Tom Gaunt > Lewis Silkin > London, England > Lawyer Profile

On the contentious side, the ‘pragmatic’ department at Lewis Silkin handles an extensive range of issues before the High Court, IPEC, CJEU, and the UK and EU IPOs. On the non-contentious side, a diverse range of agreements, brand management, and licensing mandates are some of its core streams of work. Tom Gaunt steers the practice with his strengths on the engineering and manufacturing side, while Adam Glass acts for a varied stable of advertising and media clients. Neil Parkes contributes his considerable disputes expertise to the team, and Nick Bowie spearheads the trade mark portfolio work in the practice. Giles Crown  departed to join Taylor Wessing LLP in January 2024.

With capabilities that span engineering, telecoms, and life sciences industries, Lewis Silkin is actively involved in managing technical patent disputes alongside global patent portfolios and licensing agreements for some notable clients. Steering the practice is Tom Gaunt, who possesses a wealth of experience in handling mechanical, electrical and software patents. The ‘excellent’ Jonathan Hewett is entrusted by start-ups, SMEs, universities, and multinational corporations for a variety of patent issues.

Lewis Silkin manages the trade mark portfolios for a large volume of household-name and multi-national clients and assists them throughout the lifecycle of their IP rights. This offering includes advice on registration, anti-counterfeiting matters, oppositions, and disputes, as well as representation before the UKIPO and EUIPO through the firm’s office in Dublin. Tom Gaunt chairs the practice with the support of Erika Coccia and Nick Bowie. In team news, Abigail Wise, who has a ‘profound understanding of trade mark law’, was promoted to the partnership in April 2024, and Giles Crown joined Taylor Wessing LLP in February 2024.

The engineering, electronics, telecommunications, software, medical devices, life sciences, and pharmaceutical sectors are all areas of expertise for the team at Lewis Silkin. Its offering encompasses the entire patent lifecycle, from filing, prosecution, and portfolio management to transactions, licensing, and litigation. Tom Gaunt chairs the department, which has undergone significant expansion with the acquisition of IP specialist firm Miller Sturt Kenyon and the addition of Jonathan Hewett from Venner Shipley LLP in September 2023. Hewett brings his substantial experience in developing IP strategies for start-ups, as well as his ability to represent clients in opposition proceedings before the EPO.