The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)

‘This is one of London’s foremost patent litigation teams. Marjan Noor has a phenomenally successful team dealing with the biggest of cases. The brainpower and litigation firepower here are not exceeded anywhere.‘

‘A superbly well-regarded firm with an increasingly strong presence in the TMT and Intellectual Property sectors. Having acquired experienced partners from other firms in the sector in recent years, the firm’s sector reputation is going from strength to strength, successfully attracting significant international clients away from well-known firms in the sector.‘

‘With an unrivalled depth of talent Allen & Overy have built a practice that is internationally renowned and the envy of the City.‘

‘Marjan Noor is THE life science patents litigator in London. Marjan is a wily tactician, a sharp intellectual lawyer, and a warm and fun human being. The model of a law firm partner in 2020.‘

‘Rafi Allos is a brilliant associate whose ability and instincts are extremely impressive.‘

‘Mark Heaney is exceptionally skilled, experienced and perceptive, rapidly grasping the perfect strategic approach in any case. He is fun to work with and leads his high-quality team with great skill.‘

‘Neville Cordell offers a steady hand in the biggest of international disputes, effortlessly coordinating multiple streams of activities to ensure a perfectly executed multijurisdictional approach.‘

‘James Fox is a pleasure to work with and a definite star of the future.‘

‘They have in-depth knowledge and a breadth of expertise.‘

‘Zoe Fuller has outstanding attention to detail. She thinks outside the box and is a great problem solver. Zoe is incredibly capable and a huge asset to Bird & Bird.‘

‘Jane Mutimear is a brilliant patent litigator with impressive strategic skills and commercial awareness.‘

‘Richard Vary ticks all the boxes. He is a great patent litigator but also understands how individual litigation fits into the international stage. He fully appreciates all the competition law arguments, the economics, the technology and the industry.‘

‘James Pearson is smart, diligent and very client focused.‘

‘What sets Richard Vary apart is that he has long-term practical experience of real high-grade global IP litigation. That experience is invaluable in his day to day work both for case management as well as initial strategy development.‘

‘Top-quality litigators specialising in TMT and unparalleled knowledge of patent/competition crossover issues. A great team to work with.‘

‘The thing that sets Bristows apart is the depth of talent. It has a high number of eminent practitioner partners that are genuine experts in their fields. This is especially true in the patents space. However, below partner level, the lawyers are equally impressive. Unsurprisingly, Bristows has a blue-chip client base, especially in the pharmaceutical and biotech markets and is at the forefront of every legal development. Truly impressive. Their client service is of the highest quality and they are very easy to deal with.‘

‘There’s a style to the firm which enables them to be hard-headed and charming at one and the same time.‘

‘James Boon is an extremely sharp lawyer who always fights hard for the best for his clients.‘

‘Richard Pinckney is a clever and conscientious litigator.‘

‘Brian Cordery is the most knowledgeable UK patent lawyer I know. He is a standout. Cordery knows the pharma industry inside out and is very user-friendly.‘

‘Liz Cohen and Robert Burrows are very impressive, communicating clearly and being very astute when it comes to protecting their client’s interests.‘

‘Dominic Adair is a brilliant leader, creative thinker, and very commercial.‘

‘Powell Gilbert has an industry-leading profile in UK TMT patent litigation. It is involved in pretty much all of the leading cases in this area, regularly acting for very large multinationals. Its involvement in the groundbreaking Unwired Planet v Huawei litigation is a good example of this.‘

‘Penny Gilbert is highly knowledgeable and widely respected- a great, and astute, co-ordinator of litigation.‘

‘Tim Powell is a tenacious and highly effective litigator who you do not want on the other side of a case.‘

‘Bethan Hopewell is resolute and determined.‘

‘Simon Ayrton combines excellent legal intelligence and insight with commercial strengths in planning and executing strategies in multijurisdictional disputes. I have worked with him for many years on dozens of cases and have seen first hand how much clients value his ability to see and plan all the many different facets of a dispute.‘

‘Zoë Butler is superb at leading and co-ordinating teams on the largest of cases. She is absolutely unflappable even in the most difficult situations, and brings integrity and honesty which clients really value.‘

‘Peter Damerell is probably the most analytically able lawyer I have worked with. On a very large FRAND case he produced a databook document for the court the like of which I have not seen before and which was incredibly impressive. He is also a determined litigator.‘

‘Tess Waldron is an extremely talented associate. She has an exceptional intellectual grasp of a case and produces excellent documents time and again. I have also seen her co-ordinate a very difficult matter to a successful conclusion in a manner that was very impressive indeed.‘

‘With the recent move of Huw Evans from Norton Rose Fulbright to Gowling, they have an almost unmatched technical patent litigation team.‘

‘Excellent lawyers. Very thorough and able to give practical advice.‘

‘Gowling has a very strong team with deep knowledge of many high-tech industries and wide experience of intellectual property issues.‘

‘Huw Evans is a remarkable lawyer. Intelligent, approachable, goes the extra mile, friendly, collegiate, with very extensive experience, especially of patents.‘

‘The team has a number of great litigators, all commercially minded. They are very responsive and give clear, well-considered advice.‘

‘Fabulous people who really understand what the developments in the industry are. Very innovative.‘

‘The Kirkland team is truly amazing with an incredibly high quality, both in tech and in life sciences. They excel on every front. Very quick, very responsive and with a thorough analysis. Laser-focused on strategy from the outset, with a clear plan for how to achieve the best result and then works extremely hard to make sure it happens.‘

‘Jin Ooi’s knowledge of second medical use issues is market leading.‘

‘Nicola Dagg is an excellent strategist and very valuable in advising on overarching strategic considerations in complex global patent disputes.‘

‘They push the envelope on strategic advice and thinking.‘

‘Nicola Dagg and Katie Coltart are fantastic. They are unique due to their clever strategy, their high reactivity and their winning spirit. And they are enthusiastic, which makes working with them a great pleasure.‘

‘Nicola Dagg is a force to be reckoned with and is great at getting the right people involved whether it’s mobilising client staff, barristers or experts’

Jin Ooi is a powerhouse and is always available and highly responsive. He is a master of detail and able to clearly explain complex issues.’

‘Nicola Dagg, Daniel Lim and Stephen Baldwin are the types of attorneys that any in-house attorney would love working with. They give good, practical advice but have a keen sense of not wasting time. I completely trust them and the team.‘

‘Very experienced and respected team, very good value for money, transparent, open to dialogue, well able to handle technically complex cases.‘

‘Mike Gilbert is very experienced and respected, capable of handling legally and technically complex cases. He is pragmatic and sees the whole picture when providing legal advice, has a really good knowledge of the pharma/life sciences industry, and stays calm under pressure. He is client oriented, and transparent and open to discussion about case management, resource allocation etc. He works very well with others in multi-country litigation situations. A great team leader.‘

‘Strategic thinkers with deep substantive knowledge and the ability to distil complicated aspects of UK law into (relatively) straightforward decision points. Marks & Clerk would definitely be my go-to choice for UK counsel.‘

‘Mike Gilbert, Trevor Crosse, and team have demonstrated excellent writing skills, commitment to our files, and an ability to quickly get up to speed on complicated matters.‘

‘The team is highly knowledgeable and provides practical business solutions.‘

‘Taylor Wessing has an impressive group of trade mark attorneys, who each have a niche within the practice.‘

‘The intellectual property team is a pleasure to work with and is always thinking outside of the box to solve client problems.‘

‘EIP has built a strong reputation as a market-leader acting for patentees in patent licensing disputes in the telecoms arena, in particular where a patent portfolio is sought to be licensed on a FRAND basis. EIP comprises both solicitors and patent attorneys, and the mix of the two is a considerable strength since the patent attorneys have deep expertise in telecoms technology, so they have vital input into the technical aspects of the cases. On the solicitor front, considerable expertise of this sort of dispute has now been amassed.‘

‘Relatively small but highly effective team of IP litigators.‘

‘EIP have virtually cornered the market in acting for telecoms patent holders seeking FRAND royalties for their patent portfolio’

‘Very commercially focused, with wide strategic and tactical experience, and a huge depth of highly skilled technical knowledge.‘

‘Rob Lundie-Smith is a stand-out partner. He is extremely hardworking, has a strong grasp of the issues and really thinks around the problems. He is also unfailingly good-humoured, courteous and a pleasure to work with, even in times of great stress.‘

‘Gary Moss, as the senior partner, has an encyclopaedic knowledge of FRAND disputes, and is the tactical powerhouse behind EIP. 

‘Gary Moss is a totemic strategist, with unparalleled experience in large-scale telecoms litigation. There is not a trick in the book that he doesn’t know, of which there are few that he didn’t create himself.‘

‘The team is very knowledgeable of the law and the industry, and conscientious and pleasant to work with.’

‘I worked with Ian Karet on a patent litigation matter which changed the law in the UK and influenced the law in many other countries. I think he has a very unique way of seeing things, and can quickly review vast amounts of complex materials and provide direct, insightful, straightforward, advice and would like to work with him on more patent matters.’

‘Mishcon de Reya brings a wealth of experience from a broad spectrum of IP litigation to enable it to successfully tackle any type of intellectual property issue, especially for large clients who want an individual approach to their case and their business.‘

‘Although Mishcon de Reya are primarily known for their soft IP and media work, they now also have a very good hard IP/patent practice. David Rose has brought considerable experience in this field to them, including telecoms litigation (which is a sub-speciality in itself!)The team is well set up for high-value patent cases and understands well the strategic role this type of litigation can play.‘

‘Will James recently came over from Marks & Clark. He is truly a boost to the team and Osborne Clarke have a wonderful future ahead with him on board.‘

‘Will James stands out in life sciences litigation. He has a very bright mind, is a wonderful organiser and among the best in coordinating complex cross border cases.‘

‘Will James has been in the IP sector for 15 years. He knows the science as well as the law. His client advice and ability to coordinate international cases is outstanding.‘

‘Highly experienced in pharmaceutical and life sciences.‘

‘Alexandra Pygall is an excellent leader.‘

‘Highest quality of work I have encountered so far in my career, with unprecedented back office support. Rob Jacob knew which strategy to adapt in any scenario and knew the approach to take in any situation.‘

‘Fantastic high-quality service and work product, with personable people, at value-for-money prices.‘

‘Knowledgeable, pragmatic, sensible and appropriate advice and stellar service.‘

‘Alexandra Pygall has deep understanding of the commercial requirements of the TMT and life sciences sector. She leads an impressive team.‘

‘Alexandra Pygall has a brilliant scientific mind.‘

‘Rob Jacob: fantastic in-house experience and a creative thinker.‘

‘Very responsive, on target practical advice, cost-efficient litigation.‘

‘Wiggin are superb.‘

‘Combining a litigation team with a heavy-hitting patent attorney firm has been a resounding success. Carpmaels provides a fantastic one-stop offering at the highest level, with really fruitful results.‘

‘Camilla Balleny is a warm and personable adviser who is justifiably loved by her clients. With her technical background and considerable litigation experience, she is an excellent person to have on-side.‘

‘David Wilson is a calm head in the throes of a challenging case and is able to draw on considerable experience. He provides sound advice and a reassuring presence to clients.‘

‘The team is formed by competent, organised, efficient people.‘

‘A very thorough approach to numerous difficult issues in a complex patent case.‘

‘Campbell Forsyth, partner, is ably assisted by his very well-organised and meticulous associate, James Marsden.‘

‘Small, focused, hands on, efficient, gets right to the heart of the matter.‘

‘Chris Leung is outstanding; a star of the future. Fantastic grasp of issues, good attention to detail, really thinks about the case and understands the interplay between argument and strategy.‘

‘No fluff, able to read a room and react appropriately and sensitively to internal stakeholders.‘

‘David Knight and Christopher Leung are a great pairing and work seamlessly with counsel. David is an unflinchingly practical and realistic lawyer.‘

‘David Cran is personable, very intelligent and quick to get to the nub of the problem.‘

‘A brilliant firm.‘

Exceptional knowledge and experience in complex IP litigation, including in the area of complex emerging technologies.

Geoff Hussey – two words – he wins.

Geoff Hussey simplifies everything and makes managing litigation easy for in-house counsel. A strategic, pragmatic and commercially minded lawyer, he knows how to read adversaries and when to apply leverage. Straightforward and easy to work with.

‘Good ability to deal with complex patent disputes, especially in chemical and medical device sectors. An experienced team who are a delight to work with.‘

‘Ian Wood draws on a wealth of experience to obtain great results for his clients.‘

‘David Fyfield is an enthusiastic associate and valuable member of the litigation team.‘

‘Particular strength in life-sciences, where there is deep industry knowledge and capability.‘

‘Ralph Cox is a highly impressive patent lawyer- I would rate him as exceptional, and one of the very best I have worked with. His knowledge of the industry and the law is exceptional, and he is equally at home dealing with contentious and non-contentious work. Ralph manages somehow to be able to absorb and process all of the detail while also maintaining a high-level view of the case, transaction or advice at hand, which means he is able to provide user-friendly commercial advice to clients.‘

‘Ralph Cox has one of the widest and deepest knowledge bases for patent law amongst UK solicitors.‘

‘Great attention to detail and absolutely focused on achieving the client’s objectives.’

‘Antony Craggs is very single-minded, with an in depth knowledge of the law.’

‘I have worked with D Young & Co for over 15 years. Prior to this I worked with other firms in three different continents, and none of them came close to the professionalism and dedication of D Young & Co.’

‘Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, D Young & Co carried on providing their top rate service with great success.’

‘The team is very responsive and easy to work with. They also grant us access to collaborative tools to share documents which are highly effective in huge litigations.’

‘Anthony Craggs is a great professional, he is very responsive and understands the needs of the clients. He is also very easy to work with.’

‘Anthony Albutt is really good to work with – he is friendly, super smart, grasps inventions really quickly and has a good way of asking the right questions to inventors to develop the invention.’

 ‘Keystone are unique – as are their billing structures’

‘Rebecca Halford-Harrison is a very good and able IP lawyer and very personable’

‘Strong technical skills combined with commercial approach and a can-do attitude makes this my go-to team for contentious and non-contentious matters. Advice is always practical and solutions to problems meet our business needs.’

‘They get things done while avoiding the overly aggressive approach without purpose encountered at some of their competitors.’

‘James Love is highly responsive, offering technically adroit and clear commercial advice. He delegates well to his team and gives excellent value for money.’

Extensive knowledge of complex cross border situations

Took time to understand what we were trying to achieve and then provided options for moving forward.

Clear explanations meant we were not bogged down in the legal documentation necessary to achieve our goals.

A good quality team

Seiko Hidaka is one of the nicest, most inquisitive solicitors working in IP in the UK. She has a sharp mind and a candid openness that is refreshing. Nothing is too hard, too obscure or too odd for her to research or investigate.

Lots of drive and energy: they are friendly, enthusiastic, professional and knowledgeable about the subject matter. Have the ability to put themselves in the client’s shoes.

‘Stevens & Bolton has built an excellent team with Tom Lingard and Charlotte Tillet.‘

‘Whilst many firms say they can handle IP litigation, in particular patent litigation, Stevens & Bolton are one of the few regional firms who really can.‘

‘Tom Lingard and Charlotte Tillett are not only highly knowledgeable when it comes to IP, but they are also approachable and highly impressive in the company of clients.‘