The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > Yorkshire And The Humber > Intellectual property

DLA Piper acts for high-profile global corporates across the life sciences and technology sectors, handling IP commercialisation projects under the guidance of Sheffield-based Richard Taylor. Leigh Martin heads up the Leeds team with an emphasis on trade mark and design prosecutions and portfolio management work. Martin’s broad client roster includes food and drink, cosmetics and manufacturing companies. With support from associates Rebecca Piper and Jim McDonnell (based in Leeds and Sheffield respectively), the practice acts in IP litigation concerning patents, trade marks and design infringements.

Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP fields an extensive team of IP lawyers and patent attorneys, who provide a full-service offering to global clients. With a particularly strong contentious practice headed by Richard Kempner, the team represents claimants and defendants in patent infringement claims, including recent trials before the High Court. Global trade mark and design portfolios are maintained by the team led by Jason Dainty, who also leads on commercialisation agreements and licensing arrangements. Senior solicitor Brian Whitehead utilises his science background to handle contentious and non-contentious work in the technology, life sciences and healthcare sectors.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP’s IP practice includes two highly praised senior figures in the Yorkshire legal market - practice head James Love and senior counsel Patrick Cantrill. The group is notably active in opposition and litigation mandates and handles all patent disputes in house; it also has key sector expertise across the food and drink, oil and gas, hospitality, healthcare and commercial packaging industries. Managing associate Rachel Hearson is a go-to name for trade mark and design prosecution knowledge, regularly handling international portfolios for local and national clients. Associate Rose Smalley assists with search and seize and freezing orders. Also noteworthy is the team’s expertise in complex registrations of medical devices.

Clarion has a strong international trade mark practice, which has practice head Esther Kirwan and senior associate Sarah Molloy advising global companies on registrations, enforcements, oppositions, licensing issues and infringement claims; the group also handles international design registrations. Sue Streatfield represents clients in IP litigation on the claimant and defence side encompassing patent, copyright and trade mark passing off and infringement claims. The client list includes impressive names in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medtech and other cutting-edge sectors.

Addleshaw Goddard’s Leeds-based IP practice is led by Georgina Powling, who receives instructions from high-profile clients on non-contentious matters. The team provides a robust trade mark filing service for global names in the retail, insurance, sports and consumer goods sectors. The group also has notable expertise in licensing and commercialisation matters; Powling provides assistance on global collaboration deals and acquisitions involving high-value IP assets.

Alex Newman leads Irwin Mitchell’s national IP practice out of Leeds with a focus on litigation for a solid roster of global clients in the food and drink, consumer electronics, cosmetics, telecoms and medtech sectors. Recent highlights include copyright infringement claims, trade mark infringement claims before the IPEC, revocation proceedings and patent litigation against household-name retailers. Joanne Bone leads the non-contentious offering, covering global brand and design protection issues, trade mark filing services and oppositions.

Walker Morris LLP has a strong contentious IP practice, highlighted by the team’s recent involvement in numerous High Court disputes. Recent work for director Alan Harper (who leads the practice) included defending trade mark infringement and passing off claims for high-profile corporate clients. Associate Matthew Lingard assists with non-contentious matters including commercialisation and partnership deals, corporate due diligence and general portfolio management work. The group also has expertise in the manufacturing, sports, technology and software sectors.

Mills & Reeve LLP’s IP practice is led by Mark Pearce, who provides strategic advice on licensing strategies, collaboration contracts, trade mark oppositions and alternative dispute resolution cases concerning patent infringement claims. Pearce (who divides his time between Leeds and Cambridge) has a strong focus on the higher education, pharmaceuticals, engineering and agriculture sectors. The practice also includes a trade mark filing service and handles the IP elements of corporate transactions.

Ward Hadaway’s IP practice supports early-stage businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurial clients on brand protection and exploitation matters under the leadership of Bill Goodwin. Recent matters include advising on trade mark and design prosecutions, filing issues, licensing work and enforcement applications for manufacturing, IT and consumer electronics businesses.