Yvonne Johnson; Jennifer Atkinson; David Combes; David Pearce; Neil Kilpatrick
Testimonials
‘The team is great and clients enjoy working with them.’
‘A very professional team.’
‘They pay great personal attention to their clients. The practice offers great attention to detail and is totally embedded and in tune with its clients’ businesses.’
‘They fully understand their clients’ businesses and you never a need to bring them up to speed.’
‘The attorneys at Barker Brettell become trusted colleagues, demonstrating key collaborative and technical attributes and a good understanding of client objectives.’
‘Very high levels of competence in many different sectors and industries. An extremely friendly and supportive team that is very personal and a true pleasure to work with.’
‘The levels of competence and the quality of the service is always outstanding and delivered in a very personal way. The team is always willing to go the extra mile and delivers great value consistently.’
‘Richard Abel is impressive in his professionalism, planning, technical knowledge, attention to detail, and communication skills required to engage with subject matter experts in order to include sufficient detail in patent applications.’
Key clients
Angiocrine Bioscience
Astex Therapeutics
ATG
CMC Materials
Corindus
Gantik
Hubbell
Hughes Network Systems
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies
Inflight Peripherals
International Flavors & Fragrances
Locate Bio
Lockheed Martin
Lontra
Mastercard
Metrasens
Neptune Subsea Engineering
NXP
Oxford University Innovation
Panasonic
Royal College of Art
S&C Electric Company
SharkNinja
STG Aerospace
Surepulse
Tencent
UCLB
UKRI
University of Birmingham
University of Loughborough
University of Nottingham
University of Southampton
Venator Materials
Williams Advanced Engineering
WOTCH Creations
ZF Automotive
Work highlights
- Advised Oxford University Innovation on numerous patent applications and successfully prosecuted a number of complex cases.
- Advising WaterRower on various copycat devices.
Barker Brettell LLP > Firm Profile
Built on solid foundations dating back to 1891, today Barker Brettell is a modern and vibrant intellectual property (IP) practice, the cornerstone of which continues to be patents, trade marks and designs and copyright and, ultimately, putting IP on its clients’ board room agenda through IP strategy and management, and additional services such as IP audits and valuations.
The firm’s clients benefit from over 60 attorneys and trainee attorneys with a variety of academic backgrounds, as well as a large and highly regarded support network of paralegals and administrators. It’s UK practice, based in Birmingham and Southampton, is also supported by a team of attorneys in Sweden, which means the firm can offer a seamless and consistent service for clients in Europe and, in respect of trade marks, before the EUIPO.
Barker Brettell’s UK-based and international client portfolio spans independent inventors, start-ups, SMEs, universities, university tech transfer and spin-out organisations and other research institutions and government agencies as well as large, multi-national, global corporations.
When it comes to patents, Barker Brettell operates and has strength and depth in all of the major (and EPO recognised) technical fields (including Biotechnology, Computer implemented technology, Electronics & Semiconductors, Engineering & Manufacturing, Fintech, Life Sciences & Chemistry, Medical devices, Pharmaceuticals and Physics & Materials) and practice-wide, the firm overlays its technical expertise with a sector-focused approach that spans the Aerospace, Automotive, Computing & Software, Cosmetics, Energy, Food & Drink, Medical and Universities sectors.
Types of work undertaken:
Patents: Filing between 700 – 900 European patent applications per year and writing 300 – 400 new patent applications per year, means Barker Brettell consistently ranks highly for UK and European patent filings (in the top 10 – 12 firms by volume for UK applicants).
The firm’s patent specialisms include pre-filing advice and patentability searches, invention mining and the drafting of applications for new inventions, the filing and prosecution of patent applications, advice on contentious issues, EPO opposition work, freedom-to-operate opinions, landscape searching, transactional work relating to licensing and IP-related due diligence and recently added IP valuations and audits.
The firm has a strong secondment program seconding patent attorneys to internal in-house patent departments.
Trade marks: Acting directly before the UK IPO and WIPO, Barker Brettell consistently ranks among the top filers of UK trade marks, filing 1800 – 2000 trade marks per year.
The firm’s trade mark specialisms include IP strategy, the searching, filing and prosecution of applications, oppositions, cancellations, enforcement programmes, the negotiation of settlement agreements, renewals, assignments and licensing, domain name issues, internet takedown actions, customs and excise actions, due diligence exercises, portfolio management and counterfeiting issues.
Designs & Copyright: Designs continues to be a real specialism within Barker Brettell’s practice, and the firm is routinely ranked as one of the highest filers of UK and EU designs of any UK firm. With much interplay between designs and other IP rights, its designs team comprises patent and trade mark attorneys who provide robust and cost-effective strategies for design protection. Over the years the firm has built a strong reputation for designs advice and strategy.
In addition to its core services, the firm has a strong oppositions and appeals record and offers additional services including IP audits and IP valuations.
Other offices: London, Southampton, Stockholm and Uppsala
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior partner | John Lawrence | ||
| Managing partner | Andy Tranter | ||
| Patents | John Lawrence | ||
| Trade marks | Catherine Wiseman |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 24 Number of other UK fee-earners : 36Diversity
We are truly committed to providing a supportive working environment that respects and values each individual employee regardless of their background and experience.
We aim to encourage every member of our team to fulfil their maximum potential, while feeling comfortable to bring their whole self to work.
We deal with all those we meet throughout our work with attention, courtesy, consideration, respect, and dignity and place this personal responsibility on each member of staff.
Our approach is embedded within our formal policies and how we do things on a day to day basis across every aspect of our work and dealings with colleagues, applicants, clients, and suppliers. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, belief, sex, gender or sexual orientation and we are committed to equality of opportunity and treatment from recruitment to training and promotion.
Recruitment
When recruiting, we endeavour to attract applicants from a diverse talent pool; our aim is to recruit and develop the best people for the jobs. We treat all applicants fairly and without discrimination and provide equal opportunities at every stage of the recruitment process and throughout their careers with Barker Brettell. Promotion is based on merit and demonstrated skills and ability in the role. All employees are treated fairly and without discrimination and given equal opportunities in their job or career progression.
Our IP inclusive pledge
To support, promote and monitor our progress against all aspects of our approach to diversity and inclusion, we have signed up to the IP Inclusive Charter, a taskforce established to drive and challenge diversity improving initiatives across the IP sector.
As a firm we have made a pledge and our senior partner, John Lawrence, has also made a pledge. John is personally involved in the IP Inclusive CIPA and CITMA Think Tank, which strives to ensure the IP community works together to make our community more inclusive, diverse, open, and fair.
You can read our pledge here and you can read John’s pledge here.
Supporting every day challenges
We take pride in supporting staff throughout their careers with us and as their lives may change. This includes those with existing or new disabilities or other health problems making adjustments where we can to help them in their day to day work; providing support through mentoring as well as flexible and agile working opportunities to all staff to enable them to achieve a greater work/life balance or to assist with child or elder care; supporting staff going facing big changes in their personal/emotional lives.
Physical and mental wellbeing
We place an important emphasis on the physical and mental health of our staff and have invested in a number of initiatives to support wellbeing, which include mental health training for our partners, accredited mental health first aiders, a cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme. We provide a quiet room on site for staff to fulfil their physical, spiritual, and religious needs. We also operate an employee assistance programme which supports employees with personal and professional issues, which is complimentary to the private healthcare scheme which covers both physical and mental wellbeing.
We are proud of what we have already achieved but we know we can never become complacent. We need to keep evolving and educating.
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Trade mark attorneys