United Kingdom (Scotland)

Firm overview

Your innovations move the world forward – but great work needs solid foundations.

For over 45 years we’ve built a reputation as one of the world’s leading strategic IP firms. Trusted by global innovators and businesses to realise and protect the true value of their intellectual assets.

History we may have, but we instead face forward. Our success lies in the positive relationships we build and our unrivalled breadth of expertise – from an unmatched technical knowledge to a proven commercial awareness.

We’re more than legal experts – we’re a strategic IP solutions firm with an unrivalled breadth of expertise. Our UK and European patent, trade mark and design attorneys bring together solid legal foundations, unmatched technical knowledge, and a commercial awareness that can drive growth and accelerate success.

We build relationships – globally. Our job is to protect and unlock the full potential of your innovations and ideas – not just in your country, but around the world. Our global team of specialists have an unrivalled knowledge in local laws and practices that provide a benchmark for advice and expertise wherever it’s needed to help you grow your business in markets you never thought possible, in ways you never imagined.

Our global office network spans Europe, North America and Asia. With over 440 employees (including over 120 attorneys) worldwide, our people have leading IP expertise across many industries including automotive, engineering & energy; consumer brands & services; chemistry & materials; life sciences & healthcare; and technology, media & telecoms.

We are recognised by The Financial Times, IP Stars from Managing IP, IAM Patent 300, IAM Patent 1000, IAM Strategy, IAM Global Leaders, World Trademark Review 1000, World Intellectual Property Review, Who's Who Legal, Global IP Awards, Legal 500 & Chambers.
Murgitroyd. The IP solutions firm.

Firm overview

Pinsent Masons' international IP team comprises over 80 IP specialists globally, delivering award-winning, multi-disciplinary expertise through a range of technical backgrounds (some to PhD) and experience drawn from industry.  

At the heart of our practice are long term relationships with many world leading businesses across a range of industry sectors, including: life sciences, technology, energy, financial services, sport, retail and leisure. With a shared passion for innovation, and belief that diversity of thought results in better solutions for business, together we harness IP law to drive positive change, access new markets and disrupt the status quo. 

Our IP advisory team advises on rights and commercialisation strategies, cutting edge collaborations and IP rich cross-border transactions that redefine the commercial landscape. More than just applying lawyers to solve legal problems, we deploy a range of professional disciplines, enabled by process and technology and informed by data. Not only does this empower us to develop solutions and ensure successful outcomes for our clients, it enables us to do so more efficiently and cost effectively.

Our peerless IP disputes team deploys litigation as a strategic tool to help businesses achieve their business goals, rather than simply navigating risk.  Working as a seamless extension of in-house legal and management teams, we're focussed on positive outcomes, whether that is achieving market access for a new product or service, or retaining competitive advantage against those ready to challenge them. 

We have a reputation for taking on the most difficult cases and winning them, often making new law in the process. We regularly act in the highest profile IP litigations before the EPO and EUIPO as well as the national courts and registries. Our success rate is second to none.

Recent IP awards include:

• Winner UK (England & Wales) Contentious Patent Law Firm of the Year (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Winner Impact Case of the Year - Actavis v ICOS (tadalafil) (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Shortlisted European Contentious Patents Firm of the Year (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Shortlisted UK Practitioner of the Year - Charlotte Weekes (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Shortlisted UK (Scotland) IP Transactions (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Shortlisted UK (Scotland) Contentious Patents (Managing IP Awards 2020)
• Shortlisted TMT Team of the Year (Legal Business Awards 2020)
• Winner Legal Strategy of the Year (Global Generics & Biosimilars Awards 2019)
• Winner Impact Case of the Year Award (Managing IP Awards 2019)
• Winner TMT and Life Sciences Team of the Year (British Legal Awards 2019)
• Shortlisted TMT Team of the Year (Legal Business Awards 2019)
• Winner Patent Litigation Firm of the Year (Corporate International Magazine's Award 2019)
• Winner International Global Business Award 2019
• Winner IP or IT team of the Year (Lawyer Awards 2018)
• Winner Client Choice Award for Patent Litigation (Clare Tunstall) 2018
• Winner TMT Team of the Year (British Legal Awards 2017)

Firm overview

HGF is one of Europe’s leading firms of IP specialists. The firm is one of only a few to offer a fully integrated IP solution, bringing together over 190 patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, design attorneys, IP solicitors and attorneys-at-law. The firm has 25 offices throughout Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

HGF has an ambitious growth strategy and we continue to expand and strengthen our offering across all technology areas to provide the highest quality intellectual property solution across Europe. The firm is already one of the leading firms throughout Europe in terms of its national reach, volume of Patent Cooperation Treaty and EU trade mark filings and position in major legal directories. Its growth has been secured organically and through a combination of acquisition and strategic lateral hires from both private practice and in-house counsel, and has been reflected in accolades including a continued listing in the Financial Times Europe’s Leading Law Firm.

HGF has a proven track record in forging successful long-term relationships with clients across a spectrum of business sectors and technologies. The firm’s highly experienced attorneys, commitment to client service and geographical profile across Europe ensure that it is uniquely placed to attend to high-value and complex IP issues.

Specialist teams

HGF offers everything you would expect of a world-class IP firm, including patent drafting, filing and prosecution, trade marks, design rights, copyright, oppositions and appeals, IP litigation, IP strategy, IP due diligence, freedom to operate, supplementary protection certificates and IP contracts, and licensing.

The firm has dedicated teams of experts working across key industry sectors with relevant experience who fully understand their clients’ businesses and appreciate the significance of their brands, innovations and other IP assets.

We have European patent and patent litigation teams to ensure that we can continue to provide strategic advice on prosecution, litigation and licensing throughout the lifetime of the UP and UPC.

Leading European trade mark team

HGF’s large, multidisciplinary team across Europe provides industry-leading advice in securing trade marks for brands across all industries, be it retail, media or food & drink, ensuring goods and services are registered in the optimum categories and jurisdictions to secure the strongest possible protection.

Our attorneys represent clients at the EU, UK, German and Benelux Trade Mark Registries and are also highly experienced in dealing with oppositions, appeals and IP litigation.

In addition, our trade mark attorneys work closely with our IP lawyers in relation to agreements such as for IP licensing, franchising, merchandising, coexistence, selective distribution, and litigation.