Mr Simon Ayrton > Powell Gilbert LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Powell Gilbert LLP
85 FLEET STREET
LONDON
EC4Y 1AE
England

Work Department

Intellectual property.

Position

Partner specialising in intellectual property litigation. Work covers advising on full range of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, copyright, designs and confidential information.

Cases include Research Corporation’s Patent (licence of right under the SPC for Carboplatin), IBM v Phoenix (trademark infringement and passing off), Rambus v Micron and Hyundai (patent infringement), Gillette v Corsair (passing off), Monsanto and Searle v Merck (patent infringement), Allergan v Pharmacia (patent infringement), Duracell v Round Imports (trade mark infringement), Sony Computer Entertainment v Ball (circumvention of copy protection measures), Aerotel v Telco (business method patents), Dr Reddy’s v Eli Lilly (patent revocation), Philips and Others v Alba (patent exhaustion and competition), Apple v Nokia (patent infringement), HTC v Apple (patent revocation), Unwired Planet v Huawei (patent infringement and FRAND), Vestel v HEVC Advance (FRAND licensing), Seoul Semiconductor v General Electric (patent revocation) and AutoStore v Ocado (patent infringement)

Career

Trained Bristows; qualified Solicitor 1993; partner Bristows 2000; founding partner Powell Gilbert LLP 2007; Solicitor (Ireland) 2020; UPC Representative 2023.

Memberships

AIPPI; PTMG; CIPA; EPLAW; IPLA; INTA; Marques.

Education

Watford Boys’ Grammar School; Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (MA Natural Sciences).

Leisure

Food, film.

Lawyer Rankings

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)

(Leading individuals)

Simon Ayrton Powell Gilbert LLP

Praised by clients for its ‘deep bench’ strength, Powell Gilbert LLP’s expertise spans numerous technical sectors, from pharma and medical devices to telecoms and electronics. The team handles an array of high-profile and complex litigation, two examples being Regeneron v Kymab and Unwired Planet v Huawei. Joint practice head, Penny Gilbert specialises in the life sciences field, which means she is regularly sought out by clients from this sector, while other practice head Simon Ayrton is recommended for his experience in handling heavyweight technical dispute resolution. Tim Powell is well-versed in representing a variety of clients in multijurisdictional patent litigation, with Zoë Butler’s strength in technology-related IP disputes, further bolstering the practice. Bethan Hopewell advises clients on issues arising from international technology standards, patent pools and associated licensing issues. ‘Impressive’ Ari Laakkonen’s broad range of experience encompasses FRAND obligations, licensing disputes, as well as general strategic advice. Peter Damerell specialises routinely assists clients on complex disputes that involve various technologies, with Tim Whitfield recommended for his pharma expertise. Alex Wilson, Siddharth Kusumakar, Tom Oliver, Joel Coles and Tess Waldron are also recommended.

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design

Powell Gilbert LLP’s sizeable IP practice is capable of assisting clients in a multitude of sectors, including biotechnology, telecoms and media and entertainment. Simon Ayrton leads the team, with a particular specialism in handling IP litigation, arbitration and counselling. Another name to note is Tom Oliver, who maintains strong expertise in the field of IP litigation, routinely representing clients in the English courts. Zoë Butler is another name to note in the practice.