Intellectual property in Yorkshire And The Humber

‘With three experienced genuinely specialist IP partners the team has a breadth of skills and a strength in depth which is unusual within a single site full service firm in the regions. The team (and indeed Clarion as a whole) is commercial and entrepreneurial, and provides great client service.’

‘Esther Kirwan is a great leader of the team who gives clients confidence but also isn’t afraid to let more junior team members shine and show what they can do. Lindsey Wrenn was an astute addition to the team this year who brings a wealth of experience and global contacts to the firm. Jemma Green is a very able ‘allrounder’ who continues to impress and is definitely a talented IP lawyer to look out for in years to come.’

‘The team offer an excellent service, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and technically competent.’

‘I deal with Esther Kirwan who is always helpful and takes time to understand the business and the people.’

‘I have worked with this confident and capable team for a number of years. They understand the business and I have complete faith in the advice and guidance they provide. We have had a number of brand re-launches over the last 12 months and despite the difficulties everyone has faced they have remained pragmatic, forward thinking and importantly always conscious of cost. The team remains incredibly responsive and go over and above to assist our requirements.’

‘Special mention for Jemma Green who I have worked with for a long time and is always enthusiastic, knowledgeable, professional and timely in responses/updates to our business.’

‘The approachability and commerciality is what sets Clarion apart. They go a step further in understanding your business and providing legal advice in a straight forward way.’

‘The individuals we have worked with have demonstrated excellent knowledge of the issues that are relevant to our sector and are very good value for money.’

‘DLA Piper has strong IP teams in Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and London. They are efficient, robust and insightful. They are particularly good at identifying client’s commercial goals and running litigation to ensure that they are met.’

‘Leigh Martin – is a very effective operator who always has the commercial goals of his clients in mind. He is efficient and always on top of the factual, commercial and legal issues which need to be addressed.’

‘Richard Taylor – is an impressive litigator who always gets to the bottom of the client’s commercial drivers and leads his team in an insightful and effective way.’

‘Aaron Trebble – is an impressive senior associate who manages litigation well and efficiently. He is able to manage extremely complex cases and is experienced in organising search and freezing orders.’

‘It’s been a difficult year and DLA Piper have supported us as a key supplier partner throughout on some of the largest and innovative projects. Their willingness to keep up to date and deliver on niche areas of our sector is what sets them apart from competitors. Team members have continued to be proactive in their research, advice and support.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge and easy to deal with.’

‘Richard Kempner – very commercial but clearly a leader in his field. Martin Delafaille – very smart, and great client care.’

‘Working mainly with the Leeds office and are more than pleased with their work. They are always up to speed giving accurate recommendations and advice in time to the right price!’

‘Wombles team around Patrick Cantrill, James Love and Rachel Hearson as well as Rose Smalley have an uncomplicated approach to trade marks and are capable to explain complicated IP aspects to clients – of course they are highly versed and experienced in all aspects of trade mark prosecution and litigation – And they are very approachable and responsive as well as simply nice! They are wonderful to work with. Highly recommended. The are always willing to go the extra mile.’

‘Patrick Cantrill – Patrick is very responsive and an excellent lawyer. He is commercial and has a clear passion for his area of expertise. He is an exceptional negotiator and always mindful of the client’s ultimate goals and business.’

‘Top drawer Intellectual property practice, with vast global experience and seasoned experts at the helm. Their advice is clear and succinct.’

‘I have worked with James Love for over 25 years now. James’ legal counsel is exceptional.’

‘James Love -shows an interest in and understanding of our business and offers practical and insightful guidance on strategic and every day IP matters.’

‘WBD provides us with excellent and actionable advice, without sending lengthy memos or being overly formal. WBD really feels like an extension to our team. ’

‘James Love is my go-to lawyer for advice across the full range of IP. James has excellent knowledge of our brand and industry and provides practical and actionable advice. He thinks out of the box and comes with creative ideas to resolve any issues we may face.’

‘As a law firm which sits alongside a patent and trade mark firm as its sister company, lawyers and patent/trade mark attorneys work well together.’

‘The safeguarding of our IP and our confidence in our freedom to operate are crucial for us. HGF constantly and consistently guide us in safeguarding our intellectual assets and in navigating the field we are entering, with regular presence and communication, constant watching of the legal and patent landscape in our industry and clear and logical direction on maintaining our innovation, market edge and our freedom to exploit it.’

‘HGF are an asset in that we can go to them with any and all matters associated with IP and how it stands up in our commercial arena.’

‘HGF never fail to meet our pace and be at hand when we require, managing never to delay what we are doing. A seamless cover of all our requirements.’

‘Alan Harper remains level-headed in the midst of a furore. He stands out as being able effectively to identify and focus on the important points, getting results quickly and efficiently. He’s precisely what you want to succeed in litigation at a sensible cost.’

‘The main thing I find with Walker Morris is their friendly approach. I never feel patronised or given incomprehensive jargon.’

‘As with the team, the warmth of approach stands out. In particular Alan Harper. They will always help, very quickly.’

‘Walker Morris are a strong firm that defy the “regional” epithet: they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with any London firm.’

‘Alan Harper and Matthew Lingard are top notch – commercial, sensible, and easy to work with.’

‘I like how they work, it’s always professional. Their people all seem approachable and friendly.’

‘Alan Harper in particular never lets me down, his hard work, advice and support is second to none.’

‘I believe LCF is the most approachable and helpful firm I’ve worked with. James Sarjantson has been our key point of contact and is always available, helpful and above all, extremely competent.’

‘James Sarjantson is our main point of contact and is a real pleasure to work with. James is an extremely competent solicitor, but always goes beyond our expectations with support and advice beyond what we would normally expect from a legal firm.’

‘The team at LCF are always very responsive, pragmatic and commercially minded. They ensure they understand enough about our business to advise us well, but within the financial constraints of a small business.’

‘LCF continues to remain proactive, relevant and always accessible. I’ve yet to find a problem they’ve not been able to robustly resolve.’

‘James Sarjantson – always there when needed, no matter the time or day.’

‘James provides exceptional, commercially aware solutions (often at very short notice) on behalf of our blue chip clients.’

‘Ultimately, we use legal professionals to help us navigate complexities and achieve commercially sensible results. Ward Hadaway simply do this extremely well. They highlight the options and aren’t afraid to make a recommendation, which is perhaps the most valuable to us as a client. The individuals are thorough and take a real interest in our business, which puts them in a much better position to advise actions that work in the context of our overall objectives.’

‘We value the relationships greatly. Bill Goodwin has taken an active interest in our business from a very early stage and has been a real part of helping us shape our IP portfolio from the outset. We consult with him on any new branding or potential IP acquisitions, because the nature of the relationship is collaborative. His honest and actionable feedback is incredibly useful and helps us avoid potential pitfalls.’

‘A very strong team with excellent legal knowledge.’

‘I work with Bill Goodwin. Bill has helped me with a number of trade mark and patent issues. I am always impressed by Bill’s rapid response and practical solutions. He has excellent legal knowledge and is good value.’