EIP > London, England > Firm Profile

EIP
FAIRFAX HOUSE
15 FULWOOD PLACE
LONDON
WC1V 6HU
England

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Patent attorneys Tier 1

EIP’s dual practice of patent attorneys and litigators advises its rosters of direct clients on the full life cycle of a patent, from protection matters through to rights of enforcement, including high-profile litigation, often involving a cross-border element. Noted for its demonstrable capability in the high-tech sector, the opposition and appeals practice, which is praised for its ‘vast array of technical expertise and experience before the EPO’, continues to expand its caseload in the life sciences and medtech arenas. In the London office, digital expert Jerome Spaargaren and Heather McCann, who is commended by one client as ‘a sharp-minded and skilled, not to mention tireless, advocate and adviser’, lead the team alongside Bath-based Matt Lawman, who focuses on technology and software mandates. Other key members of the group include Laurence Brown, whose practice covers the engineering field, and Leeds-based Tim Belcher, who was promoted to partner in April 2022 and handles matters arising out of the pharmaceuticals and biochemistry sectors.

Practice head(s):

Jerome Spaargaren; Heather McCann; Matt Lawman

Other key lawyers:

Laurence Brown; Tim Belcher; Richard Gordon-Brown; Darren Smyth; Gareth Probert; Chris Price; Monika Rai; Luke Galloway; Colin Lobban; Robert Barker; Felix Hall; Ben Willows

Testimonials

‘The team at EIP has consistently shown an exceptional level of professionalism. Everyone we have worked with has been approachable, responsive and detail oriented. No effort has been spared to make sure that we always have the latest information, advice and updates. The team has also shown consistent dedication to developing long-term, in-depth knowledge of our highly specialised technical field.’ 

‘Heather McCann is outstanding, friendly and simply a leader in the field of patents. Luke Galloway is a real rising star and our go-to contact on our patent portfolio.’ 

‘Consistent, reliable, extremely knowledgeable, pragmatic and very personable.’ 

‘I would not hesitate to recommend Laurence Brown as an exemplary patent agent to anyone. Thorough, commercially minded, technically brilliant and an absolute pleasure to work with, Laurence has advised us on numerous fronts, including strategic analysis and filing advice for whole system architectures, full IP audits and budget reviews.’ 

‘EIP has great customer service and is very responsive to our needs. I feel like we can genuinely depend on them. They are real problem solvers. When we have new questions, they quickly locate the right resources and get us what we need (even when we don’t know exactly what to ask for).’ 

‘The EIP patent attorneys I work with have all had great breadth and depth of knowledge of both the law and subject matter of our patent applications. In addition, they are able to present clear, concise, and persuasive arguments. Heather McCann deserves particular mention as a sharp-minded and skilled, not to mention tireless, advocate and adviser.’ 

‘Excellent technical and legal expertise. Communication is excellent and makes my job as easy as possible.’ 

‘EIP has a vast array of technical expertise and experience before the EPO. In addition, their technical infrastructure makes working with attorneys in any of their offices seamless.’ 

Key clients

VISA Inc.

Hewlett-Packard

A.P. Moller-Maersk

Airbus

VividQ

Sonos Inc.

ServiceNow

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

The A2 Milk Company Limited

Cycle Pharmaceuticals

Egress Software

Work highlights

  • Managing the patent portfolio of Sonos, compromising 330 granted patents, European validations and 108 pending patent applications, including UK and European applications.
  • Advising ServiceNow on various strategic portfolio matters since 2019.
  • Advising A.P. Moller Maersk on 23 new patent filings and prosecution work.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious) Tier 3

As a contentious specialist firm and standout for its FRAND litigation capabilities, EIP‘s patent litigation practice supports clients across a wide range of industries, with significant success in electronics and mobile telecoms industry cases at all levels up to the Supreme Court. Gary Moss spearheads the practice and is well versed in large-scale UK and cross-border disputes. The team is made up of Andrew Sharples, who is also dual qualified as a patent attorney and solicitor; and the ‘hardworking and conscientious’ Robert Lundie Smith, who also maintains an excellent contentious track record. Matthew Jones is adept in advising on matters related to generics and blockbuster drugs, and Kathleen Fox Murphy has extensive expertise advising on patent litigation.

Practice head(s):

Gary Moss

Testimonials

‘EIP is unstuffy and its staff are very personable. One rare aspect of EIP is that it is a firm both of solicitors and patent attorneys, the latter being highly relevant to (and important in) their work in patent litigation – the patent attorneys are usually heavily involved in the technical aspects of the litigation, providing essential input.’

‘I highly recommend Robert Lundie Smith. He is very hardworking, conscientious, and has a real understanding of the technical, legal and strategic aspects of the cases he is working on.’

‘Gary Moss is clearly an excellent patent litigator, and has done an impressive job of building EIP.’

Key clients

Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1

Optis

Vestel

Conversant

3D Matrix

Solas OLED Ltd.

Work highlights

  • Representing Optis and Unwired Planet before the High Court and Court of Appeal in their long-running and ongoing dispute with Apple regarding the licensing of their patent portfolio.
  • Representing IP Bridge in another multi-trial, multi-patent FRAND related dispute in the field of mobile telecommunications and infrastructure.
  • Representing Solas OLED before the High Court as part of its multi-jurisdictional patent dispute with Samsung involving OLED display technology.

EIP is a leading IP law firm advising on high-value and complex patent matters. Our multidisciplinary team combines patent attorneys, litigators and commercial IP lawyers, and we operate in three of the world’s main patent markets – Germany, UK and USA, and now also in the Nordics through our recent expansion into Sweden.

The benefit of this combination is well illustrated by EIP’s successful representation of clients in high stakes patent litigation before the UK High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and before the German District and Federal Courts.

Aside from the more mainstream drafting and prosecution practices, EIP’s patent attorneys work closely with the litigation team in the UK and Germany providing additional technical expertise on large scale international patent litigation matters.

EIP is increasingly involved in advisory and strategic project work in relation to the enforcement of patent rights, including portfolio analyses, infringement and validity analyses and claim charting, as well as strategic IP advice such as due diligence related to acquisitions and joint ventures. Members of their team often counsel clients on strategic patent portfolio management and development matters, and EIP has been retained to assist in developing high-level IP strategies for some of the world’s largest companies.

In 2022 EIP was named “European Firm of the Year for Patent Litigation”  by Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) after being named “Firm of the Year for Patent Litigation” for four years from 2018 to 2021 by Managing IP. EIP is a Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, IAM Patent 1000, IP Stars, and JUVE recommended firm as well as being recognised in the FT list of Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms.

Other offices: Bath, Cardiff, Düsseldorf, Leeds, Denver, Stockholm

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Digital Jerome Spaargarenjspaargaren@eip.com
Mechanical Richard Gordon-Brownrgordonbrown@eip.com
IP strategy Matt Lawmanmlawman@eip.com
HealthTech & Chemistry Gareth Probertgprobert@eip.com
Life Sciences Monika Raimrai@eip.com
Energy Laurence Brownlbrown@eip.com
Patent Litigation Andrew Sharplesasharples@eip.com
Patent Litigation Robert Lundie Smithrlundiesmith@eip.com
Patent Prosecution Heather McCannhmccann@eip.com
PhotoNamePositionProfile
Matthew Blaseby photo Matthew BlasebyMatthew specialises in the electronics sector, on both hardware and software, with…
Tom Brazier photoMr Tom BrazierPartner,  Solicitor
David Brinck photo David BrinckDavid primarily handles patent matters in the field of electronics, and in…
Paula Flutter photo Paula FlutterPaula is head of the EIP Dynamics practice group and has a…
Kathleen Fox Murphy photo Kathleen Fox MurphyKathleen is highly experienced in multi-jurisdictional patent litigation having acted in some…
Mark Lubbock photoMr Mark LubbockPartner, Solicitor
Robert Lundie Smith photo Robert Lundie SmithRobert Lundie Smith is qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor and practises…
Gemma Martynwood photo Gemma MartynwoodPartner, UK and European Patent Attorney
Heather McCann photo Heather McCannHeather is regularly cited in the Legal 500, Chambers & Partners and…
Gary Moss photo Gary MossSince April 2023 Gary has held the position of Chairman, a role…
Gareth Probert photo Gareth ProbertGareth is highly skilled in contentious IP having represented clients in more…
Monika Rai photo Monika RaiMonika is a life sciences specialist with a track record of achieving…
James Seymour photo James SeymourJames’ practice focuses on mobile telecommunications and electronics, advising clients on patent…
Andrew Sharples photo Andrew SharplesAs both a patent attorney and a solicitor, Andrew focuses on the…
Darren Smyth photo Darren SmythAs head of the EIP Elements practice group, Darren has technical expertise…
Andrew  Thompson photoMr Andrew ThompsonPartner, UK and European Patent Attorney
Number of UK partners : 22
Number of other UK fee-earners : 53
Total staff : 185
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