The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > PATMA: Trade mark attorneys

AA Thornton's caseload regularly includes high-stakes headline-grabbing cases. The team combines strength in trade mark portfolio management with proven prowess in the prosecution of trade mark applications, especially in complex cases involving particular international or legal challenges. The retail sector is a particularly busy area for the group, but the client roster reveals the practice's wide-ranging sector expertise. Ian Gill directs the practice. Sarah Darby made partner. Vanessa Lawrence became a consulting attorney for the firm.

Since early 2019 Boult Wade Tennant LLP has boasted a new office in Berlin to complement the existing continental European offices in Munich and Spain and its four-office strong presence in the UK, with London as the main trade mark hub. The group's caseload is correspondingly multi-jurisdictional, with a high percentage of major international players from a large variety of sectors among the clients. The practice offers strength in both portfolio management and strategic trade mark development and in oppositions and appeal cases, including in-depth experience in co-operating with solicitors for high-stakes infringement cases. Practice head John Wallace is based in London.

Carpmaels & Ransford LLP regularly provides extensive trade mark portfolio management services to prestigious clients, including the development and implementation of international trade mark strategies, and representation in opposition proceedings and appeals, as well as in litigation, especially thanks to Jonathan Day's dual qualification as trade mark attorney and solicitor. Licensing and other transactional instructions are another area of strength. The group continues to gain in market share, both in contentious and non-contentious matters, succeeding in attracting several large new portfolios. Day shares the leadership of the practice with Roger Lush. In addition to its central London office, the firm also has a long-established office in Munich.

D Young & Co LLP is especially active in the fashion, luxury, pharmaceutical and consumer product sectors, but also fields a busy caseload in the sports, entertainment, and food and drink sectors. The group impresses with its longstanding experience in the management and development of key trade mark portfolios for prestigious clients, many of which also profit from the firm's powerful in-house dispute resolution practice. Additionally, the group is well versed in domain name disputes. Jeremy Pennant in Southampton directs the practice. The firm also has offices in London and Munich.

Dehns demonstrates strength in a broad variety of sectors, including the food and drink, automobile, financial services, fashion and retail sectors. The group offers the full range of trade mark services, including the management and development of international trade mark portfolios, representation in opposition and appeal proceedings, and assistance with large-scale rebrandings. Roberto Calamita in London is the head of the practice. The other main trade mark hubs are in Brighton and Munich.

J A Kemp's caseload increasingly contains trade mark prosecution for major pharmaceutical and medical device, especially medtech, clients, as part of an overall sectorially diverse portfolio. In addition to a busy drafting and filing practice, the team assists a string of major international players, often longstanding clients of the firm, with opposition proceedings and appeals. James Fish, dual-qualified as a European trade mark attorney and solicitor, heads the practice from the London office. In Cambridge, litigator and patent and trade mark attorney Stephen Hodsdon joined from Mewburn Ellis LLP, while Aaron Newell, a UK- and Australian-qualified solicitor, Canadian-qualified barrister and solicitor, and Australian-qualified trade mark attorney, joined the London office from Lewis Silkin LLP.

Kilburn & Strode LLP offers a comprehensive trade mark practice, spanning trade mark clearance work, the drafting and filing of trade mark applications, and representation in opposition and cancellation proceedings. The group also excels in the provision of litigation support, due diligence instructions, licensing agreements and enforcement work. On top of its offices in Munich and The Hague, the team also boasts a new office in Amsterdam, launched in January 2019, and a liaison office in San Francisco, staffed with European attorneys, which accounts for the firm's success in attracting direct US clients. The London-based Carrollanne Lindley, who is also an IP litigator and a qualified barrister, leads the team.

Maucher Jenkins shoulders a high-stakes caseload and continously succeeds in attracting matters involving uncharted legal territory. With London and Farnham as the key UK trade mark offices, a well-established office in Munich, and the Shenzhen office, opened in late 2018 to reflect the increase in instructions from Chinese clients, the firm is well equipped to advise its strong roster of international clients from a wide range of sectors. In addition to its strength in trade mark prosecution, the group also fields a growing team of litigators. Katie Cameron, Angela Fox and Tim Pendered form the trio at the helm of the practice. Kana Enomoto joined Johnson & Johnson.

Potter Clarkson LLP is especially well known for its opposition and appeals practice, but also impresses with its track record in advising on global branding strategies, trade mark clearance projects, and the drafting and filing of trade mark applications. In September 2018 the firm acquired trade mark attorney firm Wildbore & Gibbons, providing the team with a solid London office, and opened a new office in Copenhagen, further bolstering its Scandinavian presence in addition to the expansion of its Stockholm office. Sanjay Kapur, John Peacock, Stephen Kinsey, Janella Barr and Sarah Talland are the key practitioners.

Stobbs IP impresses with its well-rounded brands protection offering. The management of large trade mark portfolios, including strategic portfolio development advice and the representation of clients at every prosecution stage, forms the heart of the practice, but the group stands out through its added litigation and commercialisation capabilities, such as brand licensing and anti-counterfeiting expertise. Domain recovery programmes are another key specialism. Principal Julius Stobbs in Cambridge directs the practice. Nina Kent joined from Maucher Jenkins and Catherine Byfield joined from Bristows LLP. Carrie Bradley joined Kempner & Partners before leaving to found Avatar IP.

Appleyard Lees fields one of the deepest benches in the market, with an above-average number of dual-qualified trade mark and patent attorneys in the team. Especially active in the chemicals, consumer products, electronics, life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors, the group's caseload is generally sectorially varied. Following the opening of the new Cambridge office in summer 2017, the trade mark group now boasts a total of five offices, located in Leeds, Halifax, Manchester and Alderley Park. The team includes Robert Cumming, David Moy, Anthony Brierley and Paul Brandon as the main practitioners. Solicitor Bill Lister joined the Manchester office from Fieldfisher, reinforcing the firm's litigation offering.

Barker Brettell LLP offers one of the deepest benches of trade mark specialists in the market and is among the most active filers of UK and EU trade marks. The group is well versed in the prosecution of unusual trade mark applications, for example for marks aimed at protecting shapes, but also excels in rights enforcement and the provision of assistance with contentious matters. While the team is especially active in the automotive sector, the aerospace, the life sciences, energy, food and beverage and university sectors also each account for a significant number of instructions. Domain right disputes are another regular portion of the caseload. Birmingham's Sarah Lait is the head of the team. Lucy Walker made partner.

Bird & Bird LLP was already an important international player before the opening of its San Francisco office in September 2018, but has since noticeably increased its influx of instructions from US clients. The group also continues to grow its roster of UK and EU clients, coming from a broad variety of sectors, whom it offers an online brand protection portal as a key string in the group's trade mark protection bow. Given the firm's wide geographical footprint, the team is very experienced in the management of large international trade mark portfolios, but it also excels in high-stakes opposition and appeal proceedings. Mark Holah and Allan Poulter direct the practice.

Bristows LLP fields a particularly strong practice in the management of worldwide trade mark portfolios, including the representation of clients in complex opposition and cancellation proceedings. With its added litigation capacities, the group is able to provide clients with a full-service brand protection offering. While the food and beverage, publishing, hospitality, luxury and automotive sectors account for a significant portion of the caseload, the group's track record also includes clients from a broad spread of other sectors. Ian Gruselle and solicitor advocate Simon Clark are the heads of the practice.

Elkington + Fife LLP's trade mark practice continues to grow, attesting to the firm's success in carving out its space in the market since practice head Chris McLeod joined in 2015. Strategic trade mark advice and the drafting and filing of applications are as much a part of the team's portfolio of expertise as the representation of clients in opposition and appeal proceedings in which the group often prevails over opponents with significantly deeper trade mark attorney benches. The group succeeds in attracting a varied range of clients, acting for major international corporations, but maintaining a steady caseload for smaller domestic clients.

Gill Jennings & Every LLP excels in the drafting and filing of trade mark applications as well as in opposition proceedings and transactional work. Practice head Alasdair MacQuarrie and newly promoted partner Edward Carstairs are the main contacts. Rowena Price left the practice.

Mathys & Squire LLP assists with the full spectrum of trade mark prosecution and since its acquisition of Coller IP in December 2017 is also able to offer a comprehensive trade mark valuation and commercialisation service. The group is experienced in assisting large multinationals and domestic start-ups alike, with an especially strong focus on the automotive sector as part of an overall diverse sector offering. The Manchester-based Gary Johnston and the London-based Margaret Arnott, who is dual-qualified as a solicitor and heads the litigation practice, direct the team. Associate Rebecca Tew joined from Marks & Clerk LLP to head up the newly opened Midlands office, which complements the firm's already wide domestic footprint. The international offices are in Paris, Munich and Luxembourg.

Mewburn Ellis LLP, one of the most established firms in the market, boasts a comprehensive trade mark prosecution offering and fields a busy domestic and international practice, a reflection of the group's office network across the UK and Germany. The team also offers a complementary litigation department and is increasingly active in customs seizures. With senior hires Kate O’Rourke in London, who joined from Charles Russell Speechlys LLP and now directs the trade mark practice, and Dydra Donath in Munich, a hire from Winter, Brandl, Fürniss, Hübner, Röss, Kaiser, Polte – Partnerschaft mbB, the group significantly bolstered its bench. Roger Grimshaw became a consulting partner and Sofia Arenal transitioned from partner to director.

Reddie & Grose LLP fields a busy EUIPO and UKIPO opposition caseload while maintaining a strong domestic and European filing practice. Clearance work, the development and implementation of worldwide filing strategies, and licensing agreements, including settlement agreements, consent and co-existence agreements, are areas of particular strength. Helen Wakerley directs the practice.

Baker McKenzie fields a highly international caseload and manages the extensive global trade mark portfolios of several major corporations from its London office. Expertise includes representation in registry disputes, an area of particular growth for the practice, and strategic advice on rebranding projects and product roll-outs. Michelle Blunt directs the intellectual property practice and Jessica Le Gros is the head of the trade marks team.

Beck Greener LLP  impresses with its strong contentious track record, with an especially busy caseload of UKIPO proceedings on top of a substantial stream of EUIPO representations. The group's strength in the management and development of international trade mark portfolios complements its contentious practice well. The publishing, cosmetics and entertainment sectors form a considerable part of the group's activity, but the client roster reveals wider-ranging sector expertise, including in the professional services, telecoms and pharmaceutical sectors. Ian Bartlett is the head of the practice.

Fieldfisher's trade mark prosecution practice is part of the firm's wide-ranging IP offering and specialises in worldwide trade mark and design clearance work, the drafting and filing of the corresponding trade mark applications in the UK and abroad, and assistance in contentious trade mark matters, including opposition proceedings, invalidity and revocation actions. Leighton Cassidy directs the practice. Solicitor Bill Lister joined Appleyard Lees.

Forresters fields a particularly busy EU trade mark application practice and is among the UK players with the longest-established offices in Germany. The team excels in contentious and non-contentious instructions alike, including the conduct of clearance searches and the development of filing strategies, the implementation of enforcement strategies and representation in settlement negotiations, often in the context of trade mark registry disputes. The London-based Steven Wake directs the practice. Birmingham's Janette Hamer made partner.

Mishcon de Reya LLP demonstrates strength in strategic portfolio development and trade mark disputes alike, with the management of large-scale international trade mark portfolios at the heart of the practice. The group shoulders a significant volume of contentious EU trade mark prosecution cases, regularly involving General Court proceedings. Sally Britton is the practice head.

Murgitroyd expanded its domestic footprint in February 2019 with the acquisition of Chapman IP, adding senior trade mark attorney Rebecca Dobson  in Southampton and Huw Evans, who is also a patent attorney, in Cardiff to its trade mark bench. The media and entertainment, food and beverage, and labelling and packing sectors form the core of the practice. A key standout feature is the group's significant European presence in 15 countries from which it assists a broad spectrum of clients, including small and medium-sized enterprises, large multinationals and several prestigious academic institutions. Mark Hickey directs the trade mark practice, which includes Jacqueline McKay as the head of the Scottish trade mark group.

Venner Shipley LLP's team includes trade mark attorneys, solicitors and barristers, offering a one-stop trade mark prosecution shop. Services include clearance searches, strategic portfolio management and development advice, often on an international level, and representation in opposition proceedings as well as, on the solicitor side, infringement litigation. Settlement negotiations are another area of strength. David Birchall directs the practice.

Ashfords LLP has continued the expansion of its UK trade mark filing practice and is able to assist with the full range of trade mark prosecution services. Experienced in the management of often global trade mark portfolios for international corporations, the group is also well versed in trade mark litigation as practice head Carl Steele, who splits his time between the London, Exeter and Bristol offices, is dual-qualified as a solicitor and a trade mark attorney.

EIP's key standout feature is its combined full-service UK and US trade mark prosecution offering and its accompanying litigation team in the UK and Germany. The group is steadily increasing its market share and boasts an internationally experienced team, including three bilingual German and English team members. Claire Lehr directs the practice, with Paula Flutter as the key chartered trade mark practitioner in the group.

Lewis Silkin LLP is especially experienced in the management of worldwide trade mark portfolios for major corporations, but also fields a substantial litigation offering to complement its non-contentious practice. Clients predominantly come from the advertising, marketing and creative sectors, though the caseload also contains a significant number of instructions from the retail, automotive, entertainment and technology sectors. In April 2018, the firm opened an Irish office and acquired a specialist search service to better assist clients seeking to protect streamlines and slogans used in advertising. Dominic Farnsworth is the practice head. Aaron Newell joined J A Kemp.

Norton Rose Fulbright stands out through its dual expertise in trade mark prosecution, including portfolio management, enforcement, registration strategies and commercialisation, and reputation management through the use of defamation, advertising and media law. As part of the firm's global network, the group is very well versed in cross-border work and often acts for major international corporations. The financial services, life sciences and healthcare, mining and commodities, and technology sectors are particularly busy areas of work. Clare Jackman directs the practice.

Based in Derby, Swindell & Pearson Ltd fields a particularly busy UKIPO opposition caseload and acts for a good mix of regional, national and international clients. The group is well versed in the management and development of large trade mark portfolios and boasts expertise in a wide sector spectrum, including the fashion, food and beverage, and manufacturing sectors. Nick Womsley directs the practice. Shaun Sherlock joined from Potter Clarkson LLP. Robert Sales retired.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP impresses with a comprehensive trade mark prosecution offering, ranging from clearance searches and strategic portfolio advice to assistance in contentious matters before intellectual property offices and courts alike. While the team is sectorially versatile, instructions from the retail and consumer goods, manufacturing, hospitality, technology and leisure sectors account for the majority of cases. The team receives regular instructions from foreign firms to represent its clients in UK proceedings. The Leeds-based Patrick Cantrill and managing associate Rachel Hearson are at the helm of the team.