Michael Browne > Wiggin LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Wiggin LLP
9TH FLOOR, MET BUILDING
22 PERCY STREET
LONDON
W1T 2BU
England

Work Department

Intellectual Property

Position

Michael is a partner in Wiggin’s intellectual property advising on the enforcement and exploitation of all forms of intellectual property, as well as competition law issues which frequently arise in IP matters.

His clients hail from a variety of industry sectors, ranging from international fashion brands, multinational technology companies, computer games publishers, industrial and diversified product manufacturers and high-end interior furnishing retailers, to health food manufacturers, airline seat designers and cosmetics and toiletries suppliers.

Michael has litigated IP cases in the English High Court, including the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) (formerly the Patents County Court), the UK IPO and the EU IPO, as well as the Court of Justice of the European Union.

He also regularly advises clients on the commercial exploitation of their IP rights. In particular, he has significant experience advising on, drafting and negotiating international franchise agreements, licences and other forms of distribution agreement.

Career

Prior to joining Wiggin, Michael was a partner at Redd, having originally trained at Eversheds.

Memberships

Michael is actively involved in a number of professional organisations, including UNION IP (of which he is a GB group Council member), the Competition Law Association (of which he is a Committee Member and National Reporter General) and CIPA.

Lawyer Rankings

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

Experts in the digital world, Wiggin LLP is particularly known for its online enforcement and intermediary liability work, acting for content and brand owners, as well as clients in the film, publishing and luxury goods industries. One key area of expertise includes copyright infringement, and its brand strategy and portfolio management practice is also expanding. The team is capable of working across a broad spread of sectors, from film and music to pharma and technology, and is recommended for its ‘commercial and pragmatic’ approach. Sara Ashby spearheads the practice, covering the full gamut of IP rights, while Rachel Alexander’s expertise includes online enforcement and copyright infringement matters. John Colbourn’s broad practice advises on international brand strategy and portfolio management, as well as considerable litigation experience. Michael Browne’s practice covers contentious and non-contentious remits, such as trade secrets and copyright litigation. Joanne Gibbs, Calum Smyth and Peter Dawson are also recommended.

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

Wiggin LLP’s ‘friendly and engaging’ team is renowned for its technology and media sector expertise and is also capable of acting across a diverse range of other sectors, from film and music to pharma and gaming. Leading the practice is Sara Ashby, who advises on patent enforcement and strategy with extensive experience in the litigation sphere. Key contact Calum Smyth’s range of expertise encompasses software patentability, technology transactions, brand protection, M&A and structuring issues, whilst Michael Browne’s broad experience extends from patent entitlement disputes and various other proceedings, to drafting and negotiating joint development, licensing and franchise agreements. Associates Georgina Hart and Sinclaire Marber Schäfer are other names to note in the practice, the latter joining from Kirkland & Ellis International LLP in May 2022.