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Intellectual Property

1
11 South Square
8 New Square
Three New Square
2
Hogarth Chambers
3
One Essex Court
4
Blackstone Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Daniel Alexander QC - 8 New Square
Geoffrey Hobbs QC - One Essex Court ‘ Geoffrey is superbly bright and clear and crisp in his delivery. A legend. ’
Andrew Lykiardopoulos QC - 8 New Square ‘ Andrew is extremely bright, hones straight in on the key issues, and recommends strategies to maximise the prospects of success. He is also an excellent advocate, with a warm and charismatic style. ’
Simon Malynicz QC - Three New Square ‘ Simon is an innovative and dynamic silk. He is an absolute fountain of knowledge on trade mark law, and is excellent on his feet. ’
Charlotte May QC - 8 New Square ‘ Charlotte is an inclusive, experienced, calm and knowledgeable silk. ’
Tom Mitcheson QC - Three New Square ‘ Tom is a superb advocate, whose persuasive and elegant style gets the court to listen. ’
Iain Purvis QC – 11 South Square ‘A brilliant strategic thinker.’
Michael Silverleaf QC – 11 South Square ‘Michael is brilliant to work with. A good strategist with great knowledge and expertise, and an excellent advocate.’
Adrian Speck QC - 8 New Square ‘ A predominant silk in both telecoms and life sciences patent matters. ’
Michael Tappin QC - 8 New Square ‘ Michael is very considered, analytical and decisive. A silk who leads from the front. A fabulous advocate. ’
Justin Turner QC - Three New Square ‘ Justin is a highly strategic silk. His ability to get to grips with the technical details is impressive, and his written argument is also exceptional. ’
Mark Vanhegan QC – 11 South Square ‘A strong performer.’
Andrew Waugh QC - Three New Square ‘ Andrew is a master of the details. He gets to grips with every nuance of the case, and provides clear and pragmatic advice. ’
2
Piers Acland QC – 11 South Square ‘A silk with a first-rate mind and excellent judgement.’
Michael Bloch QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘ A hyper-intelligent and fluent advocate who holds the court's attention. ’
Michael Edenborough QC - Serle Court ‘ Michael is supremely knowledgeable and very incisive. He is exceptionally good with clients and at explaining difficult issues in a clear, concise and thoughtful way. ’
Thomas Hinchliffe QC – Three New Square ‘Tom is a tenacious and talented advocate who prepares meticulously and has excellent cross-examination skills. A flexible and user-friendly silk.’
Roger Wyand QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Roger is a very able silk with a vast amount of experience. He is open to ideas, easy to work with and pragmatic. ’
3
Benet Brandreth QC – 11 South Square ‘Benet is an excellent litigator, and a counsel who impresses clients and solicitors alike.’
Guy Burkill QC - Three New Square
Nicholas Caddick QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘ A technically excellent silk. He can break down and explain complex principles in a very client-friendly way. ’
Douglas Campbell QC - Three New Square ‘ A formidably experienced advocate. He is robust, determined, very user-friendly and a very good cross-examiner. ’
Hugo Cuddigan QC – 11 South Square ‘A clever and very able silk.’
Emma Himsworth QC - One Essex Court ‘ Emma is one of the top silks for trade mark matters, particularly on claims involving unusual trade marks. Her advice is clear and commercial. ’
Martin Howe QC - 8 New Square ‘ Martin’s breadth of knowledge across IP law is hugely impressive. ’
Robert Howe QC - Blackstone Chambers
Ian Mill QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘ His direct, no-nonsense advocacy camouflages a beguiling subtlety and agility. ’
Tom Moody-Stuart QC - 8 New Square ‘ A market leader in this area. ’
4
James Abrahams QC - 8 New Square
Mark Chacksfield QC - 8 New Square
Lindsay Lane QC - 8 New Square ‘ Lindsay is cerebral, organised, and well-prepared. She provides clear and no-nonsense advice. ’
Richard Miller QC - Three New Square
Brian Nicholson QC – 11 South Square ‘Brian is a very strong advocate. He is astute and quick to grasp the technical and legal issues within a case.’
Philip Roberts QC - One Essex Court ‘ Philip is particularly good at handling IT-related cases. ’
Nicholas Saunders QC - Brick Court Chambers
Alastair Wilson QC  - Hogarth Chambers

2020 Silks

Andrew Norris QC - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Andrew's calm approach means he has a real ability to defuse highly adversarial situations, and he is creative in his approach to problem solving. ’
James Segan QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘ James is very good at handling competition matters which intersect with IP issues. ’

Leading Juniors

1
Stuart Baran - Three New Square ‘ Stuart is thoughtful, insightful and a great team player. A very strong patents barrister. ’
Miles Copeland - Three New Square ‘ Miles is incredibly sharp, wonderfully diligent and an excellent team player - the complete package for a senior junior. ’
Anna Edwards-Stuart – 11 South Square ‘A strong junior – she is a very safe pair of hands.’
Michael Hicks - Hogarth Chambers ‘ A second-to-none junior. Michael is an innovative thinker who works extremely hard, gets into the details, and has incredibly sound judgement. ’
Guy Hollingworth - One Essex Court ‘ Guy is incredibly smooth, both in delivery and in cross-examination. A very good strategist and tactician. ’
Isabel Jamal - 8 New Square
Kathryn Pickard – 11 South Square ‘Kathryn thinks outside the box and can spot issues that have not yet crystallised. She is a great asset to the team and an absolute gem to work with.’
2
Chris Aikens – 11 South Square ‘Chris delivers authoritative advice in a measured way, bringing a welcome calm to high-powered litigation. As a trial advocate, he effectively uses an engaging yet robust manner to get results.’
Richard Davis - Hogarth Chambers
Heather Lawrence – 11 South Square ‘She prepares very thoroughly, and has a calm and understated advocacy style that achieves results.’
Denise McFarland - Three New Square ‘ Denise is incredibly astute and commercially focused with her advice. A master tactician. She has a measured advocacy style which is very effective, and thinks quickly on her feet. ’
Amanda Michaels - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Amanda is a fountain of knowledge on trade mark matters. She has a keen eye for detail and is very good with clients - she can distill the complex into the digestible. ’
Geoffrey Pritchard - Three New Square ‘ A fantastic all-rounder: level-headed, sensible, and client-friendly. ’
Jaani Riordan - 8 New Square ‘ Jaani is very impressive - very bright, committed and engaged. A star of the future. ’
Guy Tritton - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Guy provides assertive advice with confident opinions. A go-to barrister for all types of IP work, with a particular focus on trade mark and copyright issues. ’
James Whyte - 8 New Square
3
Tom Alkin – 11 South Square ‘An absolutely excellent junior.’
Tim Austen - Three New Square ‘ Tim is a thorough and reliable junior, who gets to the nub of an issue right away. An excellent barrister who is a very safe pair of hands. ’
Charlotte Blythe - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Charlotte has fantastic experience on trade mark matters. She is amenable, gives clear advice and is great with clients. ’
Jessie Bowhill - 8 New Square ‘ Jessie is a fantastic advocate and an expert in her field. She is very impressive on her feet. ’
Joe Delaney - Three New Square
Gwilym Harbottle - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Gwilym has a fantastic knowledge of copyright law and can explain the technicalities of this area to professional and lay clients alike. ’
Jonathan Hill - 8 New Square ‘ Jonathan is technically excellent and hardworking. He knows his law and is very thorough. Clients love him. ’
Katherine Moggridge - Three New Square ‘ Katherine is a fantastically able junior. She is extremely clever, and harnesses her considerable intellect to a straightforward and user-friendly manner that makes her a pleasure to instruct. ’
Jamie Muir Wood –Hogarth Chambers ‘A future star, especially for trade mark work. He is very calm and very helpful – clients love him and solicitors can rely on him.’
Tom St Quintin - Hogarth Chambers ‘ A strong barrister, who is highly regarded for his IP advice. ’
James St. Ville - 8 New Square ‘ James is a tenacious advocate who provides forthright advice and forms a good rapport with clients. ’
4
Iona Berkeley - 8 New Square ‘ Iona is very bright, extremely practical, user-friendly and commercial. ’
Nicole Bollard - 3PB ‘ She is an extremely strong advocate. She is commercially minded, very personable, and sensible yet robust when it is called for. ’
Charles Brabin - Three New Square ‘ Charles is very clever, diligent and thorough - a solid advocate on his feet and on paper. ’
Ashton Chantrielle - 8 New Square ‘ Ashton is great on her feet, and is fearless, engaging, and completely on top of her brief. ’
Tom Cleaver - Blackstone Chambers
Josephine Davies –Twenty Essex ‘Josephine is a real talent. She is very dedicated and clever, with a deep knowledge of intellectual property disputes. A very confident junior.’
William Duncan - 8 New Square
Thomas Elias - Serle Court ‘ Thomas is very experienced in soft IP cases, and brings a commercial approach to matters. ’
Christopher Hall – 11 South Square ‘A highly proficient junior.’
Jeremy Heald - Three New Square ‘ A knowledgeable and diligent junior, who is bright, responsive and user-friendly. ’
Dominic Hughes - Three New Square ‘ He is extremely thorough, with meticulous attention to detail, and is always willing to go the extra mile. ’
Thomas Jones - 8 New Square ‘ A very responsive junior who will always make time for his clients. ’
Victoria Jones - 3PB ‘ Victoria is exceptionally knowledgeable, strategically astute, and user friendly. ’
Ben Longstaff - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Ben is an incredibly personable and engaging barrister, who builds a strong rapport with instructing solicitors and lay clients alike. His advice is always insightful. ’
Jonathan Moss - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Jonathan is exceptional on his feet. He is a confident and measured advocate and an incredibly quick thinker. ’
Alaina Newnes - One Essex Court ‘ A very hard-working and able junior barrister. She has excellent, in depth knowledge of passing off and trade mark infringement matters. ’
Jacqueline Reid – 11 South Square ‘Jacqueline is a strong performer.’
Daniel Selmi  – Three New Square ‘Daniel is extremely bright. He possesses a fantastic combination of strong technical knowledge, calm logical thinking, and commercial acumen.’
Ian Silcock - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Ian is an excellent barrister on both a technical and practical level. ’
Henry Ward - 8 New Square ‘ A very accomplished junior. ’
Nick Zweck - Hogarth Chambers ‘ Nick is very hard-working, calm under pressure and goes the extra mile. He provides an excellent service. ’

Rising Stars

Beth Collett - 8 New Square ‘ Beth is extremely commercial in her approach, enabling clients to achieve practical solutions to often complex situations, and she provides first-class technical advice. ’
Adam Gamsa – 11 South Square ‘A thorough junior who is easy to work with.’
David Ivison – 11 South Square ‘David has a formidable intellect, and approaches cases with a highly proactive and commercial focus which is also goal-oriented and practical, so as to get the best result for the client.’
Andrew Lomas - One Essex Court ‘ A no-nonsense junior barrister. ’
Georgina Messenger - Three New Square ‘ Georgina is strategic and highly intelligent. She is also very personable and gives confidence to clients. ’
Stephanie Wickenden - Serle Court ‘ Stephanie is technically astute and strategically brilliant, with clear intellectual rigour. She has in-depth knowledge of UK and EU trade mark law. ’

Intellectual property in London Bar

11 South Square

11 South Square is well known for housing a team that regularly appears in high-profile IP cases. In a recent highlight for the set, the ‘powerful advocate‘ Iain Purvis QC successfully represented the appellant before the Supreme Court in the case of Regeneron v Kymab, a dispute concerning patent issues of sufficiency. In another matter, Michael Silverleaf QC defended musician Steve Harris against a claim for copyright infringement over six songs recorded and performed by the band Iron Maiden in the 1980s, while Benet Brandreth QC, leading David Ivison, successfully represented the claimant in Fisher & Paykel Healthcare v Flexicare Medical, concerning alleged medical device patent infringement.

Testimonials

Set

‘The set is a centre of excellence for IP litigation.‘

‘Easy to work with and provides a reliable service.‘

‘One of the go-to sets for IP disputes.‘

‘Specialist IP chambers with good depth.‘

Clerking

‘Senior clerk Ashley Carr understands the whole legal system thoroughly, and he goes out of his way to be helpful.‘

‘Very good – ably led by Ashley Carr, they are a paradigm of straightforward interaction, and you know what you are going to get both in terms of barrister availability and sensible pricing.‘

‘Sam Fullilove and Jordan Foley are very responsive and show a good understanding of tricky costs issues.‘

‘The newer clerks are clearly learning by example, and have provided much help in interacting with the courts and generally in facilitating getting things done.‘

8 New Square

8 New Square's members have solid expertise in handling a range of contentious IP work before all levels of the court system. The team's workload regularly includes copyright, trade mark and patent litigation. Michael Tappin QC recently appeared before the Supreme Court in Regeneron v Kymab, involving the patent issue of sufficiency. The Court ruled that patents for a transgenic mouse  - used for developing human antibodies - were invalid for insufficiency. In another high-profile case, Adrian Speck QC, Isabel Jamal and Jessie Bowhill appeared on both sides of HRH The Duchess of Sussex v Associated Newspapers, involving a claim brought by the Duchess for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement, after extracts of a letter written to her father Thomas Markle in 2019 were published in the Mail on Sunday. In recent news, in January 2021, James Mellor QC was appointed to the High Court bench, and February 2021 saw Daniel Alexander QC become the set's new Head of Chambers.

Testimonials

Set

‘A pre-eminent IP set, with strength in depth from the top QCs to very competent juniors.‘

‘8 New Square have an excellent range of barristers, from senior QCs down to new junior tenants. Although they are often extremely busy, they make time for new cases.‘

‘A quality set with strength throughout.‘

‘They continue to be one of the very leading IP chambers.‘

Clerking

‘I have used this set for nearly 30 years, and have always had a first- rate and friendly service from the clerks, in particular Nick Wise, Martin Williams and Ben Newham.‘

‘8 New Square’s clerking service is impeccable – a combination of responsiveness and clarity on fees makes them a favoured choice. Ben Newham is always available to co-ordinate and facilitate client-specific requests.‘

‘The clerks at 8 New Square are very capable and understand the needs of clients. They are friendly and always willing to assist. ‘

‘The clerks are friendly and co-operative.‘

‘Very good and responsive. Nick Wise is very helpful.’

Hogarth Chambers

Specialist IP set Hogarth Chambers has an excellent reputation for handling all aspects of the enforcement and licensing of IP rights. In recent work, Nicholas Caddick QC and Jonathan Moss acted for Obcon Solutions, one of multiple defendants in the high-profile Court of Appeal case TBD (Owen Holland) v Simons & Others, concerning the use of search orders for obtaining electronic documents. Elsewhere in chambers, Amanda Michaels and Charlotte Blythe represented car manufacturing company Bentley in a trade mark infringement action concerning composite marks.

Testimonials

Set

‘The set is very strong on the soft IP side, meaning we always have a choice of counsel and a good range of junior barristers, so that clients have more budgeting options.‘

‘The culture of the set is friendly’.

‘We have used Hogarth exclusively for many years now, because of the quality of the barristers and service we receive.‘

‘They are a great set and we have always loved working with them.‘

‘Very good barristers, particularly for trade marks.‘

Clerking

‘Chambers director, Ian Bowie, and senior clerk Clive Nicholls, as well as the rest of the clerks, are all great.‘

‘Ian Bowie always goes the extra mile for clients.‘

‘Clive Nicholls is outstanding.‘

‘The clerks are very helpful – great service from the excellent Clive Nicholls.‘

One Essex Court

'Excellent IP chambers' One Essex Court is home to a team with solid expertise in IP disputes involving trade marks, copyright, passing off, designs, trade secrets and comparative advertising. Patent disputes matters are a growing area of instruction for the set. In a recent case highlight, Geoffrey Hobbs QC and Philip Roberts QC successfully represented Sky before the Court of Appeal concerning the longrunning trade mark infringement case brought against cloud management software company SkyKick. At the junior end, Guy Hollingworth, Alaina Newnes and rising star Andrew Lomas are the names to note.

Testimonials

Set

‘Its IP specialists are excellent, and the chambers provides a very well-managed and responsive service‘.

‘The set has a number of the top silks in the field.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks at One Essex Court are great, very user friendly and helpful.‘

‘The clerking is top rate – I am very happy with the service.‘

‘First Deputy Senior Clerk Jackie Ginty provides excellent support to the IP counsel.‘

‘Jackie Ginty is very responsive and approachable.’

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers' 'strength and breadth of available expertise is excellent'. The set has an established reputation for its capabilities in soft IP work, however it is equally adept at handling instructions involving hard IP matters. Robert Howe QC is regularly instructed by major record companies, media organisations, and high-profile musicians and music groups. In recent work, James Segan QC is acting for Chinese technology company Lenovo in an ongoing FRAND-related dispute, concerning whether the client must take a licence under patents declared to be standard-essential by InterDigital.

Testimonials

Set

‘Amazing depth of barristers in chambers. I have used many different people and they have always been very good.‘

‘Blackstone is modern, responsive and helpful – a go-to set for IP work.‘

‘Fees are always consistent, which is a big plus.‘

‘Blackstone is generally excellent and a pleasure to work with.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks have always been very good.‘

‘The clerks are deeply helpful.‘

‘The clerks are great, particularly deputy senior clerks Derek Sutton and Adam Sloane.‘

‘A special mention to Adam Sloane, who is always responsive and helpful.‘

‘Billy Brian is excellent.‘

Three New Square

Patent disputes are a prominent area of instruction for Three New Square's team. Guy Burkill QC has particular expertise in handling patent cases involving electronics, smartphones, and computer software and hardware, and Douglas Campbell QC has an excellent reputation for his experience in patent and trade mark infringement disputes. At the junior end, the 'deeply clever' Stuart Baran is sought after for his strong capabilities in advising on matters pertaining to patents, passing off, trade marks, designs and confidential information. Elsewhere in chambers, the 'tenacious' Denise McFarland stands out for her 'encyclopedic knowledge of trade mark law', and recently acted for Unilever in a successful application to register the trade mark of 'Wonder Mum'. The application had been opposed by DC Comics, which claimed that Unilever's trade mark was an infringement of its 'Wonder Woman' trade mark.

Testimonials

Set

‘Excellent set of chambers with many of the leading names in the field.‘

‘Three New Square is among the leading IP sets.‘

‘Three New Square is a leading set of IP barristers. It has great strength in depth.‘

‘The set offers good availability of the very best IP talent.‘

‘Three New Square is one of the go-to sets for patent litigation, with a deep bench of talented QCs and juniors.’

Clerking

‘I have been very pleased with the service offered by the clerks at 3 New Square. They have been good at making recommendations for counsel and dealing with enquiries quickly.‘

‘I would single out senior clerk Nick Hill and Tim Fairburn for their outstanding client service.‘

‘Nick Hill is a strong senior clerk.‘

‘A special mention must go to Tim Fairburn, who is experienced and very good at getting optimal solutions to challenges that arise.‘

‘David Court has been fantastic to work with. He has ensured that there is transparency on fees, and is always friendly and approachable.‘