Intellectual property in London Bar

Back to United Kingdom - The Bar

Intellectual Property

11 South Square

8 New Square

Leading Silks

Daniel Alexander QC - 8 New Square ‘Daniel is incredibly thorough. He turns every argument upside down to really test them, spot the pitfalls and work out ways to avoid them.’

Geoffrey Hobbs QC - One Essex Court ‘A standout silk and a titan of trade mark work and every European nuance of it.’

Tom Mitcheson QC - Three New Square ‘Tom is extremely bright, has an excellent ability to get to the nub of a case and is a skilful advocate, making points clearly and powerfully but with refreshing brevity. He has also carved out a really strong practice in Supreme Court appeals.’

Iain Purvis QC - 11 South Square ‘He is fantastic and probably the best all-round IP silk, and completely accessible, collaborative and easy to work with.’

Michael Silverleaf QC - 11 South Square ‘Truly brilliant for highly technical matters.’

Adrian Speck QC - 8 New Square ‘A standout QC who is highly rated by clients.’

Mark Vanhegan QC - 11 South Square ‘A first-rate silk.’

Piers Acland QC - 11 South Square ‘He is solid technically and good with clients.’

Michael Bloch QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘Has a superb intellect and is one of the leading QCs in the 3D trade mark field. However, his commercial acumen is also outstanding - he quickly grasps what his clients and instructing solicitors really want from the litigation and ensures that this is always at the forefront of the advice he is giving.’

Michael Edenborough QC - Serle Court ‘Michael's strengths are his wide but detailed knowledge of IP law, and ability to find ways through complex issues. As an advocate, he is calm, measured and clear in his submissions and responses to questions from the bench - one of the best QCs at the IP Bar, particularly for trade mark work.’

Andrew Lykiardopoulos QC - 8 New Square ‘A truly fantastic IP Bar advocate.’

Simon Malynicz QC - Three New Square ‘The best trade mark barrister in the UK - technically brilliant, commercial, pragmatic and fantastic with clients.’

Charlotte May QC - 8 New Square ‘She is an excellent advocate, particularly good at judging the attitude of the judge to the points she makes and adapting her presentation accordingly. She also has a fine eye for detail in the drafting of pleadings. User friendly, accessible and incredibly bright.’

James Mellor QC - 8 New Square ‘He exhibits the level of professionalism, dedication and proficiency that you would come to expect from this pre-eminent set's barristers.’

Michael Tappin QC - 8 New Square ‘A class act who works really hard and gets into the detail. Fearless but also knows when to pursue and when not to pursue a point.’

Justin Turner QC - Three New Square ‘An encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and cases, which results in crystal-clear advice.’

Andrew Waugh QC - Three New Square ‘Very user friendly and goes the extra mile to win the case.’

Roger Wyand QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘Highly regarded by clients and very good on his feet.’

Guy Burkill QC - Three New Square ‘A hard worker and determined advocate, who doesn't hold back from putting his case forward in robust terms. He has the gravitas that one would expect from a QC of many years' experience - someone to be reckoned with.’

Douglas Campbell QC - Three New Square ‘A very hard worker and brilliant trial advocate, who is good with judges and excellent for cross-examination.’

Hugo Cuddigan QC - 11 South Square ‘A first-rate silk who really understands the needs of the client.’

Tom Hinchliffe QC - Three New Square ‘His advice is clear and to the point, his advocacy is exceptionally strong and he provides exceptional service to solicitor colleagues.’

Martin Howe QC - 8 New Square ‘Quick to distill the most significant points about a brief that is before him and his vast knowledge on various areas of IP law allows him to bring a global perspective immediately to any brief.’

Robert Howe QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘Exceptionally talented in all areas, and very calm and insightful in court.’

Ian Mill QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘An excellent advocate with top-class judgement - one to have in your corner.’

Alastair Wilson QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘Fantastic for highly technical matters.’

James Abrahams QC - 8 New Square ‘Highly regarded for IP matters.’

Benet Brandreth QC - 11 South Square ‘A relatively new silk who is particularly good on his feet.’

Nicholas Caddick QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘A calm presence who is highly intelligent.’

Emma Himsworth QC - One Essex Court ‘She is fantastically diligent, collaborative, and an encyclopaedic knowledge of trade mark cases. She also has good tactical nous in addition to her technical detail.’

Richard Miller QC - Three New Square ‘Clients hold him in very high regard.’

Tom Moody-Stuart QC - 8 New Square ‘A very impressive silk.’

Philip Roberts QC - One Essex Court ‘Logical, clear thinking, quick to grasp a client's macro objectives, and an excellent advocate in the courtroom who always give 100% in his preparation.’

Nicholas Saunders QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘A measured and intellectual advocate who is suitable for complex IP disputes. He is a real judge’s barrister who talks to the judge, not at the judge. Although a relatively new silk, he has always had authority and gravitas and will go far.’

2019 Silks

Mark Chacksfield QC - 8 New Square ‘Very impressive and highly recommended new silk, who added additional gravitas in the middle of proceedings.’

Lindsay Lane QC - 8 New Square ‘ An excellent advocate, very personable, with an excellent grasp on the law, procedure and the technology. Highly capable barrister who is great for trade mark matters.’

Brian Nicholson QC - 11 South Square ‘He works incredibly hard and is very accommodating of truly demanding clients.’

2020 Silks

Andrew Norris - Hogarth Chambers ‘Highly recommended - clients relish working with him.’

James Segan QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘Stands out as a leader in the IP field.’

Leading Juniors

Miles Copeland - Three New Square ‘Excellent at delving into the detail of a case and ferreting out arguments that might swing the case in a client's favour. Combined with a razor-sharp analysis of the legal issues, this makes him very useful to have on your team.’

Anna Edwards-Stuart - 11 South Square ‘An incredibly committed and talented senior junior who has excellent knowledge of all areas of IP law.’

Michael Hicks - Hogarth Chambers ‘Extremely user friendly and hardworking.’

Isabel Jamal - 8 New Square ‘A very strong leading junior.’

Stuart Baran - Three New Square ‘An exceptional barrister who can hold his own on the science with any expert witness. One of the stars of the junior bar.’

Richard Davis - Hogarth Chambers ‘Quickly arrives at the heart of the issues and is incredibly bright.’

Guy Hollingworth - One Essex Court ‘My go-to junior counsel, operating well-above many of his peers. His eye for detail is second to none, but what I really appreciate is his commercial nous and candour.’

Heather Lawrence - 11 South Square ‘She has a good grasp of technical patents as well as in soft IP matters.’

Denise McFarland - Three New Square ‘Extremely knowledgeable and commercial leading junior. Very approachable.’

Kathryn Pickard - 11 South Square ‘Although she is collegiate and will work together with her instructing solicitors to find a solution, her advice is consistent and clear, and she is able to apply this throughout the case, leading to a well-run and executed plan in the run up to and at trial.’

Geoffrey Pritchard - Three New Square ‘Great brain, gets stuck in and goes to the nub of an issue quickly.’

Guy Tritton - Hogarth Chambers ‘A convincing advocate who provides considered and intelligent advice, with the ability to analyse both sides of the argument.’

James Whyte - 8 New Square ‘An impressive junior who is highly rated by clients.’

Chris Aikens - 11 South Square ‘Brilliant client service and provides clear and helpful advice. Incredibly hard working and also willing to go the extra mile.’

Tom Alkin - 11 South Square ‘Exceptionally responsive, practical, quick on the uptake and able to absorb and synthesise a great deal of complex information quickly. The standard of his written and oral advocacy is exceptional.’

Tim Austen - Three New Square ‘Very diligent and hardworking, with a strong commercial awareness as well as deep technical expertise.’

Joe Delaney - Three New Square ‘Not only a good technical lawyer and all over the procedural detail, but he is also a creative thinker and really fights for his clients. A star of the future.’

Jonathan Hill - 8 New Square ‘Very confident, good with clients, effective at cross-examination, and good on his feet in court.’

Amanda Michaels - Hogarth Chambers ‘A highly knowledgeable trade mark specialist.’

Tom St Quintin - Hogarth Chambers ‘Tom St Quintin has a great future. ’

Jaani Riordan - 8 New Square ‘Jaani is very bright, very hardworking and has great ease and familiarity with IT issues. An exceptional talent.’

Iona Berkeley - 8 New Square ‘Excellent, knowledgeable, decisive and collaborative, with great communication skills.’

Charlotte Blythe - Hogarth Chambers ‘A reliable junior with good knowledge, who offers practical advice and assistance.’

Nicole Bollard - 3PB ‘Nicole has the ability to build strong and personable relationships with clients from the outset, and provides excellent and concise advice.’

Jessie Bowhill - 8 New Square ‘Excellent, skilful and very driven.’

Ashton Chantrielle - 8 New Square ‘Thorough, hardworking and bright, with a great can-do attitude.’

Tom Cleaver - Blackstone Chambers ‘Tom is fantastically sharp, grasps complexity with ease, and drafts concisely and persuasively.’

William Duncan - 8 New Square ‘Very bright and he always has good ideas.’

Thomas Elias - Serle Court ‘His other areas of Chancery expertise add materially to the breadth and depth of the advice that he gives on IP issues.’

Mark Engelman - Hardwicke ‘Engaging, convivial and commercial. He is a fantastic advocate for his clients and understands the deeper implications of the disputes he works on. When in full flow before a judge, he is inimitable and irrepressible.’

Christopher Hall - 11 South Square ‘A very solid performer.’

Gwilym Harbottle - Hogarth Chambers ‘A well-respected barrister practising in this specialist area.’

Jeremy Heald - Three New Square ‘A very smart, up-and-coming junior barrister who always has good ideas on difficult areas of law.’

Dominic Hughes - Three New Square ‘Particularly good at sizing up an opponent and anticipating the other side's moves.’

Victoria Jones - 3PB ‘Extremely strong technically, commercial and has excellent attention to detail. She is a first point of call for all complex soft IP disputes.’

Ben Longstaff - Hogarth Chambers ‘A talented junior with whom it is a pleasure to work with.’

Katherine Moggridge - Three New Square ‘An excellent junior who gets stuck into the case, including the technical aspects, and provides excellent all-round support to the QC and wider team.’

Jonathan Moss - Hogarth Chambers ‘Very personable and well informed.’

Alaina Newnes - One Essex Court ‘A great, experienced junior, with a strong presence in court and a user-friendly manner. She is very clear and proactive, provides clear options that take into account the client's overall objective, and feels like a member of your team.’

Jacqueline Reid - 11 South Square ‘A legal streetfighter who is very good on trade marks, particularly for IPEC cases.’

Ian Silcock - Hardwicke ‘Meticulous attention to detail, with an advocacy style that is calm, measured and tenacious.’

James St. Ville - 8 New Square ‘James is exceptionally thorough and helpful and puts everything into his instructions. He is a pleasure to work with and is able to win clients' trust.’

Jamie Muir Wood - Hogarth Chambers ‘More than a match for more senior counsels.’

Rising Stars

Dr Charles Brabin - Three New Square ‘A hard worker who is very clever and diligent, with good attention to detail.’

Adam Gamsa - 11 South Square ‘Solid technically. Good with clients. Accessible. Incredibly bright and abilities well beyond his years.’

Thomas Jones - 8 New Square ‘A rising star of the IP Bar. ’

Georgina Messenger - Three New Square ‘Great technically, organised and, most importantly, gives confidence to the client about the conduct of the case and the approach taken.’

Dr Daniele Selmi - Three New Square ‘Excellent knowledge of trade mark laws and provides a clear explanation of his views on the merits of cases.’

Tier 1 sets

11 South Square

11 South Square is consistently involved in high-profile, IP-related first instance trials and appeals. In recent work, Iain Purvis QC acted for Edwards Lifesciences in a long-running patent action, brought by Evalve and Abbott, in relation to patents for devices for treating the heart's mitral valve; Michael Silverleaf QC successfully acted for ASDA in consolidated proceedings that concerned a single dispute over trade mark 'TAILOR & CUTTER'; and Mark Vanhegan QC appeared for Philips in a five-day Court of Appeal hearing, following three Patents Court infringement trials in 2018. In recent news at the junior level, Anna Edwards-Stuart was appointed Standing Counsel for the Comptroller of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks in 2019.

8 New Square

Patents, copyright and trade mark disputes are the mainstays of 8 New Square's members who regularly appear before the Supreme Court, as well as in other higher court litigation. In one of 2019's largest IP cases, Martin Howe QC led in the long-running Glaxo v Sandoz, which concerned the alleged passing off of pharmaceutical inhalers for asthma treatment, while Andrew Lykiardopoulos QC appeared for Huawei in the Supreme Court in the first contested FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms) case in the UK. Also of note, Michael Tappin QC has a leading telecoms IP practice, and is a go-to counsel on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology work. In recent news, Richard Meade QC has taken up an appointment as a High Court judge as of 7 September 2020.

Three New Square

'Premier IP set' Three New Square has 'good strength in depth at both senior and junior level', and 'senior clerk Nick Hill leads the clerks with aplomb as well as providing excellent service'. Guy Burkill QC is increasingly focused on smartphone sector-related patent litigation; and Douglas Campbell QC acted in Icescape v Ice-World, which was the first Shorter Trial Scheme IP trial to come before the Court of Appeal. At Supreme Court level, Tim Austen acted in one of the highest-profile patent cases of recent times, namely Warner-Lambert v Actavis & Mylan; and in 2019, Stuart Baran was appointed Standing Counsel to the Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks for three years. The future of chambers looks bright thanks to rising stars Dr Charles Brabin, Georgina Messenger, and Dr Daniele Selmi.

Tier 2 sets

Hogarth Chambers

Hogarth Chambers is a specialist IP set that acts in relation to all aspects of the enforcement of IP rights; its members regularly appear in courts at the highest level, including significant recent decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). For example, Andrew Norris QC, who took silk in 2020, represented Tullianan Burlington in a leading trade mark case that was appealed to the CJEU. Elsewhere in chambers, Roger Wyand QC represented ATB Sales in a logo copyright infringement action, and Nicholas Caddick QC acted in TBD (Owen Holland) v Simons & others, which involved High Court proceedings for infringement of IP rights and conspiracy.

Tier 3 sets

One Essex Court

One Essex Court's 'barristers excel in IP expertise and have great strength in depth'. The chambers' members have particular experience in IP disputes involving trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs, patents, comparative advertising, database rights, trade secrets and privacy. In one recent matter of note, Geoffrey Hobbs QC and Guy Hollingworth acted for the defendants in a trade mark infringement claim, which arose from the use of the name 'Merck' by both parties. Philip Roberts QC regularly advises on the IP aspects of IT disputes. He acted for the claimants in a trade mark infringement action, which arose out of the misleading use of the mark 'CARPHONE WAREHOUSE'. An up-and-coming junior of note, Alaina Newnes is described as 'more than able to stand her ground against more senior counsel in court proceedings'.

Tier 4 sets

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers is 'a very well-organised set'. Although best known for its soft IP expertise, the chambers' members also possess significant contentious IP experience, particularly in media and entertainment. Robert Howe QC is 'exceptionally talented in all areas, and very calm and insightful in court'. Michael Bloch QC, who 'has a superb intellect', and James Segan QC, who took silk in 2020, acted for Huawei in a FRAND-related claim brought by Conversant, a Nokia patents-associated licensing entity; and Ian Mill QC acted for musician Ed Sheeran (and others) in seeking a declaration that they did not infringe the defendants' copyrights in writing and exploiting the song, 'Shape of You'.

The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - The Bar > London Bar > Intellectual property

Coverage By Practice AreaLondon Bar