Addleshaw Goddard is engaged for IP matters across the retail and consumer, financial services, transport, industrials, energy, health and public sectors, among others. The team’s notably broad offering spans all IP disciplines with work including portfolio management, disputes and the full range of non-contentious matters. Practice head Paul Bentham is an expert in brand protection and exploitation in addition to the IP-related considerations of company acquisitions and joint ventures. James Whittaker is a further key name; he tailors his practice towards the acquisition and exploitation of IP rights with specific expertise in licensing, media and sponsorship matters.

Clients hail the team at Clarke Willmott LLP as ‘among the best’ for IP matters. It supports clients with the protection, enforcement and exploitation of IP rights, both domestically and overseas. Active on both contentious and non-contentious matters alike, areas of distinguished expertise include filings, portfolio handling and anti-counterfeiting. Practice head Roy Crozier is ‘excellent on strategy’; together with the ‘detail-orientated’ Andrew Stone, he recently acted for Heritage Audio and Pedro Rodriguez Arribas in a CJEU dispute, referred by the Court of Appeal; the first case heard before the CJEU to rule on the issue of international jurisdiction in online EU trade mark infringement cases. Susan Hall, another key name, handles IP matters on behalf of government departments, universities and multinational corporates.

DWF represents brands, manufacturers and retailers , offering specialist knowledge of sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, technology, leisure, hospitality and food and drink. Department head Craig Chaplin is an expert in non-contentious matters, handling everything from IP acquisitions and disposals through to research, development and licensing. The wider team is also active on the disputes front, led by Asima Rana, with specialist knowledge of defending IP infringement and breach of confidence claims, along with trade mark-related disputes.

Specialist IP firm HGF Law is home to a ‘friendly, efficient and knowledgeable team’. The team handles the full range of contentious and transactional IP matters, with a particular focus on the life sciences, retail, fashion, education and advanced engineering sectors. Examples of work handled include licensing, dossier and associated brand acquisition, commercialisation, design clearance for new products Janet Knowles is a ‘go-to lawyer’ while Antony Gold is ‘efficient and knowledgeable’; both head the practice. Advice relating to compliance with the Advertising Standards Authority and other regulatory bodies is also a core strength.

At Pannone Corporate LLP, all members of the team offer ‘a high standard of service and commerciality’. Melanie McGuirk fronts the contentious offering, which handles trade mark, passing off and copyright disputes in addition to search orders and injunctive relief. The ‘excellent’ Amy Chandler leads on contentious matters, including brand licensing, sponsorship and merchandising agreements, technology and patent licensing as well as research and development agreements. Franchise litigation and disputes related to employee breaches of restrictive covenants are also specialisms for the team, which includes ‘stand-out’ director Sarah Bazaraa. Consultant Patricia Jones is a key new arrival; she previously headed her own boutique IP firm.

Clients say TLT can be relied upon to provide both the ‘appropriate legal advice and the correct commercial decisions’. Practice head Graeme Orchison  is a ‘superb IP litigator’; his team is experienced in handling the full range of trade mark, patent, copyright and design right disputes all of the way up to the Court of Appeal. The non-contentious offering includes assistance of the development of new IP, strategic licensing acting on the IP aspects of major corporate and commercial transactions.

Lawyers at Brandsmiths are praised for the ‘strength and depth of their IP knowledge’. Michael Forrester delivers an ‘excellent understanding of commercial and legal issues’; his practice is centred on contentious matters, namely registered and unregistered designs, trade marks and passing off. He heads the practice together with Andrew Lee who ‘fights his client’s corner’ with a proven track record of handling copyright infringement matters. At the junior end, John Battersby is an ‘expert in his field’ while Jacob O’Brien is ‘flexible and knowledgeable’. While the practice has a strong disputes focus, it also handles a range of non-contentious matters.

At DLA Piper, department co-heads Lee Brierley and Peter Brook specialise in a broad range of non-contentious IP work; examples include brand acquisitions and licensing, technology partnering, licensing and manufacturing agreements, protection and exploitation. The team also handles business-critical IP disputes and is particularly knowledgeable of the retail, consumer, manufacturing, industrial and life sciences sectors. Senior associate Jim McDonnell is a dedicated IP lawyer who leads on a number of the team's key matters.

Kuit Steinart Levy LLP is noted for its ‘strength in depth across patents, trade marks, designs and copyright’. The firm's team covers all forms of contentious and con-contentious work though licensing, R&D, brand acquisitions and disposals, patent disputes and international trade mark litigation. Practice head Bruce Jones is cited for his ‘experience as a patent attorney’ while Ian Morris, who recently moved into a consultancy role, is hailed as a ‘tough litigator’.

Shoosmiths LLP handles IP and brand license portfolio acquisitions made both domestically and abroad. Headed by Richard Millington, the team also handles outsourcing, exploitation and sponsorship matters in addition to distribution and agency agreements. Telecoms and fashion are key industries; so too is sports, with Millington recently acting for the Six Nations in relation to broadcasting rights and brand exposure.

The team at Myerson Solicitors LLP ‘works seamlessly together and is very responsive’. Clients include individuals, SMEs, PLCs and OMBs, and while the Altrincham-based firm focuses on its North West heartlands, the team has recently noted an increasing number of instructions from the South and South East. The ‘extremely competent’ Jonathan Hassall actively handles trade mark, copyright, patent, confidential information and design right disputes while Carla Murray is an expert in the vesting of IP rights in addition to portfolio management.

Clients praise Gorvins Solicitors for its ‘breadth of legal experience and great client management’. The contentious offering, led by the ‘very personable’ Guy Lightowler, encompasses passing-off matters in addition to trade mark, copyright, registered and unregistered design right issues. The client list includes OMBs, SMEs and multinationals. Andrew Curwen fronts the non-contentious side where expertise includes development, enforcement and licensing.

Hill Dickinson LLP specialises in brand protection and exploitation, regularly advising on sponsorship and personal endorsement deals, licenses and IPR assignments. Patent application before the UK IPO and EPO, asset purchase agreements, research and development collaboration contracts and the full range of contentious issues are also core strengths. The London-based Mark Weston heads the department alongside Mark Fitzgibbon, who operates from Manchester.