Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design in London

Allen & Overy LLP

As a ‘class act’, the team of 'world experts' at Allen & Overy LLP has a commercial and technical global IP practice advising household name companies. David Stone leads the practice and is well known for his brand and trade mark expertise and litigation skills, while Jim Ford specialises in non-contentious and commercial IP mandates, regularly advising on complex IP joint ventures, compliance issues and advertising and licensing deals. Neville Cordell is also a patent litigator and is consistently involved in high-profile trade mark, copyright, and breach of confidence cases, and ‘skilled negotiator’ Nigel Parker is a technology and data expert and handles the IP elements of corporate and commercial transactions. At the non-partner level, senior associates Alexandra Wyles, Adrian Dykes and trade mark and design prosecution team lead Karla Hughes are also noted.

Practice head(s):

David Stone

Other key lawyers:

Adrian Dykes; Nigel Parker; Jim Ford; Karla Hughes; Neville Cordell; Alexandra Wyles; Benedict Kay

Testimonials

‘The A&O IP team headed by David Stone are a class act. It is a given that they know their practice area as world experts, but they are also very commercial and practical in their advice, and will share their views as to what’s worth doing/not doing for the costs involved/return on investment.’

‘The A&O IP team feels like an extension of our in-house team, they understand our business deeply, our culture and ethos, and give us as much care, insight and attention as if they were working for us full time. Although we are a small client compared to FTSE 100 companies, we feel they are very responsive and understanding of our needs.’

‘Their insight into market practice was invaluable.’

Key clients

Coca-Cola

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Knitpro

Manchester United

NBCUniversal

Outerstuff

Samsung

News UK (The Times, The Sun)

Virgin Media O2

Warner Bros

Work highlights

  • Managing the global trade mark portfolio for Acamar Films, the creator and distributor of the Emmy Award-winning children’s televisions series Bing Bunny.
  • Representing Samsung in a trade mark infringement and passing off claim filed by ten claimants which are members of the Swatch Group of companies, alleging that Samsung has infringed various watch brand trade marks.
  • Advised Etsy on the trade mark and IP aspects of its acquisition of the entire issued share capital Depop, the UK-based global fashion resale marketplace, from various institutional, angel and management sellers.

Bird & Bird LLP

Bird & Bird LLP maintains of the largest pan-European IP practices, giving the group a strong international reach. The practice continues to advise on a number of high-value cross-border disputes and transactional matters, with an increasing amount of matters involving digital assets, rights, and artificial intelligence. The contentious arm of the practice is led by Peter Brownlow who enjoys a strong reputation as a notable trade mark litigator across a number of industries, recently including the retail, gaming and technology industries. Ewan Grist is also a litigation expert and recently represented clients in the fashion innovator spaces, while Rebecca O’Kelly-Gillard and Phil Sherrell are key contacts for copyright related issues and have been notably active in the music and cryptocurrency sectors. Sally Shorthose heads up the transactional arm of the IP practice; she and Tom Snaith are also go-to practitioners for hi-tech clients in IP-rich sectors.

Practice head(s):

Katharine Stephens; Rob Williams

Other key lawyers:

Peter Brownlow; Ewan Grist; Phil Sherrell; Rebecca O’Kelly Gillard; Tom Snaith; Mark Holah; Nick Aries; Katherine Stephens; Sally Shorthose; Richard McMorris; Tristan Sherliker; Tom Darvill; Emma Green; Hilary Atherton; Ning-Ning Li

Testimonials

‘Strong trade mark and IP strategy advice, in particular with international expansion.’

‘Emma Green is always very impressive and efficient.’

‘Strategic and commercially pragmatic advice has led to excellent outcomes for the Company in a recent trade mark dispute. Very reliable advice.’

‘I have very much enjoyed working with Hilary Atherton who is calm and clear.’

Key clients

CrossFit

Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA)

Epic Games

HanesBrands Inc

Kingfisher

Lidl

Made.com

Mattel

Merck KGaA

Monster Energy Company

Work highlights

  • Acting for the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) in high-profile litigation in relation to the ownership rights of Bitcoin.
  • Acting for Californian gaming tech company Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. and its UK subsidiary, Turtle Beach Europe Limited, in defending a trade mark infringement claim issued by ABP Technology Limited.
  • Represented Lidl in a complex passing off action brought by Philip Warren & Son Ltd relating to Lidl’s sale of meat products.

Bristows LLP

The intellectual property practice at Bristows LLP has one of the broadest trade mark, copyright, and designs practices, which is praised for its ‘perfect combination of legal knowledge, commercial savvy, and litigation strategy’. The practice is led by a triumvirate comprised of Matthew Warren, Simon Clark, and Ian Gruselle. Clark spearheads the brand design and copyright arms of the practice, leading on high-profile passing off disputes in the entertainment and retail sectors alongside Jeremy Blum, who is praised for is ‘deep knowledge’. Gruselle maintains an enviable trade mark portfolio practice, advising big-name European and global clients alongside Paul Jordan, who also specialises in brand protection issues, specifically for print media and creative companies. The portfolio team also saw the addition of new partner Nellie Jackson, bolstering the team’s brand protection and exploitation capabilities. On the commercial side, Warren, Claire Smith and Richard Dickinson are key contacts, advising on many large-scale licensing and collaboration agreements across a variety of sectors, including the technology, luxury and branded goods industries.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Warren; Simon Clark; Ian Gruselle

Other key lawyers:

Jeremy Blum; Paul Jordan; Nellie Jackson; Claire Smith; Richard Dickinson; Andrew Butcher; Sean Ibbetson

Testimonials

‘Excellent overall performance: perfect combination of legal knowledge, commercial savvy, and litigation strategy.’

‘Jeremy Blum has a wealth of experience behind him. An excellent lawyer with an extraordinary knowledge of EU/UK law.’

‘Sean Ibbetson is one of the best Senior Associates in trade mark/copyright/design right law.’

‘The practice has developed probably unequalled experience, notably in specific questions of IP law, such as litigating three-dimensional trade marks in different jurisdictions.’

‘Jeremy Blum has deep knowledge in specific areas of IP law and great organisational skills to coordinate multi-jurisdictional projects and litigation.’

‘Overall very pragmatic and knowledgeable.’

Key clients

Mondelez International

Vice Media

Philips

Google

Diageo

University of Oxford

McDonalds International Property Company

Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd

Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy

The Financial Times

The Guardian News and Media

WPP Group

BAFTA

FatFace

GlebeFarm

Lebara

Work highlights

  • Advising the WPP group on coordinating and managing the worldwide (except the US) trade mark portfolio.
  • Advising the Financial Times on the management of its worldwide trade mark portfolio, conducting clearance searches for new brands, filing applications to expand the protection of the FT and FINANCIAL TIMES brands around the world and to assist in the protection of new brands and products.
  • Assisting Master Moley from the early development stages of a project and through the entire lifecycle of a film special, including managing its worldwide trade mark portfolio.

CMS

Praised as ‘stellar’ in its approach to soft IP matters, the IP practice at CMS fields one of the largest dedicated teams in the market. Co-heads Sarah Wright and Tom Scourfield steer the ‘one-stop-shop’, which has a notable global reach that advises a number of high-profile clients across the full spectrum of industries, covering all elements of soft IP work. Praised as an ‘innovative thinker’, Wright’s trade mark practice spans prosecution, litigation, and licensing issues, managing the brand portfolios for some of the biggest global technology companies, while Scourfield manages all manner of brand protection matters, from registration, counselling, and strategies, to trade mark and copyright enforcement work. Louise Gellman is also a portfolio management expert, who is praised as ‘great to work with’ with a ‘great depth of knowledge’. Joel Vertes is praised as working ‘incredibly hard’ for his clients, with recent highlights including advising Qatar Airways on the industry test case regarding copyright infringement of musical performances in the context of international travel. David Parrish is also of note regarding complex and contentious trade mark matters, as is Caitlin Heard. Tom Reid is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Sarah Wright; Tom Scourfield

Other key lawyers:

Joel Vertes; Tom Reid; Eleanor Merrett; Louise Gellman; David Parrish; Caitlin Heard; Alicja Zalewska; Melanie Wordsall; Ben Hitchens; Kelly Saliger; Oliver Gray; Sam Omar; John Cloke

Testimonials

‘Joel Vertes works incredibly hard and is willing to drop everything in service of his clients.’

‘Very personable, experienced, competent leadership from Sarah Wright. Sam Omar punches above his weight in terms of commerciality and competence.’

‘Led by Louise Gellman, who is our main contact over a number of years, and who has a good depth of knowledge, and is great to work with on both a professional and person level.’

Key clients

Anthony Nolan

Banham

Booking.com

Breast Cancer Now

Deliveroo

Dentsu

Dune

eBay, Inc.

Equinor

Hackett

Hammerson

Imagination Technologies

ITV plc

J. Crew

JTI

Kettle Foods / Snyder’s Lance

Legal & General

Microsoft

Nestlé

Oracle Corporation

Oura Health

Pepe Jeans

Qatar Airways

Revlon

RH

Sainsbury’s

Samsonite

Shark Ninja

Sky

Sothebys

The Crown Estate

UEFA

Value Retail Plc

Work highlights

  • Representing Qatar Airways in a claim brought by Performing Right Society (PRS) for copyright infringement.
  • Advising UEFA in securing innovative live-blocking orders for infringing content during football matches.
  • Advised Nestlé regarding several strategic mandates, including the secure trade mark protection of the four finger Kit Kat.

Mishcon de Reya LLP

Fielding an ‘all-star’ team with a very good practice, Mishcon de Reya LLP‘s IP offering is spearheaded by trade mark litigation and enforcement expert Jeremy Hertzog, who is known particularly for his anti-counterfeiting expertise. Within the team is also David Rose, who leads the IP disputes group; his ‘strong on detail and strategy’ approach is notable to clients, having acted in a number of high-profile cases before the UK and EU courts, including the higher UK courts and IPEC. Sally Britton is the go-to partner for brands, particularly in the retail sector, while commercial matters and transactions are the purview of Lewis Cohen, who advises on the full range of commercial IP, including media and sports agreements in relation to the use and exploitation of IP rights. Recent highlights for the team include advising several household names, including acting for Sky in a trade mark infringement case before the Court of Appeal. Criminal IP is another area of expertise for the team, leveraged through the firm’s white-collar crime practice. Cassandra Hill was promoted to the partnership in 2021 and Campbell Forsyth joined the team from Dentons in 2022.

Practice head(s):

Jeremy Hertzog

Other key lawyers:

David Rose; Cassandra Hill; Ashley Winton; Lewis Cohen; Sally Britton; Campbell Forsyth; Dominic Walsh

Testimonials

‘They care – a lot.’

‘Strong team from top to bottom.’

‘David Rose leads the team extremely well. Strong on detail and strategy.’

‘The team led by Sally Britton is top-notch. They truly partner with you to understand the risks and options. They provided thoughtful, comprehensive and practical advice. They are all professional and great individuals to work with.’

‘There are many good firms, but Mishcon’s responsiveness and ability to help carve out practical solutions readily distinguished them from other firms we have worked with.’

‘All-star team with very strong partner presence. Lots of high-profile clients and interesting cases.’

‘David Rose has great vision, really good at motivating the team. Jeremy Hertzog creates a very positive team dynamic. Sally Britton very focused on getting results for the client. Dominic Walsh is also very clever and a pleasure to work with – relatively junior but one to watch.’

‘David Rose is a robust litigator and seasoned tactician and negotiator.’

Key clients

Sky

Nuclei/IWG

Nintendo

Iceland Food

Lidl

Hewlett Packard (HPE)

Schneider

Thom Browne

Vetsure

Weiss

Global

Entain

Fendi

TikTok

Bet365

Alexander McQueen

WeWork

CBS

Apax

HG Capital

Health & Happiness

Lion Capital

Graphite Capital

SPP Pumps

Moda Living

Work highlights

  • Acting for Sky in major trade mark dispute with SkyKick which considers the approach to take in relation to key aspects relating to trade mark specifications.
  • Assisting Nintendo in securing a website blocking order relating to websites selling pirated game downloads.
  • Acting for Nuclei in defending High Court trade mark and passing off proceedings brought by EasyGroup.

Taylor Wessing LLP

Taylor Wessing LLP‘s IP practice provides ‘business-savvy and practical input’ and ‘top-level advice’ for clients. At the core of its offering, the group excels at brand protection and enforcement work, and copyright issues. Mark Owen leads the practice and is well known for his expertise in the digital and technology sectors, and is equally strong in advising clients in the food and beverage industries. Roland Mallinson advises on a range of worldwide trade mark portfolios, particularly assisting luxury beverage, perfume and fashion corporates. Adam Rendle is the go-to for international entertainment business matters, advising on complex exploitation arrangements, while TMT clients trust France Delord in a number of contentious contexts, and financial services clients can turn to Jason Rawkins for assistance with brand clearances, trade mark disputes, and domain name recoveries. At a non-partner level, Magdalena Borucka and Xuyang Zhu are also of note.

Practice head(s):

Mark Owen

Other key lawyers:

Adam Rendle; Charles Lloyd; Robert Hawley; France Delord; Roland Mallinson; Magdalena Borucka; Jason Rawkins; Xuyang Zhu

Testimonials

‘Taylor Wessing IP team have been very professional, collaborative, friendly and quick compared to the previous practice we were using. They are very proactive and offer advice to us as experts in their field. We’re very happy to have partnered up at a global level with Taylor Wessing.’

‘Each individual is very approachable, knowledgeable and amicable in their approach. They are thorough in their research and clear in their presentation.’

‘The team has strength and depth. They are all really personable and eager to understand client needs and pressures. When you instruct them, you have faith that you will get good advice.’

‘I recommend both Roland Mallinson and Magdalena Borucka. Both have excellent legal knowledge and feel like part of the team.’

‘The Taylor Wessing team offers business-savvy, practical input at the speed our clients demand. That top-shelf service is hard to come by. The TW team calibrates well to any representation, understanding whether the matter calls for legal big guns or merely a shot across the bow. Always glad to take Taylor Wessing into battle.’

‘Jason Rawkins continues to be a star on trade mark matters. For copyright matters, we consider Mark Owen a go-to partner. In both cases, their responsiveness, legal acumen, business-savvy and creativity set them apart from countless other UK lawyers.’

Key clients

The Roald Dahl Story

Gong Cha

Orange

William Grant and Sons

Dataminr

Current Health Limited

KPMG

The Topps Company

Shaneel Group

Vanity Fair

Baker McKenzie

Notable for its strong and comprehensive brands practice, the IP team at Baker McKenzie acts for clients in the technology, social media, digital gaming, music streaming, and entertainment industries. With work encompassing the full brand lifecycle, the team excels in brand management issues, advising on matters ranging from filings to litigation, including full trials before the UK and EU Courts. The group’s copyright expertise is also notable, with the office regularly advising on global copyright issues such as online provider liability matters. Digital media and copyright head Ben Allgrove focuses on complex IP advisory and litigation work, particularly in digital music distribution and artificial intelligence mandates, while Jessica Le Gros (trade mark group head) specialises in brand clearance and complex trade mark disputes for a number of well-known multinational clients. Julia Dickenson and Rachael Wilkinson-Duffy also co-lead the practice, focusing on contentious trade mark, design, and domain name disputes, and luxury and fashion sector litigation respectively. Michelle Blunt has retired from law.

Practice head(s):

Ben Allgrove; Jessica Le Gros; Julia Dickenson; Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy

Other key lawyers:

Vlotina Liakatou

Testimonials

‘Baker McKenzie UK is the co-ordinating office for our global relationship with Baker McKenzie on trade mark work. The London office provides us with a fantastic service, both in relation to the co-ordination and UK advice. They have a diverse team and are extremely strong.’

‘Jessica Le Gros takes real responsibility for the relationship globally, is very responsive, a pleasure to deal with and a true expert in relation to filing and prosecution. She ensures we get what we need (and want), both in terms of legal services and training.’

‘Vlotina Liakatou is responsible for our TM clearance and TM registry proceedings. Always a pleasure to deal with and provides a great service.’

Key clients

Cochlear

CSL/Seqirus

Dropbox

DeepMind

Eli Lilly

General Motors

Google

GSK

HSBC

JCB

Jumeirah

L’Oréal

Novartis

Novo Nordisk

Pinterest

Planet Hollywood

SAP

Unilever

Warner Bros

Work highlights

  • Advising L’Oréal on all IP matters, ranging from trade mark litigation, through vital brand and portfolio advisory and management, to advising on numerous IP issues relating to its ongoing digital transformation strategy.
  • Assisting Unilever on brand advisory services, brand protection, and disputes in the UK and EU.

DLA Piper

‘Very experienced in soft IP and a leader in the field in sports law’, DLA Piper‘s IP practice covers a wide range of matters for its clients, both contentious and transactional in nature. Praised as a ‘pleasure to work with’, Ruth Hoy leads the practice which advises on a number of major multinational clients’ trade mark portfolios and also assists with design rights issues. The prosecution practice was bolstered with the arrival of Patricia Collis from Bird & Bird LLP, and the media and entertainment, and retail and fashion industries are also key sectors for the team. Simon Levine is a media and entertainment litigation expert, and John Wilks is known for his audiovisual anti-piracy practice, acting for the Premier League and others in the sports industry. Nick Fitzpatrick is a media rights expert and Duncan Calow works at the intersection of content, technology and e-commerce. Claire Sng is also a brand protection and portfolio management expert.

Practice head(s):

Ruth Hoy

Other key lawyers:

Patricia Collis; John Wilks; Simon Levine; Nick Fitzpatrick; Duncan Calow; Claire Sng; Alasdair Muller; Ella Castle

Testimonials

‘Very experienced in soft IP and a leader in the field in sports law.’

‘Ruth Hoy is a delight to work with. Gives excellent advice from a legal and commercial perspective.’

Key clients

Nike

The Football Association Premier League Limited

Football DataCo

Mondelez International Inc

Emirates Airlines

International Airlines Group/ British Airways

NTT Limited

Lloyds of London

Lululemon

London Stock Exchange

BrewDog

Mondelez

Bajaj Auto Limited

Toshiba

Duracell

Arla Foods Amba and Arla Foods Limited

Papa Johns

Merlin Entertainment

UEFA

FIFA

Nikon

NetJets Management Limited

Hermès

BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (“ICE”)

Currys

Discovery Communications

City, University of London

NLA Media Access

Dalton BidCo Limited

Work highlights

  • Acted for TCL Technology in relation to a technically complex dispute with Vodafone, related to IP infringement and breach of confidence claims in respect of electronics products designed and produced for the medical market by TCL.
  • Acted for Safaricom on a heavily negotiated, high-value brand licensing deal.
  • Advised Inspired Pet Nutrition on the IP aspects of its acquisition of Pet Food UK Limited.

Fieldfisher

Leighton Cassidy and John Linneker co-lead the copyright, trade mark, and designs practice at Fieldfisher. Working alongside the firm’s trade mark prosecution practice, the team advises on a large number of trade mark portfolios, handles infringement and passing off proceedings before the High Court, and assists with database rights infringement actions; the team is also continuing to act for SkyKick in a long-running trade mark infringement case against Sky. Nick Rose is a key member of the team, with notable instructions including advising Peloton in relation to proceedings against Echelon Fitness; associate Natasha Rao is also assisting with the matter. Clients also praise James Seadon, who ‘really stands out as an excellent litigation solicitor’.

Practice head(s):

Leighton Cassidy; John Linneker

Other key lawyers:

Nick Rose; Hastings Guise; James Seadon; Miryam Boston; Natasha Rao

Testimonials

‘The team is incredibly hard-working and thorough. They think of things from every angle and always go the extra mile.’

‘James Seadon really stands out as an excellent litigation solicitor. He works incredibly hard and is always thinking of the next step and what he can do to put his client in the best position. He obviously manages his team very well and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Very strong leadership skills from Nick Rose, supported by excellent associates. They have an incredible knowledge of soft IP and are experienced litigators.’

‘Nick Rose is always available and leads the whole team. He has very strong interpersonal skills and treats everyone in the team with respect.’

‘We have worked with the Fieldfisher team in trade mark matters. They are all highly knowledgeable and proactive. Each matter is efficiently handled and supervised.’

‘All members of the team, regardless of their position, show a high level of engagement and commitment. It has been a pleasure working with them, and we have recommended their services to other colleagues.’

‘John Linneker is excellent. He is responsive and helpful, and I am pleased to refer cases to him.’

‘Very interesting team, able to act as “lawyers’ lawyers” but also able to think around all sides of a problem and see the arguments which others miss.’

Key clients

SkyKick Inc.

Peloton Interactive Inc.

Sazerac

Genius Sport Ltd

Oh Polly Ltd

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Caffè Nero

Currys (formerly Dixons Carphone)

Fitbit, Inc.

Smart LLC

Dell EMC

Arkema

Ordnance Survey

Samsung

Switch Mobility

Forbes

Randox Laboratories Limited

Crocs, Inc.

Work highlights

  • Acting for SkyKick in defending trade mark infringement proceedings brought by Sky Plc, in relation to use of the word SKYKICK.
  • Acted for Sazerac against a competitor, Halewood International, in UK proceedings for trade mark infringement.
  • Acting for Peloton, in relation to proceedings against Echelon Fitness, a US based company, in a UK and EU trade mark and copyright infringement case in the UK High Court.

Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG‘s copyright, trade mark, and design practice focuses on brands and designs, with several practitioners in the team spanning both disciplines and working across litigation and transactional work. With the London and Birmingham offices working in tandem, brand strategy and enforcement expert Kate Swaine leads the soft IP practice, praised by clients as ‘one of the best trade mark and copyright lawyers in the UK’.  The team regularly advises on trade mark infringement and registered designs, also recently representing clients in a number of high-profile passing off cases. John Coldham is also highly praised for his excellent track record in design cases and is ‘well versed in balancing legal questions against business needs and PR aspects’.  Senior associates Khemi Salhan and Zoe Pearman are also of note.

Practice head(s):

Kate Swaine

Other key lawyers:

John Coldham; Khemi Salhan; Zoe Pearman

Testimonials

‘Strong team that understands the value of IP-rights and able tom device strategies accordingly. High partner engagement and extraordinary availability. Open about billing and budgets.’

John Coldham is a very passionate lawyer with an extraordinary sense of urgency and availability. He is well versed in balancing legal questions against business needs and PR aspects. Strategically adaptable to clients’ needs and image. In other words, a really good adviser.’

‘John Coldham is always responsive and helpful.’

‘This is a leading full service IP practice with some exceptional practitioners.’

‘Exceptional communication, highly responsive and team players.’

‘The team led by Kate Swaine is really on top of developments. They are often off the beaten track, delivering high-quality work.’

‘Kate Swaine is lovely. She is really one of the best trade mark and copyright lawyers in the UK.’

‘John Coldham was quick to pick up my case, understood the personal distress the case was causing me and as such took a very considerate, compassionate and personable approach. His explanation of the situation and my options was delivered in plain English without legal jargon, which I appreciated. His advice and dealings with the other party was reassuring to me and he was quick to nip the problem in the bud. Couldn’t fault anything and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend John.’

Key clients

InterDigital

Neurim Pharmaceuticals

Oatly AB

Comcast/Sky

Aston Martin Lagonda

Kingspan

Freddy SpA

AstraZeneca

Sosei Heptares

Fluid Power Design

Paragraf Limited

Weetabix Limited

B2022

Scholl

Ezee Group International

Northstone

Dyson

Oxford BioTherapeutics

Lab Genius

Eisai Co Ltd.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

The copyright, trade mark, and designs IP practice at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP excels in all matters relating to technology. The team regularly supports clients on a range of technical matters, including copyright ownership, data misuse and licensing issues, as well as more commercial matters such as licensing agreements, collaborations, product development and research work, and technology transfers. Andrew Moir specialises in complex IP disputes related to software copyright, cybersecurity, and licensing issues, and Jonathan Turnbull maintains an impressive trade mark and anti-counterfeiting practice, advising companies on IP rights exploitation and protection mandates. At a non-partner level, senior associate Heather Newton is of note for her copyright litigation experience, where she acts for several high-profile clients. Fellow senior associate Victoria Horsey is also a litigation expert and advises on complex contractual, brand protection and licensing issues within the context of major acquisitions and disposals, and senior associate Peter Dalton specialises in advising clients in the technology sector, particularly in relation to cybersecurity, software code development, and licensing work.

Other key lawyers:

Sebastian Moore; Rebekah Gay; Laura Orlando; Andrew Moir; Jonathan Turnbull; Andrew Wells; Heather Newton; Victoria Horsey; Peter Dalton

Key clients

British American Tobacco

General Mills

Stagecoach

BP

Sky

Berkshire Hathaway

IKOS

Work highlights

  • Advising General Mills in relation to the IP aspects of the sale of its European dough business to Cérélia, a global leader in ready-to-bake dough solutions.
  • Advised BAT on the IP aspects of its acquisition of a 19.9% minority equity stake in Organigram Holdings Inc., for approximately £126m, to become the largest shareholder in Organigram.
  • Advised Stagecoach Group plc on the IP aspects of its recommended all-share merger with National Express Group plc.

Osborne Clarke LLP

The soft IP practice at Osborne Clarke LLP sits within the wider IP disputes group and is led by all-round litigation specialist Arty Rajendra. Under her guidance, the team maintains a strong trade mark portfolio management practice, and the copyright side of the department also has a strong reputation, particularly for advising platforms and rights holders on the protection of their copyrights in digital spaces. A key member of the team for brand management deals is Richard May, who was recently made up to partner, and the group's technology sector expertise shines, with Robert Guthrie notable for handling domain name disputes. Non-contentious matters are the purview of Tamara Quinn, who assists clients with drafting and negotiating licences, ownership and licensing strategies, and advising at the intersection of IP and data law within the contexts of AI and machine learning.

Practice head(s):

Arty Rajendra

Other key lawyers:

Richard May; Robert Guthrie; Tamara Quinn

Key clients

Anschutz Entertainment Group

JPMorganChase

Yahoo

Meta (Facebook)

TikTok

Global Student Accommodation

Together Labs

The companies formerly known as Peacocks and Edinburgh Woolen Mill (now in administration and brands sold)

The & Partnership

Hopkins Homes

Automattic

Signal AI

World First

Kantar Group

Shell

Nokia

Reckitt Benckiser

Harley-Davidson

World First

Bamboo Limited

Autodoc

Bristol Water

Howdens

Miniclip

Spartan Race

PA Consulting

Wood plc

Fred Perry (Holdings Limited)

The Groucho Club

The Honourable Daphne Guinness

Ascential Events

Playwing

MH Foods (Dairy Crest)

Yahoo

Pokemon

Twitch

A Nelson (Rescue Remedy)

Toni & Guy

Infobip

Peanut App

Work highlights

  • Obtained an urgent relief injunction to recover domain names that had been transferred out of the following companies: Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Peacocks and Jaeger.
  • Representing DP World in a trade mark dispute at the EUIPO against global German insurance giant, Allianz. The dispute concerns DP World’s new trade mark for DF ALLIANCE, a global trade alliance for logistics companies.
  • Advising JPMorganChase on protection and enforcement issues and acting in relation to a number of disputes.

Simmons & Simmons

Singled out as ‘commercially aware and able to suggest pragmatic solutions’, the trade mark, copyright and designs offering at Simmons & Simmons is co-led by trade mark specialist Darren Meale, who is a renowned litigator and brand portfolio manager, and copyright expert Priya Nagpal, who specialises in complex, multi-jurisdictional technology IP disputes involving emerging technologies such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and AI. Supervising associate Matthew Siddaway is a key member of the team, focusing on protection and enforcement matters; he also excels in contentious mandates. Industry strengths for the team include the fashion, luxury, financial services, and life sciences sectors, of which many household name clients trust the team to be a ‘safe pair of hands’. Former practice head Adrian Smith retired from legal practice.

Practice head(s):

Darren Meale; Priya Nagpal

Other key lawyers:

Matthew Siddaway; Loren Ravenscroft; Luke Norton

Testimonials

‘Simmons & Simmons exhibit exceptional teamwork with all matters, deadlines and pending issues etc. Monitored, timely followed-up and overall you know you’re in safe hands. The team are responsive and always very personable.’

‘Darren Meale is extremely responsible and always thinks out of the box when it comes to finding settlements or drafting tricky agreements.’

‘The Simmons and Simmons team have an in-depth knowledge of the intellectual property space. They are also aware of how IP matters may also impinge on other practices and are able to bring on board relevant experts from tax, corporate finance and others where needed. They are commercially aware and able to suggest pragmatic solutions to close deals.’

Key clients

Black Rock

Roland

Crown Resorts

E&J Gallo Winery

Etsy

GSK

Hermes

Hugo Boss

Major League Baseball

Middle Earth Enterprises

Monzo

Work highlights

  • Advising Hugo Boss are its sole UK trade mark counsel for contentious matters.
  • Assisted Monzo and developed the bank’s trade mark portfolio from single mark protection to a broader strategy, which includes the protection of its logos, devices and product names.
  • Advising Roland on all aspects of its UK and EU IP strategy.

Wiggin LLP

Wiggin LLP‘s IP practice has particular strength in the digital realms, advising those in the audio-visual, music, sports and entertainment, retail, and fashion industries and fielding dedicated specialists in contentious and non-contentious matters. Sara Ashby heads up the practice which is known for its online enforcement, intermediary liability, and copyright infringement dispute expertise, with recent highlights including advising PRS in its claim of copyright infringement against Qatar Airways in relation to the use of music in its in-flight entertainment systems. Brand protection and trade mark litigation is also in the purview of the team, with John Colbourn a key individual for parallel imports. Rachel Alexander has extensive expertise advising clients in the technology, music, and media sectors. Gurminder Panesar left the firm in 2021.

Practice head(s):

Sara Ashby

Other key lawyers:

Calum Smyth; Rachel Alexander; Michael Browne; John Colbourn; Mark Deem

Testimonials

‘A breadth of partners, all with huge experience, that can offer different perspectives – matching the best skill set to each case.’

‘Michael Browne has outstanding judgment, huge experience, able to synthesize and analyse complex technical and legal cases to cut through to the important issues.’

‘Sara Ashby really focuses on the detail in each case, rehearsing all the arguments and counter-arguments at an early stage.’

Key clients

Banijay Group (formerly Endemol Shine Group)

Sage Group plc

Microsoft Corporation

Guccio Gucci SpA

3M

Motion Picture Association

NBCUniversal

Warner Music UK Limited & Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited

PRS for Music

Oxford University Press/University of Oxford

LeoVegas

Wargaming

Halma

Work highlights

  • Represented Warner Music and Sony Music Entertainment successfully in the Court of Appeal in the TuneIn case.
  • Assisting Sage Group plc with managing its 1800 strong global trade mark portfolio and providing strategic advice on a variety of other IP rights.
  • Acting for Socotec in a world-wide dispute relating to ownership of the ‘AJA’ brand, which includes trade mark infringement and passing off proceedings before the English High Court and a parallel arbitration action before the LCIA.

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard's IP practice advises an enviable client list in the food and beverage, retail and fashion, and consumer sectors, both in contentious and non-contentious capacities. The team is particularly known for their strength in lookalike trade mark infringement claims, and advice relating to IT and software. Emma Armitage leads the practice, advising on disputes across the full range of IP rights, with a focus on brand and design disputes in the retail, consumer, and financial services industries. Robert Garwood and Damon Rosamond Lanzetta are key contacts in the team for advice in relation to the software and IP assets aspects of commercial acquisitions, while Georgina Powling advises on collaboration agreements, R&D issues, and software licensing work. Managing associate Rachel Cook is also recommended, with extensive expertise in contentious trade mark and design rights matters.

Practice head(s):

Emma Armitage

Other key lawyers:

Rachel Cook; Robert Garwood; Damon Rosamond-Lanzetta; Georgina Powling; Paul Bentham; Andana Streng; Tim Carter

Testimonials

‘Good value for money, helpful and collaborative. Nothing is too much trouble.’

‘Tim Carter is no fuss but really knows his stuff. Very reactive. Well-organised. Easy to deal with.’

Key clients

Nichebox UK

Primark

Canon Europe

MoneySuperMarket

Asda

Associated British Foods

AllClear Limited

Gamesys

Terra Firma

Volkswagen AG

Work highlights

  • Acting for Nichebox, owner of the luxury Clive Christian perfume and furniture brand, in ongoing court proceedings, and trade mark revocation and opposition proceedings in the Intellectual Property Office against Clive Christian Furniture Limited, a former group company.
  • Advised Gamesys on the acquisition of Degree 53, a user-interface design and software development company with extensive expertise in multi-channel website, bespoke software and mobile app development.

Browne Jacobson LLP

Browne Jacobson LLP‘s deep sector expertise in the luxury beauty, fashion, retail, automobile, and media areas is trusted by a number of leading brands and companies, which instruct the firm for its IP expertise. The team regularly negotiates high-value R&D agreements and complex licensing agreements, as well as advising brands on social media and influencer engagement and marketing issues. Brand portfolio management expert Declan Cushley leads the practice, and Giles Parsons is a key contact in the firm, particularly for automotive clients. Associate Faye McConnell is also of note, particularly for her experience advising luxury retail, fashion, and beauty companies on brand protection and copyright infringement issues.

Practice head(s):

Declan Cushley

Other key lawyers:

Faye McConnell; Giles Parsons; Bonita Trimmer; Gavin Lock

Testimonials

‘The team is very thoughtful and provides practical approaches. The right person or people is always proffered. The team focuses on getting results and providing value.’

‘The individuals at Browne Jacobson are dedicated and always show their zeal by understanding the field and then provide an array of solutions. The individuals always have very deep and specific understandings of the law, and help tailor their advice to particular situations.’

‘Great team – provides a top service.’

‘We have cooperated with Declan Cushley and his team for many years, and we have always been very satisfied with the service and quality we have received.’

‘Browne Jacobson assist our business extensively in IP, trade marks and copyright matters. Their strengths are: expertise in all the relevant areas, turning this into easy to understand explanations to assist us in making the best decisions, speed of response and an extensive international network of local firms who can provide advice on international trade marks when needed.’

‘We value their commercial approach, technical expertise, understanding of our business, speed of response and that they feel like partners to us in our business. Stand out individuals in the area of IP, trade marks and copyright are Faye McConnell, Giles Parsons, Declan Cushley and Gavin Lock.’

Key clients

Match Group LLC

Bestseller A/S

Iconic London (Holdings) Limited

MoreNiche

Mace Group

adidas (UK) Limited

PZ Cussons Beauty LLP

Camelot Lotteries UK Limited

Platt Reilly UK Limited

A Ward Limited

Hyperice Inc

Lotus Cars

Aston Martin Lagonda

Foden t/a PARLA

Work highlights

  • Acting for the Match Group in litigation to enforce its Match and Tinder trade mark portfolio against Muzmatch Limited.
  • Acting on retainer for Iconinc London as in-house counsel and advise Iconic London on all of its brand and commercial relationships.
  • Advising Lotus Cars on portfolio management, clearance and development agreements for future models.

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP‘s IP offering is headed up by IP litigator Mary Bagnall, whose soft IP protection and enforcement expertise is trusted by a number of international brand owners. Bagnall steers the team which advises across a diverse range of industries, including the fashion, retail, sports, leisure, entertainment, and technology sectors. The firm maintains a dedicated art law team, which also has copyright litigation capabilities. Digital specialist Nick White‘s expertise in the sports sector is highly praised by clients, and he also advises companies in the lifestyle sector. Also of note within the team is Charlotte Duly, who has extensive expertise in trade mark, design, and domain name work; senior associates Caroline Young and Olivia Gray, and associate Peter Byrd.

Practice head(s):

Mary Bagnall

Other key lawyers:

Nick White; Caroline Young; Peter Byrd; Olivia Gray; Charlotte Duly

Testimonials

‘They are an excellent team which is both responsive and knowledgeable. They keep updating themselves on the latest developments and are a great team to work with. The collaboration with them has been fruitful.’

‘Charlotte Duly is very dependable and is always there when you require her. She has a hands-on approach and is always involved in the matters, which is comforting due to her expertise.’

‘Nick White has an expertise and a passion for sports which permeates into his work. His passion is only matched by his excellence and knowledge in the field of sports law.’

‘Peter Byrd is very dependable and is always responsive to emails sent to him. He provides great assistance and his qualities are a good mix for the excellent team he is a part of.’

‘The trade mark team at Charles Russell Speechlys is top-notch. They provide sophisticated strategic advice.’

Key clients

Actis

Essity Hygiene and Health (formerly SCA)

Cadbury

Moore Global – Formerly Moore Stephens

Hachette

Wahaca

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli AG

ITV

Rapha Racing

Gulf Air

wagamama

Formica

Vindavinci Beverage Company

Australian Manuka Honey Association

World Rowing

Honest Burgers

itsu

Howard de Walden Estates

Immodulon Therapeutics Limited

Emergex Vaccines Holdings Limited

Rentschler Biopharma

Fitbit International

Work highlights

  • Representing the Australian Manuka Honey Association in its successful opposition to a UK certification mark for the name MANUKA HONEY by Manuka Honey Appellation Society, a body representing the interests of the New Zealand Manuka honey industry.
  • Advising Dementia UK on all aspects of its IP protection and in particular have recently successfully prosecuted the DEMENTIA UK trade mark in the face of an inherent distinctiveness objection from the UKIPO.
  • Advised the International Tennis Federation, the world governing body of tennis, on its rebrand and global filing strategy of the Fed Cup (the women’s version of the Davis Cup) to the Billie Jean King Cup.

Harbottle & Lewis LLP

‘Very approachable, very prompt in responding and very commercial’ is how clients describe the practice at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, which is proactive in its approach to copyright and trade mark infringements, with key sectors of expertise including the film and TV, theatre, publishing and advertising, music, video games and esports, sport, software, and technology industries. Shireen Peermohamed spearheads the practice and is praised for her litigation expertise; she also advises on global brand strategy, protection, and exploitation work. Andrew Terry is a key contact for advertising and brand dispute issues, while Kostyantyn Lobov is trusted by a number of video game companies, particularly for visual asset copyright protection matters.

Practice head(s):

Shireen Peermohamed

Other key lawyers:

Kostyantyn Lobov; Andrew Terry; Neil Adleman

Testimonials

‘The team is wide-ranging and able to deal very effectively with whatever is put across their desk.’

‘The H&L team led by Shireen Peermohamed are keen and understanding. They understand my requirements and are able to readily adapt to differing situations. This is due to the leadership of Shireen Peermohamed. Shireen is exceptional and offers her knowledge and expertise to all matters large or small. She has the ability to listen and understand the complexity of the automotive parts industry and then apply that to her work for us. Importantly, she is then able to transfer that to others.’

‘We have used Shireen Peermohamed’s team for more than 10 years now. They really understand our business and our sector. They get us the right advice and are a pleasure to spend time with.’

‘Shireen Peermohamed is really well known in our industry (publishing/entertainment) which makes it easy to instruct her and get her on board projects. She’s a steady hand and a tactical adviser. She really understands the creative drivers of our industry, which makes her advice sensitive and practical.’

‘Harbottles provide clear, pragmatic advice.’

‘Shireen Peermohamed is excellent. Takes time to listen to and work within our business objectives.’

‘Very approachable, very prompt in responding, very commercial.’

‘I have worked with Shireen Peermohamed for a very long time. She is an exceptional lawyer with great knowledge and an ability to communicate difficult concepts in simple, easy to understand, terms.’

Key clients

Queen Productions Limited

Dunmanifestin Limited

Electronic Arts

Warpaint

Stormzy

The Tonic Group

Princess Yachts

Quantastic / Quantum Tech HD

Nothing Technology

Drivingplates

All3Media

Gumball 3000

The Pokémon Company International

Rebellion

Square Enix

Work highlights

  • Acting as the global IP managers for Queen, managing the bands worldwide trade mark portfolio, assisting in matters of brand protection, enforcement and IP disputes.
  • Acting for Nothing Technology, managing the client’s global IP portfolio and assisting with a variety of other IP-related needs.
  • Acting for Electronic Arts, managing the company’s EU and UK trade mark portfolio.

Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin‘s IP offering is described by clients as having a ‘brilliant combination of skills, experience and knowledge across the IP spectrum’. Tom Gaunt heads up the practice which is a go-to for household brands in the retail, technology, media and entertainment, and manufacturing and engineering sectors. The team regularly advises on design and trade mark disputes, and infringement, passing off and anti-counterfeiting disputes, while also offering a transactional IP practice, which advises on R&A collaborations, technology and materials transfers, licensing brand management work, and advertisement clearance. Simon Chapman and Giles Crown specialise in brand protection and enforcement work, as does Mathew Forde, who is praised for his ‘strategic understanding’. Nick Bowie was recently promoted to partner, and Adam Glass is praised as a ‘wonderful IP lawyer’.

Practice head(s):

Tom Gaunt

Other key lawyers:

Giles Crown; Simon Chapman; Nicholas Buckland; Adam Glass; Nick Bowie; Mathew Forde; Anna Caruso; Lucinda Murphy

Testimonials

‘We use them specifically for trade marks and find they provide us with great service.’

‘The team that we work with are always very responsive and available to speak to us. Their advice in case of trade marks is always spot on. Anna Caruso and her team in particular are very helpful.’

‘The Lewis Silkin IP team offer a brilliant combination of skills, experience and knowledge across the IP spectrum. Their work is always of a high standard and reliable.’

‘It has been a pleasure to work with Lucinda Murphy in particular and have her ongoing support.’

‘Mathew Forde worked with me on a highly complex trade mark/food regulatory dispute. Mathew had a very good strategic understanding of the case (it was a David vs Goliath dispute) plus a keen knowledge of the details of the case. He was a  pleasure to work with and I know that the client was very impressed by his handling of the case.’

‘Excellent market knowledge; very able lawyers.’

‘Lewis Silkin LLP are honest, accurate, commercially aware and from my experience swift in action.’

‘Adam Glass is a wonderful IP lawyer. Gently jovial to his clients and honest to a tee. He provides decisive evaluations of complex matters, and I would thoroughly recommend his advice.’

Key clients

ASOS

Airwair International Limited (Dr. Martens)

Britvic

Cosmetic Warriors (LUSH)

Harvey Nichols & Co Ltd

Trailfinders Ltd

Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Saga

Bacardi

Twitter

Hutchison 3G

Work highlights

  • Acting for adam&eveDDB, the creative agency behind the annual John Lewis Christmas ad, in relation to a high-profile High Court copyright infringement claim over its John Lewis’s 2019 campaign.
  • Acting for Trailfinders in its business-critical confidential information claim against its competitor and ex-employees.
  • Advising Britvic on a range of contentious IP matters, as well as its trade mark portfolio and other non-contentious IP issues.

Marks & Clerk

Marks & Clerk's brand protection team works with its integrated PATMA team to offer clients a combined approach to brand protection, strategic trade mark and design portfolio management and brand development matters, including litigation and commercial exploitation issues. The copyright arm of the practice is particularly active in the creative industries sector, advising on content creation, rights clearance, and software development. Kirsten Gilbert leads the practice; she recently handled high-profile passing off actions for international rugby players. Dafydd Bevan acts for major international brands in registered and unregistered design disputes.

Practice head(s):

Kirsten Gilbert; Michael Moor

 

Other key lawyers:

Dafydd Bevan; Vicky Butterworth; Gina Lodge; Hannah Finster; Claire Chalmers

Testimonials

‘Strategic expert advice.’

‘Willing to listen and take on board the views of the client, provided practical assessments and negotiated resolution.’

Key clients

Bridgestone

Mast-Jägermeister

House of Bruar

Manthorpe Building Products

Work highlights

  • Advised former England Rugby players Mike Tindall and James Haskell, and sports broadcaster Alex Payne to a successful resolution of High Court passing off proceedings brought in relation to their The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
  • Acting for Long Harbour Ltd in High Court passing off and trade mark validity and invalidity proceedings relating to use of the WAY OF LIFE mark in respect of real estate marketing and agency services.
  • Acted for leading country clothing specialist House of Bruar, in defence of registered and unregistered design infringement proceedings brought in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court relating to a range of footwear products.

Reed Smith LLP

Strong in IP-rich industries such as the media and entertainment sector, Reed Smith LLP‘s IP practice is praised by clients as having ‘a great team that works brilliantly to achieve results’. The team is co-led by trade mark infringement expert Michael Skrein and IP rights specialist Gregor Pryor. Covering copyright licensing matters, IP transactions, rights negotiations, litigation, and regulatory issues, the team is trusted by major national and international broadcasters and technology companies. Carolyn Pepper is notable for her IP litigation practice and ‘pragmatic’ approach.

Practice head(s):

Gregor Pryor; Jim Hultquist

Other key lawyers:

Michael Skrein; Carolyn Pepper; Stephen Edwards; Philip Thomas; Fiona MacFarlane

Testimonials

‘Great team that works brilliantly to achieve results for their clients.’

‘Highly responsive and staffed with really good lawyers who think laterally and have the client’s interests at the core of what they do.’

‘Carolyn Pepper is a joy to work with and very client friendly – she is also an excellent lawyer.’

RPC

High-profile contentious IP matters in the retail, fashion, media, sports and technology sectors are where RPC excels. With a number of long-standing clients and an international reach, the team regularly advises on copyright and trade mark infringements before the High Court. The practice is co-led by Jeremy Drew, who maintains a broad practice, and David Cran, who specialises in technology disputes and transactions. Ciara Cullen co-leads the food and beverage sector group and is also a retail disputes specialist. Trade mark specialist Ben Mark has extensive expertise in enforcement work, licensing agreements and passing off claims.

Practice head(s):

Jeremy Drew; David Cran

Other key lawyers:

Ben Mark; Ciara Cullen

Testimonials

‘I think the RPC team’s greatest strengths are its collaborative approach, extensive experience representing clients in a range of industries, and great people. They are always available, pragmatic, thoughtful, creative, and articulate.’

‘Ben Mark is very bright, highly-responsive and pragmatic. His advice always takes into account our clients’ short and long-term goals, as well as their budgetary needs and expectations.’

‘Ciara Cullen is a great choice for multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

‘Jeremy Drew is a stand out partner, who has great tactical acumen and is acutely sensitive to the requirements of the client.’

‘Ciara Cullen is always available with clear, pragmatic advice.’

‘The trade mark team at RPC are excellent at giving practical, business-oriented advice, including recommendations for further action based on both degree of legal risk and market standards.’

‘Ben Mark is one of the most pleasant, concise, and even-tempered practitioners I’ve ever encountered. He is my platonic ideal of an external counsel. I always leave our calls feeling as though I have a better understanding of the matter, and that my time and budget have been spent wisely. I trust Ben implicitly with negotiating on my company’s behalf with third parties and find he has a very strong knack for calmly and politely sorting through noise and ego-driven puffery.’

Key clients

Associated Newspapers Limited

AB InBev

Irish Distillers

Lidl

Which?

Frasers Group / Sports Direct

Saracens R.F.C.

Game

Google

Wave Optics

Work highlights

  • Advised Sports Direct in the intensely contested trade mark licence claims brought by Rangers F.C.
  • Advised Associated Newspapers Limited on its defence of the heavily publicised copyright, misuse of private information and data breach claims brought by the Duchess of Sussex.
  • Defending SoftConstruct in proceedings brought by Genius Sports in relation to database rights infringement involving live sports data.

Shoosmiths LLP

Cross-border brand enforcements, anti-counterfeiting work and brand strategies are at the core of Shoosmiths LLP‘s IP offering, which is headed up by Gary Assim, who is trusted by some of the world’s most prominent fashion retailers. The team is also adept at digital IP advice, with Anastasia Fowle and Eloise Di Pasqua of particular note in the team. Telecom operators, AI companies, and automotive clients rely on the team’s expertise across a range of mandates including trade mark and brand disputes, enforcement matters and complex IP transactions.

Practice head(s):

Gary Assim

Other key lawyers:

Anastasia Fowle; Eloise Di Pasqua

Testimonials

‘Clever and calm.’

‘Our experience with this firm is excellent thanks to a star lawyer, namely, Gary Assim.’

‘Gary Assim is a gifted IP lawyer and a wonderful colleague to work with.’

‘The firm has great people and values. They easily build trust with clients.’

‘Gary Assim is an excellent lawyer, very skilled in his craft and can explain very complex matters in layman terms. He has a natural authority and is very good in mediations when also the opposing counsel listens to him. Eloise Di Pasqua is learning from Gary and is already a very good lawyer.’

Key clients

International Brand Firm (IBF)

D-Fly Group Limited

Ann Summers

easyGroup Limited

Marston’s PLC

Algenuity Limited

Henkel Limited

Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited (VWG)

H&M

Capita Plc

Work highlights

  • Acting for Scania in relation to a trade mark and passing off dispute regarding the ownership of two domain names featuring the name ‘Scania’ and registered by a third party.
  • Acting for Brooks Sports to defend an application made by the new owners of Brooks Brothers Inc to invalidate the ‘Brooks’ trade mark in the UK.

Stephenson Harwood

Particularly strong in contentious IP matters, Stephenson Harwood is trusted by multi-nationals in the life sciences, consumer, retail, and commodities sectors. Cross-border trade mark negotiations and litigation, complex licensing agreements, and potential disputes are handled by ‘high-calibre practitioners with supreme expertise’. Alexandra Pygall leads the team and has a broad contentious and transactional practice, while Rob Jacob is praised by clients as an ‘excellent trade mark litigator’ with experience in both traditional and non-traditional trade marks. Senior associate Jodie Lilir and associate Joshua Cunnington are also of note.

Practice head(s):

Alexandra Pygall

Other key lawyers:

Rob Jacob; Naomi Leach; Anne Stoffels; Joshua Cunnington; Jodie Lilir

Testimonials

‘I have worked with Rob Jacob and Joshua Cunnington. I think Rob is a very good leader. He leads his team and also leads the other corresponding law firms about the court actions that they coordinate. Both Rob and Joshua were always responsive, and they provided comments and information about other jurisdictions, improving the quality of our work.’

‘The IP Team of Stephenson Harwood stands out from the market. They are brilliant trade mark litigators, service-orientated and very responsive, and at the same time down to earth and easy to work with.’

‘Rob Jacob is an excellent trade mark litigator. He knows how to think outside the box and always finds creative solutions for the most difficult cases.’

‘Jodie Lilir is a rising star to watch.’

‘The IP team has probably an unrivalled ability to create a strong network of excellent and reliable IP friends across Europe.’

‘Rob Jacob is outstanding, smart and understand difficulties in foreign jurisdictions. Alexandra Pygall makes an excellent duo with Rob.’

‘They are very creative and have in depth knowledge (in particular relating to non-traditional trade marks). Their submissions are superb. They are also very good at handling complex multi jurisdictional cross-boarder IP-cases.’

‘The team has several high-calibre practitioners with supreme expertise in contentious IP matters. Particularly, they are very strong in cross-border disputes. Additionally, its expertise and experience in trade mark strategy and prosecution services makes up for a very strong combination.’

Key clients

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Haleon

easyGroup Limited

Gap, Inc

Shield Therapeutics Plc

The Duracell Company

Turbo-K

Highview Power

Perfetti van Melle

CLS Group

AM-Pharma B.V.

Ancestry.com

BXT Accelyon

White Cube Gallery

Work highlights

  • Advised easyGroup in relation to multi-jurisdictional proceedings including (i) a successful outcome in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court against Easyway SBH, SARL and (ii) an important decision in relation to the UK courts’ jurisdiction to hear EUTM claims, in its litigation in the High Court against Beauty Perfectionists.
  • Acting as UK IP Group counsel to Gap (including its Gap, Athleta, Old Navy and Banana Republic brands), advising on brand strategy, trade mark clearances, trade mark litigation, potential oppositions of trade mark applications by third parties, oppositions in the UKIPO and EUIPO, advice on design rights and negotiating settlement agreements.
  • Acted for Duracell in relation to trade mark infringement proceedings before the High Court relating to parallel imports and repackaged products.

Stobbs IP

Stobbs IP is an IP specialist firm, with strong expertise in trade marks and brands, advising on disputes, investigations, IT systems and domains, commercial contracts, and anti-counterfeiting work. Founder Julius Stobbs co-leads the ‘exceptional firm’, and has extensive experience across soft IP rights, advising on contentious and non-contentious matters, including IP strategies and licensing issues. Expert IP litigators Chris Sleep and Geoff Steward co-lead the practice alongside Stobbs and act for a number of high-profile clients in trade mark infringement litigation before the IPEC and High Court, taking advantage of the team’s deep bench and high-level expertise.

Practice head(s):

Julius Stobbs; Geoff Steward; Chris Sleep

Other key lawyers:

Charlotte Peach; Revecca Newman; Vita Hink; Victoria Leach; Claire Breheny; Louise Goodsell

Testimonials

‘Stobbs is an exceptional firm of solicitors, delivering Magic Circle service at lower prices and with more flexibility. They are a lovely group of people, and are superb on trade mark litigation.’

‘Geoff Steward is a market leading and opinion forming veteran IP lawyer. Sharp, incisive, a superb team builder and a pugnacious litigant.’

‘Rebecca Newman is a super-bright associate, destined to be a market leading practitioner.’

Key clients

7-Eleven

AG Barr (Irn Bru)

ASOS

Automobil Lamborghini SPA

Balfour Beatty

Barclays

Beiersdorf (Nivea etc.)

Brown Forman (Jack Daniels etc)

Cambridge University

Canada Goose

Cancer Research UK

Capri Sun GmbH

Channel 4

Chiaro Technology

Citco Converse

Corelle brands LLC

DKNY

Energizer Holdings Inc.

England and Wales Cricket Board

Eton College

Faber & Faber

Facebook

Federal Mogul

Ford Motor Co

Ford Models

Garrard & Company (jewellers)

General Mill

Glencore

GoPro

Grandmaster Flash

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)

GVC Services Ltd

Harley Davidson USA Inc.

Iglo Foods (i.e., Birdseye, Findus, etc.)

Informa Plc

Instagram

John Varvatos

Just Eat

Orla Kiely

Liverpool Football Club

McDonalds

MacMillan Publishers

Marks and Spencer

Marshall Amplification

Mars Wrigley

Meter Bergman

Moonbug Entertainment

Monster Inc.

Mothercare

Nike

O2

Oculus

Olive and Orange Ltd

Paramount Pictures

Pepsi Co

Premier Foods

Purple Bricks

Quintessentially Group

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Ritz London

Siemens AG

Skip the Dishes Restaurant

Slater and Gordon (UK)

Snap Inc. (Snapchat)

SSAT (The Schools Network)

Stanley Black and Decker Inc.

Ted Baker

Tommy Hilfiger Europe BV

Tottenham Hotspur FC

Treasury Wine Estates

Tumblr

UEFA

Upfield

Unit 4 NV

Verizon Media (including Yahoo/Oath)

WhatsApp

Wilmington PLC

Xaar

Brandsmiths

Complex trade mark litigation is at the core of the Brandsmiths‘ IP offering, with notable clients in the online and social media spaces. Proactive in litigation, the specialist boutique firm continues to be instructed by a high-profile client roster of domestic and international clients. Trade mark litigation expert Andy Lee leads the practice, and founding partner Adam Morallee maintains a strong practice advising clients in the sports and media industries. Senior associate Hayley Griffin and associate Amy Brooks are also of note within the team.

Practice head(s):

Andy Lee

Other key lawyers:

Amy Brooks; Hayley Griffin; Jacob O’Brien; Adam Morallee

Testimonials

‘Brandsmiths is a niche practice in the field of trade marks and brands. They devote themselves to their clients assiduously and will always go the extra mile to support a client in a dispute.’

‘I have worked with Andy Lee and several of his team including Amy Brooks, Hayley Griffin and Jacob O’Brien. Andy is an extremely punchy and powerful individual who stands up for his clients at all times. The others are all highly competent and expert practitioners, whose assistance I have found invaluable.’

‘Very good value for money. Expertise in multi-jurisdictional  trade mark or copyright matters. Very strong team at all levels, and so can provide cheaper advice.’

‘The team is young and energetic. Advice is always to the point and I appreciate the visibility of costs.’

‘Andy Lee is my main contact and he is very reactive and always willing to adapt to the circumstances. Their pricing is reasonable for the UK and perfectly justified by the quality of their work.’

Key clients

Vinted

Entertainment One

BMW/Mini

Lad Bible Group

Microsoft

Beverly Hills Polo Club

Trivago

Potter Herbal Remedies

PlayerAuctions

Clive Christian Furniture

Mo Farah

Work highlights

  • Acting for Entertainment One in a multi-jurisdictional trade mark, copyright and passing off dispute against SConnect in respect of the Peppa Pig brand.
  • Acting for Lifestyle Equities in the Court of Appeal against Amazon in respect of trade mark law as it pertains to foreign websites.
  • Acting for imagination workshop against the owners of the copyright in the Only Fools and Horses tv scripts, including some novel points of law around character protection and the parody/pastiche defence.

Burges Salmon LLP

Based in Bristol, Burges Salmon LLP‘s IP and media practice manages the IP portfolios for some of the largest international brands in the UK, as well as major US brands. Adept at both litigation and non-contentious matters, the group, which is co-led by Helen Scott-Lawler and Jeremy Dickerson, handles trade mark and copyright passing off claims in the High Court and Court of appeal, as well as domain name disputes, licensing agreements, and IP-specific advice in relation to corporate restructurings, M&A, take-overs and IPOs. Emily Roberts is also of note within the team and counts for a number of high-profile clients in the cosmetic, telecoms, and retail sectors. Senior associates Georgina Shaw and Richard Hugo both maintain broad practices in the space.

Practice head(s):

Jeremy Dickerson; Helen Scott-Lawler

Other key lawyers:

Georgina Shaw; Emily Roberts; Richard Hugo

Testimonials

‘Jeremy Dickerson is a good team lead, who gives astute commercial advice.’

Emily Roberts stands out as an individual who has taken the time to understand the technicalities of the tasks we undertake and how the business operates. This is reflected in the quality of advice given and the speed at which we are able to obtain advice.’

‘Jeremy Dickerson is always available and leads the whole team. He has very strong interpersonal skills and treats everyone in the team with respect. Very strong in-depth knowledge of the law and thinks outside the box to come up with compelling arguments.’

‘Jeremy Dickerson is an extremely experienced and fierce litigator and as the head of the team, he manages them brilliantly, providing a flawless service to clients. He also takes a very commercial approach meaning that often he manages to reach sensible outcomes for his clients.’

‘Jeremy Dickerson is a delight to work with. He is client-facing, user-friendly, while also extremely knowledgeable about TM law and practice. I trust his advice implicitly.

‘Emily Roberts is simply superlative in her ability to provide clarity and creative solutions to vexing IP issues.’

‘Very strong IP team in an out-of-London firm.’

‘Our business is very unique and a key strength of the team is the work they have undertaken to understand all the technical aspects of our business making the work we do together a truly collaborative process. By taking the time to understand our business they ensure that the advice given is forward-thinking.’

Key clients

BBC and BBC Studios Ltd

Ooni

Discovery, Inc. (Discovery Channel, Eurosport, QUEST, etc.)

Starbucks Corporation

Victoria’s Secret

John Lewis and Waitrose

Bath & Body Works

Virgin Enterprises Limited (Virgin Group)

Tesla

Truefitt & Hill

Scottish Professional Football League

Work highlights

  • Acting for the Santa Barbara Polo Club in complex High Court and Court of Appeal trade mark infringement proceedings with a heavy focus on jurisdictional issues.
  • Advising the BBC and BBC Studios on all UK and EU trade mark applications and registrations as sole counsel.
  • Acting as sole UK trade mark counsel to Starbucks, advising on clearance, portfolio management, and enforcement in the UK.

Clifford Chance LLP

Clifford Chance LLP‘s IP offering includes a long-standing trade mark practice, advising clients on a range of disputes before the UK Courts, the UKIPO and EUIPO, and transactional matters. Leading household brands and international clients with significant IP portfolios entrust the team to advise on the IP aspects of complex cross-border transactions, as well as enforcement strategies and dispute resolution. Key sectors of expertise for the team include the life sciences, healthcare, consumer goods and retail, and TMT industries. The team is co-led by Vanessa Marsland and Stephen Reese, who have significant experience  focusing on technology and the computer software industry, and the pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices industries respectively. Don McCombie joined from Ashurst in mid-2022.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Reese; Vanessa Marsland

Other key lawyers:

Alex Walker; Don McCombie

Key clients

Pfizer Inc

Her Majesty’s Government

Cyprus Government and the Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus Named Halloumi

Philip Morris Products, S.A

Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Co., Ltd.

Telefónica

Manchester City Football Club

LZ Labs

ŠKODA AUTO

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd

Invictus Games Foundation

EQT/Sitecore

Farmbetter

Labour Friends of Israel

Cinven

The Absolut Company

Mondelez Europe

L’Oréal S.A

Mastercard

Admiral Group plc

Liverpool Victoria

Vectura Group plc

Work highlights

  • Advised Cinven on its acquisition of a majority stake in RB Iberia, including advising the client across a complex suite of franchise agreements for the various brands and negotiations with RB Iberia and Burger King Europe GmbH.
  • Advised Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Co., Ltd. in respect of its proprietary and intellectual property rights against third-party importers, developing strategies to protect and enforce such rights.
  • Advised Telefónica on its 50:50 joint venture with Liberty Global to combine their UK operations, O2 and Virgin Media.

D Young & Co LLP

Working in tandem with the firm’s PATMA practice, D Young & Co LLP‘s IP solicitors cover a broad range of sectors, routinely handling complex, multi-jurisdictional trade mark disputes before the UK and EU Courts. The ‘extremely speedy, to-the-point and business-oriented’ team is co-led by Tamsin Holman and Jeremy Pennant and is strong in the hospitality, cosmetics, social media, retail, and food and beverage sectors. Anna Reid is a key contact within the team for contentious matters and is prolific in IPEC cases, while Gemma Kirkland is praised by clients for her ‘expert support and guidance’ in relation to brand protection work.

Practice head(s):

Jeremy Pennant; Tamsin Holman

Other key lawyers:

Anna Reid; Jake Hayes; Gemma Kirkland

Testimonials

‘The team is extremely speedy, to the point and business oriented, while at the same time maintaining high quality in all aspects of its service delivery.’

‘I have been working with Tamsin Holman and Anna Reid for a long time. Always a pleasure working with – friendly, constructive, no nonsense, hands on, always helpful and extremely focused on the needs of the client.’

‘The team is not only very experienced in Intellectual Property and trade marks, but understands our business well and provides excellent advice and guidance in respect of the defence of our very well known and respected mark.’

‘Gemma Kirkland provides expert support and guidance in respect of the defence of our mark. We are a well known and trusted brand, and it is important to us that this is not jeopardised by others seeking to use marks similar to our own. Gemma is very knowledgeable and experienced and works well with our organisation to help ensure that we understand the implications of any action we or others may take.’

Key clients

AkzoNobel

Al Futtaim

Arm

Burger King

Ceuta Group

Cosmetic Warriors (Lush)

Crockett & Jones Shoes

Delegat

Dabur India Ltd

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Grays of Cambridge

Groupe Canal+

Guinness World Records

Hard Rock International

Hubbell

Instagram

Jo Loves Limited

Johnson & Johnson

LG Corporation

Lumenisity

Marriott Hotels

Metro Bank

Qualcomm

Rolex

Skechers

SEGA and Sports Interactive

Sony Music Entertainment

SOP International Limited

Sunseeker International

The Dow Chemical Company

Tropic Skincare Ltd

UPS

Teva

Zoopla Property Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Sketchers and co-ordinating European litigation as part of its international enforcement work.
  • Acting in High Court proceedings for Sega & Sports Interactive defending a trade mark claim.
  • Acting for Industrial Cleaning Equipment (Southampton) Limited in relation to an IPEC claim.

Deloitte Legal

Deloitte Legal‘s recent acquisition of specialist technology and digital media firm Kemp Little LLP is integral to the firm's UK IP offering. Adept at advising on trade mark enforcements, IP portfolio management and strategy issues, IP acquisitions and disposals, and dispute resolution, the team is headed up by Paul Garland. Software and data licence disputes are the purview of Jeremy Harris, while Joanna Conway maintains a focus on the financial services and fintech sectors. Rachael Barber is notable for her extensive expertise in the retail and luxury sectors, acting for a prestigious roster of multi-national clients.

Practice head(s):

Paul Garland

Other key lawyers:

Rachael Barber; Jeremy Harris; Joanna Conway; Emily Nuttall-Wood; Alex Woolgar; Jade MacIntyre

Testimonials

‘Experience and knowledge of their client’s interests. Ability to deliver focused and relevant advice.’

‘Emily Nuttall-Wood is responsive, efficient and quickly understands what is important to us. She is commercially astute and with this in mind provides pragmatic advice. Because she provides pragmatic and measured advice, we have found outcomes to be delivered quickly and thus fees are reasonable. We would recommend her unreservedly on trade mark matters.’

Key clients

Ferrari

Supreme

IKEA

YO! Sushi

Travelex

SITA

Trayport

Jimmy Choo

TJX UK (TK Maxx)

Charlotte Tilbury

REKKI

FranScape

Swimtime

Dentons

The London IP offering at Dentons leverages the firm’s global footprint to advise on complex cross-border transactions, particularly in IP-rich sectors such as the media and entertainment industries. Practice co-head Anna Copeman maintains a balanced transactional and contentious practice, with recent highlights including acting for Marks and Spencer in the highly publicised High Court proceedings regarding trade mark infringement claims in relation to its product Colin the Caterpillar. Senior associate Jennifer Cass is also a key name to note.

Practice head(s):

Anna Copeman

Other key lawyers:

Jennifer Cass; James Marsden

Testimonials

‘Really excellent team: strong technical knowledge, cohesive, engaged and a delight to work with.’

‘Anna Copeman is a standout partner. Exceptional engagement and client service. Jennifer Cass – fully on top of the detail.’

‘The team is highly technically competent, they are able to balance commercial practicalities with legally complex approaches. They do not scrimp on time or expertise, whilst also being very pragmatic with costs. I highly recommend them.’

‘Anna Copeman is excellent, and is very good at managing a team and dealing with clients. Jennifer Cass is a very competent senior associate who gets on with tasks and really grapples with difficult subject matter.’

Key clients

American Eagle

Argex

Edinburgh Woollen Mill

ArQit

Lottoland Holdings Ltd

M&S

Seraphim Spacecamp / AWS Spacecamp

Supreme Committee for Qatar (World Cup 2022)

Virgin

Work highlights

  • Advising M&S in respect of High Court proceedings commenced against Aldi UK Limited in relation to its iconic product, Colin the Caterpillar.
  • Advising American Eagle Outfitters Inc in High Court proceedings commenced by Lyle & Scott Limited alleging breach of a co-existence agreement and passing off.
  • Advising Primarp DMCC, Purepay Retail Limited, Anglo Global Property Limited, Kings Landing Limited, and Border I.P. Limited (the current owners of the Edinburgh Woollen Mills business) as claimants in High Court proceedings alleging trade mark infringement, passing off and breach of employment contract.

Farrer & Co

Clients instruct Farrer & Co’s IP department for advice on high-stakes cross-border transactions and litigation. Particularly strong in non-contentious contexts, namely IP strategies, copyright licensings and rights exploitation, the team is trusted by clients in the arts, education, charity and cultural sectors. Peter Wienand heads up the practice, advising on international deals and collaborations in the entertainment space. David Copping  also focuses on IP-rich sectors, including the technology, culture, and higher education industries, and Owen O’Rorke handles both contentious and non-contentious matters.

Practice head(s):

Peter Wienand

Other key lawyers:

Alan Baker; Paul Jones; David Copping; Owen O’Rorke; Ian De Freitas; Anisha Birk; Natalie Rimmer

Testimonials

‘Their practical approach to matters, putting client’s interest before any other matter. Very intensive involvement, creating a seamless team with the clients.’

‘Peter Wienand is a very competent partner who is extremely knowledgeable and takes a sensible approach to resolving disputes. Anisha Birk is an excellent associate who provides very high quality support.’

‘Paul Jones is a highly competent partner who provides a strong commercial approach and runs a strong team.’

‘Natalie Rimmer is an expert in IP law. We have had the opportunity to work with Natalie and she has profound expertise.’

Key clients

The Economist

Art Fund

Tarquin’s Gin

The Economist

University of Cambridge

Imperial College

Institute of Cancer Research

Winchester College

The Photographers’ Gallery

Sophisticated Games

Work highlights

  • Advised NFT Nation on its terms document governing the ownership transfer of Mad Cat Militia NFTs (similar to Bored Ape Yacht Club) and licences to certain intellectual property rights (including limited merchandising rights) in the underlying digital artworks to buyers.
  • Advising The Economist weekly on pre-publication content issues across its print editions, as well as in connection with Economist Podcasts and Economist Films.
  • Advising University of Cambridge on matters relating to online teaching and managing the IP rights subsisting in online video and sound recordings of lectures.

Fox Williams LLP

Fox Williams LLP‘s IP practice is well known for its work in the fashion, retail and consumer, technology, and fintech sectors. IP transactions, disputes, trade marks and design portfolio management are all in the purview of the team, which is spearheaded by Simon Bennett, who is trusted by a range of lifestyle brands and furniture companies thanks to his trade mark and infringement expertise. The team also benefits from Nigel Miller and Stephen Sidkin, specialising in emerging technologies and fashion-related IP issues respectively.

Practice head(s):

Simon Bennett

Other key lawyers:

Nigel Miller; Sian Barr; Sarah Redmond; Charlotte Kong; Stephen Sidkin

Testimonials

‘Simon Bennett and Sarah Redmond, whom we know best (and have known for many years), are very experienced and knowledgeable professionals. They are also very nice people. It is a pleasure to work with them.’

‘Great dedication to matters entrusted to the firm. Partners are accessible.’

Key clients

Bentley Clothing

Seraphine Limited

Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Inc.

Gordon Bennett International Limited

Fox Brothers Limited

Hardie Grant UK Limited

Gino Cerruti (UK) Limited

Paradise Kids

Greenapple

AMC

Work highlights

  • Acted for the Ferrara Candy Company in an action against multiple third parties using NERDS and NERD packaging on smoking articles in the UK.
  • Acted for Beyond Encryption in a trade mark dispute against Microsoft.
  • Acted for Greenapple in an IPEC design right claim.

Hansel Henson

Hansel Henson‘s boutique IP offering provides expertise to its international client base covering trade marks, copyright, and designs; key areas of knowledge encompass portfolio management issues, trade mark and design disputes, and invalidity actions. David Hansel and Justine Flockhart co-lead the practice, which is well known for its experience in brand litigation, handling disputes at the High Court level for a broad range of clients.

Practice head(s):

David Hansel; Justine Flockhart

Testimonials

‘I have found Hansel Henson not just knowledgeable but also responsive, pragmatic and commercial lawyers.’

‘Their communication is good and they clearly work well as a team.’

‘They are a friendly team who respond to all requests in very quick time. Excellent communications and advice from all. They clearly have the client’s best interest as their priority. All round excellent service.’

‘David Hansen, I cannot speak highly enough about this man. He has been a pleasure to work with. He puts in 100% of his energy and resource to help achieve the end goal, owning all aspects and treating the matter as he would his own.’

‘Service is fast, reliable and advice is excellent. Take a 360 approach and look at all options for the client.’

‘Hansel Henson knowledge about the IP law and its practice to help its client is unique. They look for a tailor-made solution rather a standard solution anticipating the counterpart strategy.’

‘This firm is very proactive and comes up with innovative suggestions as to how to deal with difficult issues.’

‘Stand out partners include David Hansel and Justine Flockhart. They are very responsive and provide clear and concise advice. They also get results.’

Key clients

Globefill Inc

Blue Group UK Retail Limited

Pizza Pilgrims Limited

National Gallery

States of Jersey (Government of Jersey)

Beds and Bars PLC

Berthold Types Ltd

Utopia Jewellery Ltd

Easy Live (Services) Limited (the owner of Easy Live Auction)

Hogan Lovells International LLP

Plant variety protection specialist Joel Smith heads up the copyright, trade mark and design offering at Hogan Lovells International LLP, which has an impressive global footprint across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, advising an enviable global client rosters on their global and regional IP portfolios. The team advise on high-value transactions and acquisitions in the life sciences, media, fashion, consumer, technology, and insurance sectors. Sahira Khwaja is also a key member of the team, with expertise in the consumer and TMT sectors, advising some of the world’s leading consumer brands.

Practice head(s):

Joel Smith

Other key lawyers:

Sahira Khwaja; Alastair Shaw; Emily Sharkey; Anneka Dalton

Testimonials

‘Hogan Lovells has been a great business partner for us. They provide timely responses to our legal questions and have a strong understanding of the issues we are facing. They are also very pro-active in identifying potential risks for our business and help to find economical and effective solutions to mitigate such risks.’

‘The depth of legal knowledge at Hogan Lovells and ability to bring in content and local experts is quite remarkable.’

‘Hogan Lovells works closely with our business team to find solutions that align with our business goals and objectives. Hogan Lovells brings in the right level of expertise as required for the issue to manage costs and resolve our concerns.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge, an ability to give clear and concise advice to clients and also a really lovely team of people to work with.’

Key clients

Mulsanne Insurance Company Limited

Limagrain

Lucozade Ribena Suntory

Yum! Brands

Asahi International

Treasury Wines Estates (TWE)

QatarEnergy

ViacomCBS

Getir

British Society of Plant Breeders

Work highlights

  • Advising Limagrain on an appeal to The Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal over Defra’s refusal to add a new barley variety to the National List for cultivation in the UK.
  • Acted for and successfully defended Treasure Wines Estates (TWE), against a complaint made to the Portman Group over the TWE wine brand Blossom Hills.
  • Advised ViacomCBS, on the IP aspects of the creation of SkyShowtime, a new subscription video on-demand streaming service, in partnership with Comcast.

K&L Gates LLP

K&L Gates LLP‘s international trade mark, design and copyright offering excels in cross-border portfolio management, litigation, enforcement issues, design infringements and transactions, acting for a variety of luxury goods, fashion, consumer electronics, architecture and design, and beauty companies. The ‘exceedingly intelligent and passionate’ Arthur Artinian leads the team, with his practice encompassing the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious IP matters and portfolio management work.

Practice head(s):

Arthur Artinian

Testimonials

‘The team is incredibly nimble and flexible, providing exactly the expertise you need and assistance required, tailored to your request. They are unparalleled as to knowledge of the fashion industry, market and terms. Extremely diverse team, reflecting the industry. The team is very passionate about what they do and the industry, and it is reflected in carefully crafted work.’

‘Arthur Artinian, is without doubt the most connected, and knowledgeable of terms and practice in the fashion and design industry. Exceedingly intelligent and passionate, he is able to separate what really matters and laser focus on the right result.’

Key clients

Nike

Coty

TripAdvisor

BMI Group

Luxottica Group

Ralph Lauren

Aman Hotels

Tateossian

Furla

Renzo Piano

Cardtronics

Work highlights

  • Advising Coty on the global launch of the Kylie Skin and Kylie Cosmetics businesses.
  • Acting for Nike as its main design counselling firm, to manage all design matters in the UK including prosecution, enforcement, litigation and strategy.
  • Acting as global IP counsel for Aman Hotels and managing the company’s entire global IP portfolio of trade marks and designs.

Linklaters LLP

Ian Karet spearheads the trade mark, copyright, and designs practice at Linklaters LLP, which is a trusted adviser to some of the largest global businesses in the consumer, healthcare, telecoms, technology and financial services industry sectors, regularly managing their IP portfolios. The transactional practice of the firm is of particular note, with recent highlights including assisting Unilever with the sale of its global tea business. Counsel Natalie Ellerby is a key member of the team, with considerable experience advising on trade mark disputes alongside Karet. Paul Joseph recently joined the firm from Norton Rose Fulbright.

Practice head(s):

Ian Karet

Other key lawyers:

Natalie Ellerby

Testimonials

‘Expertise in their field, ability to pull in the right people at the right time for component parts of a large contract. Very impressed by the calibre of every individual we dealt with throughout the process.’

‘Ability to consistently ensure across the work that it was all aligned, regardless of any changes coming through. Strong and clear advice, keeping the business informed and true to what it needed to do and know, and any risks, consequences to help inform decisions.’

‘Excellent ability to translate complex legal parts into language that was easy for the business to follow and manage. Utterly calm throughout and kept a strong and professional relationship with the other legal team for the other side – a real art not to allow items to escalate or behaviours to play out. Very impressed on the calm and collected approach, whilst being unrelenting on critical legal issues.’

Key clients

Merck

Unilever

Sony

Nestle

Staples

TDR

McKesson

Work highlights

  • Advising Merck & Co. Inc. on its long-running trade mark dispute with Merck KGaA regarding the use of the Merck name, in particular on websites.
  • Advising Unilever plc on the separation and sale of its global tea business, including the PG Tips, Pukka and T2 brands.
  • Advising Sony of its acquisition of Firesprite, an independent UK computer game developer.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP

Nicholas Bolter heads up the soft IP practice for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP, and is praised for his ‘incisiveness’. Clients across the UK and Europe in the automotive, retail, luxury, apparel, and technology industries rely on the team’s expertise, and it regularly advises on trade mark and design enforcement, infringement and prosecution work, new brand risk assessments, and IP due diligence. Associate Martin Henshall is also a key member the team, assisting Bolter across a number of matters.

Practice head(s):

Nicholas Bolter

Other key lawyers:

Martin Henshall

Testimonials

‘We just recently started to cooperate with Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. This firm is very professional and responsive, which is something we do appreciate.’

‘Nick Bolter is handling our trade mark portfolio in the UK, he is very professional and responsive. He has always shown proactivity and a solid knowledge of the UK and European Trade mark Law and practice. We appreciate Mr. Bolter’s ability to be incisive with third parties, which often led to early settlements, preventing time-consuming and costly proceedings. We are very satisfied with Mr. Bolter’s work. We would recommend his firm because the service provided is of top quality.’

Key clients

Vans, Inc.

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited

Abercrombie & Fitch sagl

Kontoor Brands

Netflix Studios

Ferrari S.p.A.

TGI Fridays

Wayfair

Twitter, Inc.

Timberland Licensing LLC

Voyetra Turtle Beach

Work highlights

  • Acting for Vans Inc. in relation to its trade mark and designs enforcement in the UK.
  • Advising Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited on its global trade mark portfolio. This has included managing a global filing program for WILLIAMS as a word mark and for its W Logo.
  • Assisting Abercrombie & Fitch with its UK trade mark matters for over a decade.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright‘s UK IP practice covers a wide range of non-contentious matters, including commercial licensing agreements, disposals, acquisitions, and IP issues related to M&A. Commercial IP specialist Mike Knapper leads the practice, regularly advising on portfolio structuring issues, licensing mandates, technology transfers and other related matters in the life sciences, energy and technology sectors. Paul Joseph  has recently moved to Linklaters LLP.

Practice head(s):

Mike Knapper

Key clients

Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company

Marshmallow Insurance

Modern Times Group

Shell

Kerry Foods

Accolade Wines

BNP Paribas

Accenture

Laser Clinics UK

Purplebricks

Sandvik

Formula E Teams and Manufacturers Limited

Japan Tobacco Inc.

Fair Isaac Cooperation

Hertz

Work highlights

  • Advised Sandvik on trade mark due diligence in the context of its acquisition of DSI Underground.
  • Advising Kerry Foods on the sale of its meats and ready meals business to Pilgrims Foods, including advising on significant IP separation issues, including brand licences and licences of Kerry’s proprietary meat alternative technology.
  • Advising Purplebricks on a number of matters involving various third party infringements of Purplebricks’ IP rights, breaching Purplebricks’ website terms of use and engaging in unfair commercial practices.

Powell Gilbert LLP

Praised for its exceptional client service and cooperation’, Powell Gilbert LLP fields a well-known specialist IP litigation and advisory practice, which has continued to grow with the addition of a number of practitioners at the senior associate and of counsel level. The team’s expertise is trusted by clients across a wide range of sectors, including the life sciences, telecoms, electronics, consumer goods, media, and entertainment industries. The practice is led by Simon Ayrton, who is a trade mark, passing off, copyright and design litigation specialist, who has broad expertise across the entertainment, publishing, confectionary, fashion, and luxury goods industries.

Practice head(s):

Simon Ayrton

Other key lawyers:

Tom Oliver; Peter Damerell

Testimonials

‘360, analytic and commercially realistic advisory work that can actually be put into practice.’

‘Extremely reputable team successfully handling IP cases for some of the biggest clients in the world.’

‘Peter Damarell and Tom Oliver are extremely experienced and reliable lawyers, having a deep knowledge of IP law and litigation.’

‘Outstanding and efficient way of approaching the legal support.’

‘The team with whom we have worked has provided exceptional client service and cooperation. They understand the full breadth of the legal issues facing the client, analyse them rigorously, communicate them to client and co-counsel exceptionally, but then also focus on the business needs of the client and the best strategy for those needs. Overall, an exceptional holistic service.’

‘They are all extremely rigorous in their analysis, but also able to communicate very effectively and interact effectively.’

Key clients

The Procter & Gamble Company

Gillette Company LLC

Ocado

SCUK IP Limited

Prada

Fast Fashion Brands GmbH

ScreenSource GmbH

Work highlights

  • Advising the Procter & Gamble Company on multiple actions against various traders in counterfeit, parallel traded, and lookalike goods.
  • Advising Prada in respect of a range of IP issues including an intended claim for trade mark infringement (and design right infringement, copyright infringement and passing off) against River Island in respect of lookalike products.
  • Advising Ocado in respect of an intended claim for trade mark infringement and passing off against a supplier of fruit and vegetable products under a similar brand name.

Slaughter and May

Slaughter and May‘s IP practitioners advise clients from a wide range of industries, including the fashion, technology, retail, and life sciences sectors. Advising a number of household names and blue-chip global clients, the group is notably active in disputes, licensing work, collaborations, and litigation. David Ives leads the practice, which also fields Rob Sumroy, who is a key contact in the team for commercial IP matters in the digital technology, innovation and fintech sectors.

Practice head(s):

David Ives

Other key lawyers:

Rob Sumroy; Duncan Blaikie; Laura Houston; Richard McDonnell

Testimonials

‘Slaughter and May have provided great support for licensing and master service agreement contracting. As an early stage biotech company focused on our science and drug development, they have been a trusted partner in helping us secure long-term productive partnerships with these third parties.’

‘Duncan Blaikie – very responsive, we have valued his experience in helping us understand the longer term, commercial consequences of certain decisions and positions.’

‘Appeared to have resources to cover any questions or issues that popped up.’

‘David Ives was thorough, timely and always pleasant to deal with. I never had any reason to question his judgement, and that built trust.’

‘A collegiate, innovative and totally committed team. Constantly striving to achieve their clients’ objectives, their pursuit of commercial and legal excellence is unsurpassed.’

‘David Ives is a top tier IP lawyer with an ability to assimilate multiple complex issues and condense them into a creative and commercial IP strategy. He is calm, confident and a delight to work with.’

‘Richard McDonnell has an astute eye for contentious IP and litigation strategy.’

Key clients

abrdn

Afreximbank

Asda

ASOS

By Miles

DeepMind

Enara

John Lewis Partnership

MBA

Reckitt Benckiser

Richemont

Standard Chartered

ViiV Healthcare

Virgin Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Reckitt Benckiser on the licensing of its infant nutrition brands as part of the divestment of its business in Asia.
  • Advised Waitrose on its brand partnership with Shell in relation to the operation of Waitrose concessions on Shell forecourts.
  • Advised the African Union on the IP risks and issues arising in relation to its procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.

TLT

TLT‘s technology, data, and IP practice is known for advising companies in the banking and financial services, leisure, and food and drink industries. Fielding specialists in IP protection for software data and emerging technology, the team advises on IP protection, licensing, and exploitation mandates. Nick Fenner leads the London team, and is adept at advising public sector clients. Legal director Andrew Cave is also of note, specialising in dispute resolution, particularly relating to large-scale technology projects. James Touzel heads up the Bristol-based group.

Practice head(s):

Nick Fenner; James Touzel

Other key lawyers:

Andrew Cave

Key clients

Vodafone

TSB Bank

Starling Bank

Government Legal Department

Provexis plc

Care Quality Commission

Bionic Services

BGL-compare the market

WH Smith

Goliath Games BV

Work highlights

  • Advised BGL on a sustained campaign by unknown third parties using the well-known Compare The Market branding to set up a series of fraudulent websites designed to be phishing attacks and to fraudulently steal personal data.
  • Advising Ecotricity on global brand protection for SKY DIAMONDS, including disputes with third party SKY brands.
  • Advising the CQC on a brand strategy; dealing with additional trade mark applications and taking enforcement action on behalf of the CQC.

Waterfront Solicitors LLP

Waterfront Solicitors LLP‘s IP practice fields an ‘excellent range of hugely experienced IP litigators’, advising SMEs and large corporations across their IP portfolios. Matthew Harris co-leads the practice, and is a contentious IP specialist with a focus on the agrochemicals sector, while fellow co-head Piers Strickland is trusted by a number of household clients, including names in the food and beverage, retail, financial services, and fashion industries. Recent highlights for the team include handling a number of High Court appearances relating to copyright and unregistered design infringement issues.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Harris; Piers Strickland

Other key lawyers:

Phil Leonard

Testimonials

‘Piers Strickland is the stand-out partner at this specialist firm. Providing a great alternative to a big City law firm, he delivers a great product without the City firm price tag.’

‘Excellent range of hugely experienced IP litigators, able to work together as an effective team.’

‘Matthew Harris combines a good eye for detail with an ability to maintain a strategic overview.’

Key clients

Illiquidx Limited

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited

Waitrose Limited

PMS International Group Plc

Smart Garden Products

CMC Markets UK Plc

Douleutaras

MyOptique Limited

Workable Technology Limited

Scratch Meals

Iforium

Hack the Box

GoodBetterBest Limited

Barewire Limited

Boroughbox Limited (now Fodabox)

Transport Exchange Group

Vertical Leisure

Milton Lloyd

Sharda Agrochemical

Work highlights

  • Acting for Illiquidx Limited in substantial High Court proceedings relating to copyright infringements and breaches of confidence in relation to a Venezuelan fund set up by a former joint-venture partner.
  • Acting for GoodBetterBest in High Court proceedings involving claims of contractual breach, trade mark infringement, unregistered design infringement in respect of activities in the UK, China and the EU.
  • Advising PMS on multiple IP disputes involving trade mark, copyright and designs.

AA Thornton

Strong in prosecution, the IP offering at AA Thornton, which is headed up by Geoff Hussey, advises its clients on IP strategy and audits, portfolio management issues, rights ownership and licensing work, and due diligence across a broad spectrum of industries. Litigation is a strength for the team under Hussey’s leadership, with Daniel Byrne bolstering the firm’s litigation output, particularly in the telecoms, pharmaceuticals and biotech sectors.

Practice head(s):

Geoff Hussey

Other key lawyers:

Daniel Byrne; Ian Gill

Testimonials

‘I recommend Ian Gill and Daniel Byrne. We were extremely impressed by their grasp of and complex thinking on complex issues around exhaustion of IP rights.’

‘Knowledgeable, relevant, expert and above all great to work with. Truly collaborative.’

Key clients

Virgin Enterprises Limited

Associated British Foods Plc

Admiral Group Plc

ZPG Limited

Paul Smith

Jimmy Choo

Deka Bank Deutsche Girozentrale

Landmark Graphics Corporation

Wolf 1834 Ltd Global

Over the Moon Design Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advised Virgin Enterprises Limited on a non-use attack, which was recently launched against a key and important EU trade mark registration for the VIRGIN mark covering 18 classes of goods and services that are core to a large number of the Virgin branded businesses.
  • Assisted ZPG with the transfer of the intellectual property portfolio for the price comparison brands Confused.com, Rastreator and LeLynx.fr to RVU (the Comparison division of ZPG Limited).
  • Advising Virgin Hyperloop on its global brand management strategy.

Ashurst

Ashurst is praised for its ‘in-depth and crossover expertise in transactional and contentious work’ and is particularly strong in the technology, financial regulation, fintech, infrastructure, and transport sectors. Former practice head David Wilkinson has moved to Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, and Don McCombie left to Clifford Chance LLP in mid-2022.

Other key lawyers:

Kong Xie Shern

Testimonials

‘Solid understanding of the area, combined with in-depth and cross-over expertise in transactional and contentious work.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, and well resourced with subject-matter experts placed in major hubs around the world. They were excellent communicators, and provided prudent advice in a timely fashion to allow the decision-makers to review all the facts and opinions prior to executing a particular strategy.’

Key clients

Agilitas Private Equity LLP

BlackRock Innovation Capital

China General Nuclear

Crypton Digital Assets Limited

Goldman Sachs

Halma Plc and its group companies

McLaren Group

NCR Corporation

The Official Receiver/AlixPartners

United Company Rusal Plc

Work highlights

  • Representing Crypton Digital Assets Limited in a High Court claim against Blockchain SA and several other Defendants concerning a cryptocurrency trading platform utilising artificial intelligence algorithms.
  • Representing McLaren Racing Limited in a dispute relating to the termination of a brand licensing agreement between McLaren Racing and premium luggage provider Latitude 56 Degrees Limited.
  • Representing NCR in a technology contract dispute in the Commercial Court with former supplier GDS.

Brabners LLP

Brabners LLP‘s IP offering advises national and international clients, with a focus on commercial IP matters. The team is trusted by a number of sports clubs and technology businesses founded by sports personalities to handle IP portfolio management issues, as well as advising on the protection, exploitation and enforcement of their IP rights. Colin Bell heads up the national practice from Liverpool.

Practice head(s):

Colin Bell

Other key lawyers:

Hannah Fawcett; Hayley Morgan

Testimonials

‘I had the pleasure to work with Hannah Fawcett and her team, who advised my client in trade mark matters related to Brexit. All services rendered were of exceptional quality with extraordinary responsiveness, care and deep understanding of client’s best interests. I would highly recommend Hanna Fawcett and her team.’

‘Solid regional firm.’

‘Colin Bell is a results-focused leader.’

Key clients

4Cast Investment Group Limited

Aesthetic Technology

Airfinity

Alder Hey Childrens Charity

Alfa Leisureplex Group Ltd, David Urquhart Holidays Ltd

Alphavet International Limited

Angel Revive Ltd

Apollo Generics Ltd

Beaverbrooks the Jeweller Ltd

Bolton Wanderers Football Club

Booking.com Transport Ltd t/a rentalcars.com and Priceline.com (UK and US subsidiaries of Priceline Inc)

British Association for Shooting and Conservation

Cataclean Global Limited

CBDSportcom Ltd

Chargepoint Technology Limited

Churchill Graham, Lda

Circa5000 UK Limited

Citadel LLC (KCG IP Holdings Limited)

College of Paramedics

Coffee Panna Ltd

Cogent Breeding Limited

CO Research Trust

Cornwall Rugby league Football Club Limited

Crane Ltd

Creative Scalps Limited

Crimpit Group Limited

Dinner Lady Fam Limited

Dopewear Limited

ECF Holdings LLC

EMDR Association (UK)

Eocito Ltd

EPG Business Ltd T/A Epic risk Management

ETCI Mehmet

Evidential Limited

FAUN Trackway Limited

Filos Estate SA

GM Group

Greenberg Traurig

Gusbourne Estate Limited

H&O Distribution Ltd T/A Primalash

Her.9 Group Limited

H.G. Stephenson Limited

Hospital Compare Ltd

HR Healthcare Limited; Webcare Group Limited

Icon Lifesaver Limited

International Sport Group Limited

ION Property Developments Limited

James Hall & Company Limited

Kindr International Limited

L10N Media pte Ltd

Lancashire County Cricket Club

Leicester City Football Club

LiverBuildingCo Ltd

Lyrical Communications Limited

Manchester Sale Rugby Club Limited

Manchester United Foundation

Music Alchemy

MyShoots Limited

Nazdar Ltd

OPON

Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Group

Polski Koncern Naflowy ORLEN S.A.

Portfolio Eleven Limited

Primalash Limited

Quartermaine Brands Ltd, Quartermaine Distribution Ltd

Reclaim Project Ltd

RedX International Cz s.r.o; RedX International Limited

Regatta Ltd / Craghoppers Ltd / Hawkshead Outdoor Ltd

Revolution Foods Limited

Showcase Interiors Limited

Simply Design Group Limited

Takepayments Ltd

Tall Group of Companies; Checkprint Limited; DLRT Limited

Tectores Limited

The Christopher Harrison Group Ltd

TJ Morris Limited (Home Bargains)

Ulemco Limited

V1ce Limited

Valves Instruments Plus Limited

Vascular Perspectives Limited

vTime Limited

Wigan Rugby League Club Limited

Yodel Delivery Network Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising a number of sports clubs on their intellectual property portfolios and protection, exploitation and enforcement of rights including Sale Sharks, Wigan Warriors, Leicester City FC, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Wigan Athletic, Cornwall RLFC.
  • Advising Regatta Ltd, Craghoppers Ltd and Hawkshead Outdoor Ltd on all intellectual property-related matters including cross-border matters, design right infringement actions and international domain name disputes.
  • Advising a number of technology businesses founded and supported by sports personalities including 4Cast and Opon on their online business ventures including general IP advice, image rights and trade mark advice.

Briffa

Briffa‘s IP team is praised by clients as an ‘excellent practice for soft IP’ combining ‘high-calibre lawyers with a personal touch’. The team is particularly strong in the copyright space, advising a diverse group of clients across the consumer, manufacturing, automotive, education and publishing industries, with recent highlights including acting for a number of high-profile individuals regarding their personal brands. The team is led by a group of ‘innovative’ names, including founding partner Margaret Briffa, contentious IP expert Ralph Wehrle, and trade mark, design, and copyright contentious specialist William Miles. IP-rich sector specialist Éamon Chawke and the ‘personable’ Ramsay Monime also co-lead the practice.

Practice head(s):

Margaret Briffa; Ralph Wehrle; William Miles; Éamon Chawke; Ramsay Monime

Other key lawyers:

Tom Synott; Joshua Schuermann

Testimonials

‘Briffa is the perfect law firm for a SME – offering a top-class full-service legal function that is affordable for even the smallest/newest start-up, but which you will want to keep for many years to come.’

‘Margaret Briffa is unflappable, commercially savvy, excellent judgment.’

‘The practice is an excellent one for soft IP. It combines high calibre lawyers with a personal touch and (I believe) good value fees, which its relatively small size enable it to give. I would characterize the firm as offering leading city firm quality, but without the fuss and expense.’

‘Ramsay Monime is very personable and has built up an excellent rapport with us.’

‘Led by the charismatic Margaret Briffa, Briffa provides a service unique in the London market – specialist IP services at a high quality for individual creatives and SMEs. Not everyone can afford to litigate – Briffa knows this, and comes up with practical, cost-effective solutions for smaller clients.’

‘Briffa as an IP firm specializing in all aspects of Intellectual Property law and practice. They provide the highest level IP services. They are always very quick and accurate and can provide the clients with overall pictures of the cases. We are much impressed by their professionalism and creative advice.’

‘William Miles is one of the brightest young partners I have had the pleasure of working with. He displays a profound respect for his clients and is assiduous in promoting their interests. Tom Synott, who worked with William, is of the same ilk, and together they are a formidable team.’

‘Great advice, good team spirit and working together, commercial approach. Always have a good in-house viewpoint.’

Key clients

Ann Summers

Financial Conduct Authority

Bodum

Chestertons International Estate Agents

Loaf

Tom Dixon

CMR Surgical

OKA

Jasper Morrison

Fundsmith LLP

Parkopedia

Edwin Coe LLP

Noted for its strength in advising brands, Edwin Coe LLP‘s IP practice advises its clients on the full range of issues from acquisitions to the exploitation and protection of its IP, handling a mix of contentious and commercial IP mandates. Areas of sector expertise for the firm span the creative, retail, and food and drink industries, where the team manages IP portfolios for clients nationally, across Europe, and internationally. The practice is led by Simon Miles, who has extensive expertise in advising clients from the media and entertainment, advertising and sport, fashion, and consumer industries.

Practice head(s):

Simon Miles

Other key lawyers:

Nick Philips

Testimonials

‘We appreciate the quick response time and the excellent legal work. The reporting is excellent and we always feel transparently informed about the costs. In addition, the firm’s pragmatic approach to conflict resolution sets it apart.’

‘Nick Philips has very good cooperation, interpersonal and professional skills. He is excellent, especially in trade mark and design law.’

‘It’s a relatively small team, but they work well together and are all knowledgable. They are able to litigate large multi-national disputes well.’

‘They know their client well and work hard to achieve their client’s goals. They are able to manage the different parts of the team well.’

‘The unique thing about this practice is their personal attention to their clients.’

‘I value their commitment to understanding my business. They are aware of changes in our organisation as soon as information hits.’

Key clients

easyGroup

Garmin

Studiocanal

GroupM

Greenwich Polo Club

Paddington and Company Limited

Colart

Maxicorp Limited

Silvergate Media Limited (Octonauts)

Simply Owners Limited

Herb UK Limited

Hydronix Limited

Parity Consultancy Services Limited

Physique Management Company Limited

Westbrook International Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising the Copyrights Group / Paddington and Company Limited on intellectual property protection issues relating to a number of properties including Paddington Bear, Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, Fungus the Bogeyman and Greenwich Polo Club.
  • Advising easyGroup Limited and EasyJet on numerous ongoing brand protection matters including a number of High Court infringement actions.
  • Advising on Hydronix’s worldwide portfolio of trade marks including prosecuting several new marks.

gunnercooke LLP

gunnercooke LLP‘s IP practice handles litigation, portfolio management, and licensing mandates for several large clients in the fashion, hospitality, technology, and gaming industries. Within the team, Rosie Burbidge, Rachel Pearse and Harvey Stringfellow are names of note, covering the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious trade mark matters.

Other key lawyers:

Rosie Burbidge; Rachel Pearse; Harvey Stringfellow

Testimonials

‘Specialised individual teams means a very personal approach to litigation. Full service in respect of the areas of IP means one can deal with gunnercooke from the beginning right up until the end of litigation without needing multiple teams.’

‘Rosie Burbidge is outstanding in her technical ability and commercial sense.’

‘Harvey Stringfellow is a very dogged litigator who works hard for a client whilst making sure that the client is fully appraised of the strengths and weaknesses of their case. Harvey understands the need to marshal convincing, cogent evidence, and works hard with his client to do so.’

‘Rosie Burbidge is my go-to person in the UK: excellent professional, always on top of the latest legal and tech developments, very good communication skills, excellent writing style, and such a lovely person to work with!’

‘The one attribute I really admire working with Rosie Burbidge and her team are they are clearly passionate about what they do. The quality of work is always consistently high, and being very personable and easy to work with just makes things straightforward in an area that can sometimes be complex.’

Key clients

Andcrafted Limited t/a Plank Hardware

Space Ape Limited

Plu&m Ltd

Safe-T-System Ltd

Barking Bags Limited

Betr Technologies Limited t/a Koyo

To Be Someone

Liking Limited

Infinite Consulting SARL

Work highlights

  • Managing the global trade mark portfolio for Dragons’ Den stars, Barking Bags and acting on a claim for unregistered design right infringement.
  • Acting for Space Ape Games on IP strategy and advice, including managing national and international litigation (particularly in the US) and managing the global trade mark portfolio.
  • Acting for Diotima&Co Limited in a dispute over misleading statements regarding the nature of a gemstone with similar properties to diamonds. This includes the use of ASA proceedings in conjunction with trade mark registry proceedings.

Keystone Law

Keystone Law maintains a deep bench of experienced practitioners with specialisms across the soft IP spectrum, spanning a wide range of industries. Chemistry-based industry trade mark and design disputes are the purview of Rebecca Halford-Harrison, while software, internet, and database copyright issues are an area of expertise for Lucy Harrold. Simon Chalkley is a key contact for IP-related transactions, and Lawrence Abramson has extensive expertise in the media and entertainment industries, advising on copyright and trade mark passing off claims.

Other key lawyers:

Rebecca Halford-Harrison; Simon Chalkey; Karen Fong; Anthony Misquitta; Claire Blewett; Lawrence Abramson; Lucy Harrold

Key clients

World Programming Limited

Datecs OOD

F W Thorpe Plc

Secret Smokehouse Ltd

Random Theory LLC (t/a Playbook Products)

Veiovia Ltd

Pembrook Products Ltd

Athena Cosmetics, Inc.

Avantra (Syslink Xandria Ltd)

McDonald’s Restaurants Limited

Crafter`s Companion Limited

Prinova Europe Ltd

GRID eSports GmbH

Reckitt Benckiser (ENA) B.V.

Life Health Foods Ltd

Athena Cosmetics, Inc.

Vertical Future

Julia Kogan

Victoria Miro Gallery Limited

Nicole Farhi Ltd

Time Plan Education Ltd

Cardioscan Services Pty Ltd

Erda Energy Ltd

Landfair Capital Ltd

HP1 Technologies Ltd

PreGel SpA

Raycast Technologies Ltd

Empowering Learning Ltd

Columbia Care

Good Ventures Ltd (t/a Evolve Beauty)

BVNK Service Ltd

Lario Therapeutics Ltd

Work highlights

  • Defending the application alleging that Locked In breached a recording agreement.
  • Advised the shareholders of World Programming Limited on the sale of the share capital to Nasdaq-listed Altair Engineering Inc.

Lee & Thompson LLP

Covering all aspects of soft IP, the Lee & Thompson LLP practice is well known in the creative industries, and regularly advises clients in IP-rich sectors including the film, TV, music, digital media, art, theatre, and sport arenas. Capable of handling both contentious and transactional matters, the team is led by disputes specialist Dominic Bray, who continues to act for high-profile individuals. Also of note within the disputes space is Martyn Bailey, with recent instructions including acting for a client in a high-profile copyright dispute.

Practice head(s):

Dominic Bray

Other key lawyers:

Martyn Bailey; Mark Stafford

Key clients

Victoria Beckham Limited

Working Title

Little Mix

World Wrestling Entertainment

Lionsgate

FTSE International

Jagex

Viacom

Consolidated Developments Limited

Harry Styles

The Engine Group

Work highlights

  • Acted for Steve Jones and Paul Cook in the high-profile Sex Pistols litigation.
  • Acting for writer Nick Martin in a long-running dispute regarding rights for the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated film Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant.
  • Acting for Kathy Sledge in her long-running dispute with her sister regarding rights for the SISTER SLEDGE brand.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP advises domestic and international clients across the full range of trade mark, brand and design protection services, from strategy and portfolio management issues, to infringement, exploitation and protection mandates. The practice is led by the ‘incredibly knowledgable’ Anna Frankum, and Oxford-based Chris Shelly, who also heads up the firm’s life sciences group.

Practice head(s):

Anna Frankum; Chris Shelley

Testimonials

‘Knowledgeable in the sector, always meet deadlines, and easy to work with.’

‘An understanding of our business and commercial drivers.’

‘Anna Frankum is incredibly knowledgeable but also kind, friendly and supportive.’

Key clients

Emma Raducanu

Roots Reggae Reggae Sauce Ltd

Andreas Stihl Limited

The Institute for Fiscal Studies

American Institute for Foreign Study

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

The Institute of Psychoanalysis

Bray Film Studios Limited

Thatcham Research

Compass Box Delicious Whisky Ltd

General Healthcare Ltd

The Finzi Trust

Roka London Limited

United Colors International Limited

Evac+Chair International Limited

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Organix Brands Limited

Imperial College

Spitfire Network Services Ltd

First Law P.C. (Bighit Entertainment Co Ltd)

Roka London Limited

United Colors International Limited

Work highlights

  • Assisting Emma Raducanu with implementing a global brand protection and enforcement programme across multiple continents.
  • Advising celebrity chef, TV personality and musician Levi Roots and his company in relation to all of its domestic and international brand management and enforcement matters.
  • Advising the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on its trade mark portfolio and related matters, including invalidation and revocation actions before the UKIPO.

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP‘s IP group advises global pharmaceuticals, fashion brands, hospitality clients, and financial institutions on trade mark infringement issues, parallel imports and global IP strategies. Litigation specialist Iain Connor is a key contact in the team and is regularly in the courts as an expert on database rights, IP rights exhaustion, and online advertising work. Florian Traub is also of note within the team, particularly for international and domestic portfolio management issues, acting for household name brands. Legal director Désirée Fields is also recommended.

Other key lawyers:

Iain Connor; Florian Traub; Tom Nener; Désirée Fields; Emily Swithenbank; Matthew Harris

Testimonials

‘Strong practice with a solid understanding of client’s businesses.’

‘Tom Nener is an impressive partner. He is strategic and has an astute understanding of clients’ businesses. He understands both the legal and technical complexities of complex intellectual property disputes and what is needed for a client to succeed.’

‘The team effectively manages the trade mark registration project in various jurisdictions and reports timely.’

Key clients

City of Munich (Oktoberfest”)

Expensify

Froneri International

The Jockey Club, Jockey Club Racecourses

Scholl

Sweaty Betty

World Athletics

Badoo/Bumble

IBSA Farnaceutici Italia

Kerry Group

Oovee

Aston University

Headlam

The Knowledge Academy

JUUL Labs Inc

Fujitsu

Work highlights

  • Advising Badoo/Bumble in respect of its global brand management and enforcement needs.
  • Advising World Athletics in respect of its global brand management and enforcement needs.
  • Advising Sweaty Betty in respect of the protection, exploitation and enforcement of its IP portfolio.

Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Start-ups, SMEs and multi-national clients, particularly in the oil and gas sector, trust the IP team at Trowers & Hamlins LLP. The team continues to be instructed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and its subsidiaries, as well as also advising clients from the consumer goods and fashion, retail, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and construction industries. Caroline Hayward leads the team, which advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters, with recent highlights including acting in a number of trade mark infringement and passing off claims.

Practice head(s):

Caroline Hayward

Other key lawyers:

Alice Gould

Testimonials

‘The team are very responsive and when we have an issue or want to pursue an IP issue, the the team can put together a robust game plan to effectively resolve the issue.’

‘The individuals are very response and able to carry out the work in a quick time period, and I have recommended them to other businesses I work with.’

‘Very responsive and precise advice, very competent in trade mark issues.’

‘Caroline Hayward is an excellent, precise and efficiently working lawyer, diligent in legal analysis and good pragmatic approach on the commercial issues. Also, she is a very nice person to work with.’

‘I think that people working at Trowers & Hamlins in the IP division are unique since they have great attention to client’s needs, they are very responsive; they provide useful advice which allow clients to make decisions based on their needs. There is a human approach in the sense that IP professionals working with this firm provide advice to try and solve matters without going to Court, if possible.’

‘I work with Alice Gould and her team. She has great attention to client’s needs and is very responsive. She provides advice to try and solve matters without going to Court, if possible. I appreciate that I can easily call her and discuss matters on the phone in order to find solutions to a given problem.’

‘The team is very friendly and approachable with a great depth of knowledge and an ability to explain the most complicated of legal situations in an easily accessible and understandable manner.’

‘Caroline Hayward is very friendly and knowledgeable and always has the time for any level of legal problem.’

Key clients

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)

ADNOC Distribution PJSC

Mitsubishi (Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe B.V and Mitsubishi Logisnext Co. Ltd)

Matrix JVCo Ltd

Argex NV, Hye Group

Rosemont Pharmaceuticals Limited

Flexi-Hex Ltd

London International Exhibition Centre plc (ExCeL)

CFA Society of the UK

Currie & Brown International Limited

Apache Capital Partners

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Peabody Trust

Orbit Housing Group

Metroconsult

Kin Architects Limited

Origin Housing Group

Aster Group Limited

The shareholders of The Flavourworks Group Limited

Catapult Network

Work highlights

  • Advising Mitsubishi on enforcement actions in respect of trade marks and a registered design relating to one of its main product lines.
  • Advising on and co-ordinating a worldwide filing and protection programme for the ADNOC trade marks and contentious actions in a range of jurisdictions in relation to trade mark and copyright enforcement.
  • Acting for Argex NV in High Court proceedings against a competitor in relation to trade mark infringement and passing off.

Venner Shipley LLP

Venner Shipley LLP‘s IP practice has recently grown, combining with trade mark and patent attorney firm Brookes IP to offer a full-service suite of advice on IP matters, from portfolio and management mandates, to regulatory issues and dispute resolution. The team is particularly strong at advising clients on UK, EU, and Hague International registered designs, advising high-profile pharmaceuticals and technology companies; issues relating to software GUIs, apps, and consumer products are also a strength for the team. Ian Grey is a registered designs expert, while James Tumbridge focuses on IP disputes, and Clare Turnbull is the go-to person in the team for trade mark work.

Practice head(s):

James Tumbridge; Clare Turnbull; Ian Grey

Key clients

Burgopak

Other Creative Ltd

Roarr Norfolk Dinosaur Park

Saferpet Ltd

Sanofi

The Project Band Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised OTHER, the creative agency, in relation to a High Court claim against an agency named Mother for trade mark infringement and passing off.
  • Advising Sanofi on registered designs.
  • Advising an AI laboratory client on copyright issues.

Wedlake Bell LLP

Wedlake Bell LLP maintains a strong contentious and non-contentious IP practice, advising a number of clients from the retail and leisure sectors, as well as political parties, and clients from the consumer affairs industry. Clients praise the outfit for its ‘practical, straight forward advice that takes into account business considerations’. The group is co-led by ‘outstandingly good’ commercial IP expert Michael Gardner and ‘smart, responsive and down-to-earth’ international trade mark expert Charlotte Wilding.

Practice head(s):

Michael Gardner; Charlotte Wilding

Other key lawyers:

Debra Goldwyn

Testimonials

‘Wedlake Bell is a very good midsized legal firm which is partner-led for all disputes. They have a very good business-sense approach to disputes making sure that the client and counsel work as a team.’

‘Mike Gardner is outstandingly good with clients and also works well with Debra Goldwyn, who is brilliant at detail.’

‘The team takes complete ownership of the issues and delivers the result with minimum of fuss and minimum of intervention, on budget.’

‘Charlotte Wilding was the main individual involved. Amazingly clear thinking and organised; very easy to deal with.’

‘Wedlake Bell provides practical, straight forward advice that takes into account business considerations. The opinions and client advisory are clear and succinct.’

‘Charlotte Wilding is smart, responsive and down-to-earth. She understands trade mark law and articulates clearly risks involved so a client can make an informed business decision.’

Key clients

Tesco Stores Ltd

Yellow Bulldog Ltd

Which? Ltd

Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Limited / Badgequo Limited

Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Limited

Nicholas Sornin & Francois Sforza

The Reclaim Party Ltd

Lacoste

Universal Protein Supplements Corporation t/a Universal Nutrition

Work highlights

  • Advising Lacoste concerning a trade mark infringement and passing off claim against Marks & Spencer p.l.c. regarding the use of its marks for the word ‘crocodile’ and its logos.
  • Providing ongoing advice to Tesco on its trading in parallel goods so as to prevent any infringement of IP rights.
  • Advising Yellow Bulldog Limited in relation to an infringement action.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

Based in Leeds, James Love spearheads the IP practice at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP, which advises on the full life-cycle of designs and trade marks, including development, protection, registration, exploitation, enforcement and disposal matters. Recent highlights for the team include handling a number of high-value trade mark disputes regarding copycat branding and products for luxury fashion brands, as well as managing the global trade mark portfolio of the National Heritage Collection.

Practice head(s):

James Love

Other key lawyers:

Patrick Cantrill

Testimonials

‘Approachable team with great technical skills who take a commercial approach.’

‘James Love – clear, concise and grasps commercially important issues.’

‘Swift handling of cases sent to them. Cost-efficient and pragmatic recommendations and handling of cases.’

‘The partners we have had dealings with are very hands-on and easy to work with.’

‘Very down to earth, approachable and speak in layman’s terms.’

‘In our dealings with them, we genuinely feel that have worked with us to settle matters in the most cost-effective way. It has felt as if they are working with our best interests at heart and not in any way to generate unnecessary costs.’

‘Very approachable and knowledgable team with a great track record.’

‘James Love is wonderful and down to earth as well as pragmatic, besides being very versed in the practice area.’

Key clients

Vetements Group AG

Wizz Air

ME + EM

TomTom International

English Heritage / Historic England

Immediate Media Company (publishing arm of the BBC)

AB Tetra Pak

Denby Brands

H&M

Work highlights

  • Advising Vetements Group AG on various trade mark opposition and invalidation actions in the UK against a third party copycat using the client’s VETEMENTS brand.
  • Advising Tom Tom International on handling disputes before the UKIPO and EUIPO, assisting the business in protecting and enforcing its brands.
  • Advising ME+EM’s on brand clearance, protection and management including: the recent expansion of the brand into other jurisdictions, handling a number of disputes in China involving copycats, and successfully acting for the client against a third party using its trade mark and copyright.

Acuity Law

Acuity Law's intellectual property team handles a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters - the key name in London is consultant Cordelia Payne, who specialises in the protection, exploitation, and enforcement of all IP rights. Recent work of note has included matters involving opportunistic IP rights infringements, unregistered design right infringements, and advising on global brand protection strategies.

Practice head(s):

Cordelia Payne

Key clients

Popex Entertainment Limited

BIPV Limited

Rupert Sanderson

Elizabeth Day

Modla Products Limited

Whickr Group Limited

REDA Industrial Materials FZE

Alma de Ace Limited

Artic Industrial Materials

Catch the K Limited

The Room Group Limited

Pink Storage Limited

Noor AlHayawiiya Foodstuff Trading LLC

Rossi Asiaghi Limited

One Rebel Limited

Dig Club Limited

1968 Photography Limited

Birmingham County Football Association

Work highlights

  • Retained by Really Epic Dog Limited, part of the U.S based Really Epic Dog Group of companies which operate in media, sport and entertainment promoting innovation.
  • Instructed by Rupert Sanderson Shoes Limited, the luxury shoe designer and brand, in relation to two separate opportunistic intellectual property rights infringements both involving company name registrations and UK trademark applications incorporating the RUPERT SANDERSON name.

Hamlins LLP

Hamlins LLP‘s IP group maintains a strong music rights practice, and is a trusted adviser to a number of UK collective rights management organisations, including PRS and PPL, for all aspects of their IP protection. Co-lead Martin Ochs has extensive expertise in contentious music merchandising issues, and co-head Matthew Pryke is a key contact for influencer and model advertising, sporting brands and personalities advertisement, and brand protection strategies.

Practice head(s):

Martin Ochs; Matthew Pryke

Key clients

Azure Resorts

Bravado International Group

Club La Costa

Danilo

Diamond Resorts

Ego Restaurants

Fine & Country

George Lowden Guitars

Hilton Worldwide

Mighty Atom Entertainment

Performing Right Society Ltd (PRS for Music)

Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL)

Pizza Union

PPL PRS Limited

Probity Europe

Speakeasy Entertainment

Ted Baker

Shutterstock

Work highlights

  • Advising Lowden Guitars on brand management and particularly in relation to its collaboration with Ed Sheeran for the Sheeran by Lowden brand.
  • Advising TRAP Worldwide, the industry trade body for the UK music merchandising industry on anti-counterfeiting, prosecution and online brand protection measures.
  • Advising Shutterstock, on the protection and enforcement of various copyright works produced by the celebrity photographer, Diggzy, which were taken for the pregnancy announcement of Rhianna.

HGF Law

With a strong national team and large PATMA offering, the IP practice at HGF Limited regularly advises on contentious and transactional IP matters in the healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and retail sectors, representing clients in High Court, UKIPO and EUIPO proceedings. The team is co-led by litigation specialists Rachel Fetches and Martyn Fish.

Practice head(s):

Rachel Fetches; Martyn Fish

Key clients

Safely Insured (formerly Sky Insurance)

Emirates

Quintessential Brands

Aviv Scientific Ltd

Work highlights

  • Acting for Quintessential Brands as external counsel for all IP related matters for the group worldwide.
  • Acted for Aviv Scientific Ltd and successfully defended a trade mark appeal to the High Court from a decision of the UKIPO.

Howard Kennedy LLP

Howard Kennedy LLP‘s IP practice continues to act for a wide range of clients, covering trade mark and content licensing issues, as well as the commercial exploitation of IP rights. The team is adept at handling franchising, sponsorship and endorsement agreements for international brands and personalities, as well as advising on IP acquisitions. The ‘excellent’ Robert Lands leads the ‘first-rate’ team, which works closely with clients in the creative industries.

Practice head(s):

Robert Lands

Other key lawyers:

Mark Stephens

Testimonials

‘Led by the genius Mark Stephens, the IP team has an extraordinary level.’

‘Howard Kennedy offer very cost-effective, top-notch IP services and with a keen understanding of the needs of their clients as to budget, turnaround time and the type of advice required. They are very easy to work with and the overall experience is one of collaboration and teamwork.’

‘Robert Lands, himself an excellent IP lawyer, leads a first-rate team.’

Key clients

ePlus, Inc.

Q software Global Limited

Wicked Foods Inc

SEGA Corporation

Billion Dollar Boy

Pasha

Cole Buxton

Yorkshire County Cricket Council

British Gymnastics Association

Pandora Jewellery UK Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advised Wicked Foods Inc, the business behind the WICKED brand, on its exclusive relationship deal with Tesco and the upcoming plans to use the brand globally.
  • Advised ePlus Inc on the registration and prosecution of its UK and EU trade marks.
  • Advised Pandora Jewellery on a variety of matters including: copyright, design right and trade mark issues and clearance advice, acquiring IP, endorsement agreements and trade mark licensing.

Irwin Mitchell

The IP offering at Irwin Mitchell is trusted by a number of global brands for their IP protection and enforcement mandates. The team is led by Georgie Collins, who has extensive expertise in cross-border strategic brand protection and digital copyright work. Key sectors of expertise for the team include the food and drink, media and sport, retail and leisure, and professional and financial services industries.

Practice head(s):

Georgie Collins

Key clients

Nestlé Purina / Lily’s Kitchen Ltd

Project Management Institute Inc

Gravity Fitness Limited

Bombas LLC

Derry Moore 12th Earl of Drogheda

Giles Long / Lexicon Decoder Ltd

Whispering Smith Ltd

Mo-Sys Engineering Limited

Bought By Many Limited

The British Chambers of Commerce

Adopt a Grandparent Ltd

Apex Automobile Parts Inc

Aqualution Systems Ltd

Arch Street Capital Advisors LLC

Arun Estate Agencies Limited

BEAUTY & THE BOUTIQUE Ltd

BIM-UK LIMITED

Black Swan Data Limited

ChoiceShops Limited

Colman Greig Lawyers (Australia)

Condor Ferries Limited

Cube 19 Limited

‘DeMellier Ltd

Dinosaur UK Limited

Farm Traders Limited t/a Parson’s Nose

Finexos Group Holdings Limited

Firesprite Limited

Florence Nightingale Hospitals

Fox Rothschild LLP

Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Freedom Brewery Ltd

FRSH Scents Limited (HK)

Goal Group Limited

Good for Nothing Limited

Grandpa Productions Ltd

Gratte Brothers Group Limited

Gratte Brothers Security Control Systems Ltd

Gravity Fitness Limited

Greenwich Leisure Limited

HD Sports Limited

HQLABS (GLOBAL) LTD

HSNF Ltd

Inn Churches

International Broadcasting Convention (A partnership)

Intersnkrs Limited

JR Pet Products Limited

Kip Candle Co

Kurz Pfitzer Wolf & Partner Rechtsanwälte mbB

Leon A Rolle

Lumeon Ltd

MBM Intellectual Property Law (Canada)

Micheldever Tyre Services Limited

MindSauce Limited

N G Bailey Group Limited

Newson Health, Research and Education Limited

Odd Bug Studios Limited

Onebright Bidco Limited

Paragon Finance Plc

Primary Group (UK) Limited

PT Mega Marine Pride (Indonesia)

Randa Accessories UK Limited

Random42 Limited

Reconomy (UK) Limited

Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

Rutlands Limited

Simply Brands (Asia) Ltd.

Story Server Ltd

TE- TECH PROCESS SOLUTIONS Ltd

The BIG Network Limited

The Source (Hastings) Holdings Limited

TransUnion International UK Limited

Tropical Sky Limited

Venable LLP

VetBox Ltd

W & H (UK) Limited

Whispering Smith Limited

Whitby Seafoods Ltd

Wolf Laundry Limited

Worldgift.Com Limited

Your Management Solutions

Zafin Labs America Incorporated

Zump Limited

Work highlights

  • Acting for Nestlé Purina/Lily’s Kitchen in protecting, managing and enforcing UK IP rights.
  • Acting for Gravity Fitness Limited on managing its trade mark portfolio and advising in relation to brand strategy, protection and enforcement relative to the fast growth of its business.
  • Acting for BCC on protecting, managing and enforcing IP rights as well as reputational advice and general commercial advice relative to the BCC and its 53 Accredited Chambers.

Memery Crystal (part of RBG Legal Services)

Memery Crystal (part of RBG Legal Services)‘s IP practice sits within the firm’s wider commercial, IP and technology practice, which recently added Chris Pulham, bolstering the firm’s non-contentious IP capabilities across software licensing arrangements and the IP-related aspects of emerging technologies. Carl Rohsler leads the practice, and regularly advises clients in the food and drink, technology and media, and cosmetics sectors in complex commercial and litigation matters.

Practice head(s):

Carl Rohsler

Other key lawyers:

Chris Pulham

Testimonials

‘We have a long-standing relationship with Memery Crystal and work together to represent many of its clients in relation to trade mark register searches, filing UK trade mark applications and filing/defending oppositions.’

‘What makes Memery Crystal unique is their comprehensive commercial knowledge and ability to quickly spot when a client needs external assistance, for example, specialist trade mark advice/support, and having the trusted contacts in place to provide that assistance.’

‘The firm is professional yet always approachable, which is refreshing.’

‘Carl Rohsler is a stand-out individual, with a sharp legal mind and a sense of humour to match. Carl is professional but relaxed with clients and a pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Telegraph Media Group

Aramco Overseas Company

ITV

Carabao

Songtradr Inc.

Gaming Realms

Oxford Innovation Park

Silver Point Capital

Metropolitan Gaming

Krow Communications

Taylor Mammon

Graft Polymer

Real Estate Management (UK) (the Shard)

Ultimate Tuner Limited

Outcomes Based Healthcare

Grow Group

Nutraformis

Mile High Laboratories

Imperial Pharma

Ingenta

Halo Group

Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)

The Office of Qualifications and Examination Regulations (Ofqual)

Avantage Entertainment

Immerse Learning

Kite Power System

Sustainable Marine Energy

Gulf Keystone Petroleum

Waste Knot Energy

Global Education Services

Artiq

Fremantle

The Health Lottery

Planet Art

Ridgeway Partners

Sellar Developments

Ultimate Tuner Limited

Jumbo International

Good Skin Days

Aurra Studios

Marmalade Game Studio

Live Tech Games

Effective Investing t/a UTIL

Wildman Project

Papaya Gaming

Robus Capital

STV

tinyBuild

Work highlights

  • Representing Songtradr, the leading music licensing and technology company, in very intense copyright and confidentiality proceedings in the High Court.
  • Advising Carabao on brand management issues including trade mark advice and a variety of international sponsorship arrangements.
  • Advising Graft Polymer (UK) plc on the management and development of its patent and trade mark portfolios and other IP rights.

Simkins LLP

Media and entertainment trade mark and copyright infringement claims are within the purview of Simkins LLP‘s dispute resolution practice, which is led by Paddy Gardiner. Within the team, Jim Dennis is a highly experienced soft IP litigator, having represented clients in infringement and passing off claims before all levels of the court system. The team is well-regarded as ‘knowledgeable, easy to deal with and client friendly’, with Caroline Copeland and Stuart Smith also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Paddy Gardiner

Other key lawyers:

Jim Dennis; Caroline Copeland; Stuart Smith

Testimonials

‘The team are first rate, knowledgeable, easy to deal with and client friendly.’

‘Jim Dennis is quick to respond, and gives clear commercial advice.’

‘Great team, clever, personable and commercially astute, thanks to Jim Dennis, Caroline Copeland, and Stuart Smith.’

Key clients

David Bowie Estate dba Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company LLC

KPMG LLP

LDN CBD

Lonza Group/Arxada

Jason Atherton Restaurant Holdings Limited

The Bobath Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Fuwa Fuwa

Frank Recruitment Group Limited

Rude Health Foods Limited

Ali-A Entertainment Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised the David Bowie Estate on a significant expansion of its trade mark portfolio in the UK and EU.
  • Advised Fuwa Fuwa on UK trade mark oppositions and a cancellation action against Fuwa Brands, Inc.
  • Advised Rude Health Foods on the expansion of its trade mark rights into East Asia.

Simons Muirhead Burton

Fielding experts in the sports and media sectors, the IP team as Simons Muirhead Burton advises media, publishing, broadcasting, photography, and celebrity clients on the IP-related aspects of licensing agreements. The offering is led by the ‘supportive, flexible, and competent’ Maninder Gill, who is trusted adviser to a variety of luxury retail, fashion, and jewellery brands. The team regularly handles contentious copyright, trade mark, passing off, design rights, and breach of confidence matters.

Practice head(s):

Maninder Gill

Other key lawyers:

Martin Soames; Nadia Zegze; Raoul Lumb

Testimonials

‘SMB team have a range of international partnerships that enables them to handle trade mark licensing work globally.’

‘Maninder Gill has been leading all our trade mark work. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Maninder. He has been very supportive, flexible and competent.’

‘The team is very strong and experienced and have repeatedly given very good advice on how to deal with disputes and challenges.’

‘Maninder Gill is clearly very experienced and practical and is constantly working with us to find solutions in cases of conflict. His advice has always been aimed at limiting the hit to the company.’

‘The firm is friendly, reliable and well-organised. Work was completed in a very timely manner and I felt entirely supported throughout the process. All correspondence was always responded to extremely quickly, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the firm to others.’

‘I had a really excellent and impressive experience with both Nadia Zegze and Maninder Gill. They are super responsive, available to talk at short notice, and the work is done very quickly. Nadia and Maninder are both very friendly and reassuring, and I always feel confident with their knowledge and advice. The work done was of the highest standards and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.’

‘The team is unique because they react quickly, understandable, friendly and realistic. They are experts in the practice and know their competitors.’

‘I mostly work with Maninder Gill and Raoul Lumb. They both are very approachable, experienced and react quickly.’

Key clients

Alexa Chung

Pete Tong

M Huncho

Harvey Nichols

Amanda Wakeley

Stradivarius

Zandra Rhodes

Connolly England

News UK

Penhaligon’s Fragrances

Stevens & Bolton LLP

Tom Lingard heads up the Guildford-based IP practice at Stevens & Bolton LLP, acting for clients across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on the technology, media, manufacturing, and sport industries. Trade mark and brand protection, as well as infringement, passing off, and breach of confidence claims are within the purview of the team. Recent highlights include advising Premier League football team Brighton & Hove Albion FC on its trade mark portfolio.

Practice head(s):

Tom Lingard

Other key lawyers:

Elaine O’Hare

Testimonials

‘The team at Stevens & Bolton LLP are extremely knowledgeable with both the explanation of the legal issues and applying the commercial concept to the situation. Expectations of time deliverables are clearly set and always delivered upon.’

‘The individuals at Stevens and Bolton take the time to listen and are always courteous, professional with exceptional technical knowledge. They have the ability to deliver a high-quality, flexible service to meet the client’s needs.’

Key clients

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club

Prestige Asset Finance Ltd

Custom Materials Ltd

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited

Electronic Theatre Limited

Belu Water Limited

The British Institute at Ankara

Work highlights

  • Advising Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club on trade mark and brand protection matters, and providing a formal anti-counterfeiting programme involving wide-spread enforcement activity to remove infringing listings from online marketplaces and websites.
  • Advising Prestige Asset Finance Ltd, the operator of the “Posh Pawn” brand, on a trade mark infringement and passing off dispute.
  • Advising a global Internet of Things technology company in relation to a breach of confidence and breach of contract claim in the High Court, involving the development of a competing product by an ex-employee.

Brown Rudnick LLP

Brown Rudnick LLP advises clients in the creative, luxury, hospitality and leisure sectors on a range of issues including brand strategies, licensing and commercial agreements, franchising work and collaborative ventures.

Key clients

Crombie

Excalibur Healthcare

Wirex

Lyre’s

The Design Museum

Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Lyst

Victoria PLC

Bitrise

Clearcast

Midatech Pharma PLC

Work highlights

  • Acting for Excalibur Medicines Limited and Excalibur Vaccines Limited, advising on a series of commercial, R&D/collaboration, investment and licensing agreements relating to the development and testing of a therapeutic and vaccine cocktail to tackle Covid-19.
  • Represented Wirex in its High Court trade mark infringement claim against Cryptocarbon Global Ltd, Cryptocarbon UK Ltd and Bee-One UK Ltd, in respect of the unauthorised use of Wirex’s registered trade mark, CRYPTOBACK.

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co‘s IP offering covers both contentious and transactional matters, advising clients on copyright and trade mark passing off claims, as well as performing IP due diligence exercises and consulting on the IP aspects of licensing, collaboration and consultancy agreements. The team, led by Ralph Cox, is praised for its ‘great IP expertise blended with commercial nous’.

Practice head(s):

Ralph Cox

Other key lawyers:

Chris Williams

Testimonials

‘Value for money – deploys team well.’

‘Ralph Cox is very knowledgeable of all IP practice and procedure.’

‘Great IP expertise blended with commercial nous.’

Key clients

Anpora UK Limited

BiGDUG Limited

Dubar India Limited

MarTrust Corporation Limited

Multiplex Global Limited

Schlumberger Technical Corporation LLC

Work highlights

  • Advised Anpora UK Limited on the purchase of a company name and insignia originating in the Victorian era and associated with an iconic building in the City of London.

Locke Lord LLP

Praised for its ‘deep understanding of subject and commercial approach to problem-solving’, the IP practice at Locke Lord LLP is experienced across the spectrum of establishing, managing, asserting, and defending IP rights, advising on trade mark and copyright infringements, and handling passing off claims and domain names disputes before the UK Courts and EUIPO. The practice is co-led by the ‘calm and assured’ Dominic Farnsworth and trade mark expert John Olsen. Leigh Smith joined the team in March 2022 from Clifford Chance LLP, adding to the firm’s brand protection and trade mark dispute expertise.

Practice head(s):

Dominic Farnsworth; John Olsen

Other key lawyers:

Leigh Smith

Testimonials

‘Deep understanding of subject and commercial approach to problem-solving.’

‘Dominic Farnworth is a first class IP lawyer with proven track record and commercial and highly professional approach to dealing with IP matters.’

‘Excellent and prompt service.’

Key clients

Arley Foods

The Court of Master Sommeliers

Absolut

ARCIS

Whalemap

Work highlights

  • Advised a US licensee, retailer and distributor of a luxury shoes brand on‎ the options available under the parties’ licence agreement regarding renewal, ‎termination and breach, and negotiated a further agreement regulating the parties’ ongoing relationship and addressing the disposal of surplus stock.
  • Representing an engineered additives producer, in relation to a breach of confidence action argued before the ‎English ‎courts.
  • Acting for a product design company, undertaking a comprehensive worldwide search, filing and enforcement ‎‎program for a high-profile client in order to protect its new trade mark, searched and cleared in 40 jurisdictions.

Squire Patton Boggs

The IP practice at Squire Patton Boggs advises a number of global clients on trade mark and design oppositions, cross-border franchise expansion, and portfolio management issues across a number of industries, including the entertainment, food and beverage, fashion and retail sectors. Kerry Lee is praised by clients for his ‘pragmatic’ approach and ‘unparalleled’ knowledge. Carlton Daniel is also of note within the team, with a broad practice covering contentious and non-contentious matters.

Other key lawyers:

Kerry Lee; Carlton Daniel; Callum Burbidge

Testimonials

‘The team provide outstanding practical advice in a simple and easily understandable manner. They go out of their way to describe different possible outcomes and which may be best suited to our company.’

‘Kerry Lee and Callum Burbidge have stood out for me. Kerry provides excellent practical advice and always indicates which solution he thinks would best suit our company. Kerry is a trusted pair of hands. Callum takes complex matters and sets them out in simple and easy to understand points, this is fundamental to being able to make a fully educated decision on a complex legal matter. Callum is a trusted pair of hands.’

‘Great team – very commercial, dynamic.’

‘Responsive, very commercial, proactive.’

‘Squire Patton Boggs dealt with everything on my intellectual property case, from start to finish. Clear explanations, good advice. The company completely put my mind at ease at all times. They took the stress out of what was a very stressful situation.’

‘Kerry Lee was superb. I was confident that he knew exactly the best thing to do every step of the way. And he did. Kerry and his team handled everything brilliantly.’

‘Kerry Lee understands what is required by an in-house legal department. He adds value. He presents the advice and solution in a way that is easy for an in-house team to assimilate. He is enthusiastic, nothing is too much trouble. Likewise, he is a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Kerry Lee’s in-depth knowledge of IP is unparalleled. He has a pragmatic approach, 100% availability and he is supported by a hands-on team who are ease to deal with and always on top of their game. I couldn’t have a better IP lawyer at my side than Kerry.’

Key clients

C. & J. Clark International Limited t/a Clarks

CK Acquisitions Limited t/a Cath Kidston

Punter Southall Group Limited

Threadology London Ltd.

Planet Holding Limited

Karate Union Great Britain

Roadchef Limited

Agden Consulting Limited

Better Health Limited

Oliver James

Work highlights

  • Acting for and managing the trade mark portfolio for Clarks.
  • Acting for and advising on the global trade mark portfolio of CK Acquisitions Limited, which owns the well-known fashion brand CATH KIDSTON.