Dr Brian Nicholson KC KC > Chambers of Iain Purvis KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
11 South Square Offices
11 South Square
GRAY'S INN
LONDON
WC1R 5EY
England
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Dr Brian Nicholson KC KC
Position
Senior barrister specialising in all areas of intellectual property and related fields including: patents; design right; copyright; information technology; breach of confidence and privacy; trade marks and passing off. Particular specialisation in complex electronic and computing technology cases.
Previous cases include:Dr Reddy’s v Warner Lambert (damages inquiry), Facebook v Voxer (telecommunications messaging patent), Claydon v Mzuri (patents relating to agricultural machinery), IPCom v Vodafone (Appeal), IPCom v Vodafone (Patents Court), TQ Delta v ZYXEL (Digital Subscriber Line patents), Garmin v Philips (GPS fitness tracker patent), Clearswift v Glasswall (patents, software), Apple v Qualcomm (patents, telecoms, FRAND), American Science v Rapiscan (x-ray patents); Warner Lambert v Dr Reddy’s (pharmaceutical patent); Magmatic v PMSL (design right); Unwired Planet v Samsung & Google (telecoms patents); Philips v Nintendo (computer game patents); Nokia v HTC (telecoms patents); IPcom v HTC (telecoms patent infringement and validity); BSkyB v Microsoft (trade mark infringement and passing off); Virgin Atlantic Airways v Zodiac [2013] UKSC 46 (aeroplane seat patents); 3i infotech v Royal Bank of Scotland (computer contract); Covatec v Smith & Nephew (medical device patent); IPCom v Nokia (FRAND inquiry); Apple v Samsung (mobile telephone technology); Sandisk v Kingston (portable memory technology); IPcom v Nokia (mobile telephone patents); Global Coal v London Commodity Brokers (traders licensing agreements); Cranway v Playtech (internet gaming patent); Navitaire v Easyjet (copyright in software, user-interfaces and database), Intel v Via (CPU Patents); Zipher v Markem (printing apparatus patents); Microsoft v Digital Now (software authentication devices); Nokia v Interdigital (mobile telephone patents); Thomson v Pace (MPEG Video patents); Samsung v Ericsson/Sony Ericsson (mobile telephone patents); Siemens v Thorn (PCB coating patent appeal); Trafalgar v Hamdi (Supreme Court of Gibraltar, confidential information).
Career
Qualified 2000, Lincoln’s Inn.
Standing Counsel for the Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (2014-2019).
Silk, 2019.
Memberships
Intellectual Property Bar Association; Chancery Bar Association; Chartered Engineer; European Engineer; FRSA; FRI; MIET; MBCS; MIEEE; MACM.
Education
The Blue School; University of Bath (1995 B Eng (Hons) 1st; 1998 PhD, ‘Artificial Intelligence for the Robust Optimisation of On-Line Control System Stability’); City University (1999 Diploma in law); ICSL; Lincoln’s Inn Scholarships: Cassel, Sunley, CPE and Hardwicke. .
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Intellectual property
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Brian Nicholson KC – 11 South Square ‘Brian is outstanding in all respects. An exceptional advocate with mastery of highly complex technical subject matter, phenomenal strategic insight and great to work with all round, he is masterful in cross-examination and oral submissions in High Court litigation.’
London Bar > IT and telecoms: projects and services
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 311 South Square offers strong expertise in information technology disputes, especially those which intersect with the related area of IP law. Mark Vanhegan KC, who is regularly sought after by global tech and telecoms companies, continued to act for the defendant in IBM v LzLabs; with the complex dispute regarding alleged software reverse-engineering culminating in a 6-week trial before the High Court in April 2024. Brian Nicholson is adept at handling IP disputes with a substantial electronic and computing element.