United Kingdom (England)

A major development in Allen & Overy's UK IP department in 2018 was the departure of its head of IP and patent star Nicola Dagg, who took three IP associates including rising stars Steven Baldwin and Daniel Lim. Dagg's departure did not affect the firm's standing in the market since it can still boast of having an active patent litigation practice and a respected team of IP litigators in the UK. The firm was crowned Firm of the Year for patent litigation in Europe at Managing IP's EMEA Awards ceremony in March 2019.

The firm has experienced senior patent litigators such as Mark Ridgway, Marjan Noor and Marc Döring, who are often seen in life sciences disputes. Noor is one of the practitioners featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019) publication. The firm also picks up TMT patent instructions thanks to its hi-tech litigator Mark Heaney. Jim Ford and Nigel Parker are the key IP transactional lawyers in the firm. Associates Rafi Allos and Tom Edwards are rising stars to watch. Senior IP associate Taly Dvorkis left the firm for an in-house role in April 2019.

Swiftly following up its representation in the UK Supreme Court in 2018 for Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer) concerning the test for plausibility and infringement of second medical use patents, the firm appeared before the apex court this year for Eli Lilly & Company in its patent dispute against three generic manufacturers over the drug tadalafil. The firm will head back to the apex court again in the autumn of 2019 to represent Huawei Technologies in a telecoms SEP dispute with Conversant Wireless Licensing.

Katie Howe and Oliver Pooley were recognised in the 2019 edition of the Managing IP Rising Stars publication. Neil Kilpatrick was promoted to partner in April 2019. Recent case studies show the firm secured new clients, including a major company in the payment card industry and a university.

Bird & Bird has maintained its reputation as one of the leading law firms for patent litigation in the UK. The firm has a stable team of IP lawyers in the UK, and it is also highly recommended in other European jurisdictions such as France and Germany, making it one of the most reliable firms to instruct to handle pan-European patent litigation. Patent litigation stars Morag Macdonald, Robert Williams and Katharine Stephens are leaders in its UK IP practice. Macdonald is co-head of its international IP practice. Stephens is featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019).

Other experienced patent lawyers in the practice include Jennifer Jones, Richard Vary, Tim Harris, Neil Jenkins and Jane Mutimear. Jenkins, Jones and Harris are noted for their disputes work in the life sciences sector while Vary and Mutimear lead on telecoms/electronics disputes. Sally Shorthose is the IP transactions specialist in the practice. The partners are supported by a team of associates including rising stars Matthew Noble and Christopher de Mauny. Eleanor Root, who was recognised as a rising star in 2018, is now a partner in the firm. For the second time within two years, the firm represented Actavis UK before the UK Supreme Court in a patent dispute with Eli Lilly & Company. The apex court's ruling in this dispute, in favour of its client, clarified the test for assessing the obviousness of a dosage regime patent.

Boult Wade Tennant is highly regarded by rivals in patent prosecution and office proceedings. Market commentators also admire this firm's working culture, stability and focused business strategy. The firm recently opened branch offices in Madrid, Spain and Berlin, Germany. Its managing partner is European trade mark attorney John Wallace. The firm has experienced European patent attorneys to deal with inventions and patents in sectors such as engineering, life sciences and chemistry. Tessa Bucks, Nick McLeish, Adrian Hayes and Nina White are practice leaders in the firm. Other notable recommended European patent attorneys include Michelle Pratt, James Legg, Matthew Spencer, Jonathan Palmer, Daniel Weston, Simon Kahn and Rohan Setna.

The partners are supported by a large team of associates and technical support staff. Associates Marcus Sims, Phil Merchant and Sarah Le Mesurier are among the rising stars in the firm. Veteran life sciences patent attorney Claire Baldock now serves as a consultant to the team. Patent case studies show the firm represents companies such as Gravity industries, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Nektar Therapeutics, Irdeto and Koninklijke Douwe Egberts.

Patent case studies show the firm was involved in some of the recent high-profile telecoms and life sciences patent disputes in the English courts. It acted for Vectura and Jushi Group in their respective patent disputes before the English Court of Appeal and represented ZTE in its patent dispute with Conversant Wireless Licensing, a dispute which will be heard by the UK Supreme Court in 2019. The firm is advising G D Searle and Janssen Sciences Ireland in an SPC dispute which reached the CJEU, and was one of the intervening firms in the UK Supreme Court in the patent dispute between Actavis and Eli Lilly & Company.

Updates:

Managing IP's team was saddened to hear that the firm's IP star and partner Laura Anderson passed away in December 2019. Anderson was one of the most respected IP transactional lawyers in the UK and featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP publication (2019). Our heartfelt condolences go out to Anderson's family, friends and colleagues. Patent star Alan Johnson retired in November 2019. Annsley Merelle Ward left the firm in February 2020.

Patent case studies show the firm represents companies such as Ericsson and PAMIA. IP litigator Giles Parsons, a rising star in the 2018 edition, was promoted to partner in 2019 while patent star Kathleen Fox Murphy left the firm in May 2019.

IP boutique Carpmaels & Ransford is among the elite firms in Europe for patent prosecution work in the chemistry and life sciences sectors. The firm also has a strong patent protection team in fields such as engineering and computer technology. There are several recommended European patent attorneys in the firm; they include Edward Oates, Gary Small, Daniel Wise, James Warner, Mark Chapman, Cameron Marshall, John Brunner, Susan Kirsch and Hugh Goodfellow. Kirsch, who is highly rated in EPO proceedings, is also featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019) publication.

The firm further strengthened its life sciences practice in 2018 by hiring patent star Harvey Adams as a partner. European patent attorneys Stephen Duffield and Christopher Hoggett, who were commended in the 2018 edition of IP STARS, were promoted to partner in July 2019. Another newly promoted partner to watch is Matthew Georgiou. Associates Natalia Wegner-Cribbs, Daniel Goodman and Isobel Barry are among the rising stars in the patent attorney team. John Fisher, who was also commended in the 2018 edition, joined another IP firm as a partner in January 2019.

Patent prosecution case studies show the team dealing with EPO oppositions and appeals for companies such as Biosense Webster, Merck Sharp & Dohme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Janssen and Gilead Sciences are among the companies the team advises on SPC protection in Europe. The team won Managing IP's UK Firm of the Year (2019) award for patent prosecution work.

The patent disputes team remains active in and outside the English courts, recently handling disputes for companies such as Celgene Corporation, Arc Medical Design and Align Technology. The key litigators in the team are David Wilson, Camilla Balleny and Ian Kirby. Clients in need of IP transactions advice can go to Jake Marshall. Jennifer Antcliff is a rising star in the litigation team. Another litigation associate to watch is Simon Llewellyn, who joined the firm in 2018. Patent litigation case studies show the team acted for Abraxis Bioscience in a dispute in which the CJEU clarified whether an SPC may be granted for new formulations of old active ingredients.

D Young & Co has retained its position as a leading UK firm for patent prosecution, office proceedings and portfolio management work. The firm is particularly respected by rivals because of its technical expertise in life sciences, electronics and engineering. The experienced senior European patent attorneys in the firm include Anthony Albutt, Jonathan Jackson, Simon O'Brien, Garreth Duncan and Kirk Gallagher. Albutt and Gallagher are among the patent attorneys with litigation qualification. Chemistry specialist Catherine Mallalieu, biotech specialist Aylsa Williams and computer technology specialist Nigel Robinson have left the firm. Rachel Bateman and Alan Boyd, both of whom were recognised as rising stars in 2018, were promoted to partner in 2019. This year's rising stars to watch are Matthew Caines, Holly Cowie and Antony Latham.

As one of the pioneers of a one-stop shop for IP services, the firm still maintains a team of lawyers for disputes and IP-related transactions. Richard Willoughby and Antony Craggs are the key lawyers for patent litigation. The long-established IP litigator Ian Starr now serves as a consultant. Another notable IP lawyer is Tamsin Holman, an IP star featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019) publication. The firm welcomed IP litigator Jake Hayes as an associate in 2018. Patent case studies show the firm acts for companies such as Toyota, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Nestlé and Sony. The firm recently strengthened its Munich practice with new soft IP practitioners.

Market commentators think highly of Dehns when asked about the firm's patent drafting and prosecution services. The firm is still dedicated to its core business/expertise, IP protection, which has served it well over many decades. It has a large team of patent attorneys covering technical fields such as chemistry, medical devices, energy, aerospace and life sciences. The attorneys operate from five offices in the UK and a branch in Munich, which is headed by engineering specialist Andrea Hughes.

Elizabeth Jones is the managing partner of the firm while European patent attorneys Hanna Dzieglewska, Philip Towler and John Tothill are practice group leaders. Other notable experienced patent attorneys are Adrian Samuels, Christopher Davies, Robert Jackson and Philip Webber. Michael Butler and Kerry Tomlinson now act as consultants. Jennifer Waters, Phillip Price and Mark Bell are among the rising stars in the firm. Biotech specialist Barbara Rigby, who was recognised in the 2018 edition of IP STARS, joined a rival firm in April 2019.

In 2019, the firm lost three life sciences practitioners, Beatriz San Martin, Alison Dennis and Nicole Jadeja, to rival firms.

The firm acquired patent attorney firm Beresford Crump in March 2019, a move which saw experienced patent attorneys Howard Field and Paul Topley join the firm. Field later retired in August 2019. Partners Fiona Stevens and Peter Finnie left for a rival firm in December 2019.

The firm further strengthened its practice by hiring patent stars Huw Evans and Jonathan Ball from Norton Rose Fulbright in June 2019. The partners are supported by a team of associates and paralegals. This year's rising stars are Andrew Maggs, Christopher Freeth and Jenny Davies.

Recent case studies show the firm acted for Alcon Components and GlaxoSmithKline in their respective patent disputes in the English Court of Appeal. In 2019, the firm successfully obtained a High Court injunction and costs order for TQ Delta in its SEP dispute with Zyxel Communications. The firm was also involved in some innovative IP commercialisation work in the life sciences sector, advising companies like Sosei Heptares, Eisai Europe, ERS Genomics and Johnson & Johnson.

Updates:

The firm announced on October 31 that corporate lawyer/arbitrator Vivian Desmonts has taken over from Jamie Rowlands as the head of its Guangzhou office in China. The firm added that Rowlands is now back in the London office.

Former head of patent and patent star David Barron sadly passed away in November 2019.

HGF maintains its position in the UK market as one of the leading firms for patent protection and portfolio management. The firm recently expanded its European footprint with a new office in Westport, Ireland, and merged with Patronus IP, a firm with offices in Austria and Germany.

The firm has a very large team of patent attorneys covering a range of technical fields, including engineering, chemistry, life sciences and electronics. European patent attorneys Andrew Wells, Kate Taylor, Harry Hutchinson, Matthew Dixon and Chris Moore are patent practice leaders based in England. Other notable senior patent attorneys in England are Hsu Min Chung, Andy Camenisch, Lucy Johnson and Jonathan Atkinson. In Scotland, the firm has experienced attorneys such as Gary Wilson, Douglas Drysdale, Craig Watson and Jamie Thomson. The team won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) award for IP prosecution work in Scotland.

The fairly new patent partners to watch are life sciences specialist Craig Thomson, who joined in 2017 and is now in charge of its Westport office; Kieran Killough, who is based in Manchester and handles medical devices and engineering work; and electronics director Susan Keston, who is based in the Glasgow office. The patent attorney team was strengthened in 2018 with new directors such as Simon Turberville.

This year's rising stars in the patent attorney practice are Joanna Deas, Nathan Hinks, Nienke Lubben and Christopher Mellor. Another notable patent director is Catherine Coombes, a CRISPR technology enthusiast.

Dispute resolution services are offered through the sister law firm HGF Law. Partners Rachel Fetches, Janet Knowles and Martyn Fish are the key lawyers in the law firm. Knowles specialises in IP transactions while Fish and Fetches are experienced in dealing with IP disputes. Legal director Tom Nener, who was recognised in 2018 as a rising star, left the firm in 2019.

Recent case studies show the firm successfully represented Novo Nordisk in its appeal before the EPO Technical Board of Appeal in which the strawman opponent was also denied its request for accelerated proceedings. The firm's rising stars to watch are Guy Brain and Vicki Allen. Henry Hunt-Grubbe, a 2018 rising star, was promoted to partner in 2019. In 2018, the firm relocated its Cambridge office and hired telecoms and computer technology patent specialist Stephen Hodsdon. Steve Unwin has retired. The firm hired European patent attorney Ian MacLeod as a partner in January 2020. MacLeod, who was previously with a rival top-tier firm, specialises in life sciences patent work.

Case studies show the team dealt with EPO oppositions and appeals on behalf of companies such as Honeywell and Samsonite. The firm continues to attract new clients and expanded its team in 2018 by hiring more than 10 new IP practitioners including Mark Abthorpe, who was promoted to partner in April 2019. The firm also hired former EPO attaché Albert Keyack as vice president of its San Francisco liaison office. This year's rising stars are Marco Morbidini, Harry Harden, Emily Collins and Jamie Atkins. Collins and Thomas Hamer moved to its San Francisco office in September 2019. Communications engineering specialist Peter Hale and 2018 rising star Rosie Lees have left the firm. 

Marks & Clerk needs no introduction in the IP filing and portfolio management market. The firm has strong patent teams in several technical fields across the UK. Edinburgh-based patent attorney Maureen Kinsler is the firm's international chairman while David Ward, a patent attorney based in Birmingham, is managing partner. Other notable senior European patent attorneys based in England are Thomas Prock, David Robinson, Sheila Wallace and Will Nieuwenhuys. Peers also recommend patent attorneys such as Mark Kenrick, Philip Martin, Daniel Talbot-Ponsonby and Tim Watkin. The firm strengthened in 2018 by hiring engineering specialist Philip Cupitt. In Scotland, its key European patent attorneys include Richard Gibbs, Graham McGlashan, Andrew Docherty and Paul Chapman.

The 2018 rising stars David Grant, Mash-Hud Iqbal and Matthijs Branderhorst are now partners in the firm. Other newly promoted partners to watch are electronics specialist Esther Ford and chemistry specialist Jonathan Stafford, both of whom were noted as rising stars in 2017. This year's rising stars are David Murray, James Stott, Jennifer Bailey, Lara Sibley and Rhyan Probert. Other notable senior associates in the firm are former in-house practitioners Steven Gurney and Andrew Hartley. The firm's legal arm Marks & Clerk Solicitors rebranded as Marks & Clerk Law in April 2019.

In 2018, the patent practice welcomed Hazel Ford, Vicki Strachan and Peter Gray. Ford and Gray joined as partners while Strachan acts as counsel. European patent attorneys Andrew White and David Hobson are among the rising stars in the practice. Another notable associate is Miranda Kent. Notable departures are Peter Garratt, who has retired, and life sciences specialist Harvey Adams, who left to join a rival firm.

In 2019, the firm hired European patent attorney Gerold Fiesser from Herzog Fiesser & Partner to establish its new office in Munich. Fiesser, who co-founded Herzog Fiesser & Partner in 2010, brought along some patent colleagues including Giuditta Biagini, Lorraine Aleandri and Kirstin Wenck.

International IP firm Murgitroyd is recommended for patent protection and portfolio management work. The firm has a strong base and reputation in Scotland, where it operates from offices in Aberdeen and Glasgow. It has five offices in England, including two in London and a new one in Southampton thanks to its acquisition of Chapman IP in 2019. The firm also strengthened in other offices with new attorneys in Aberdeen, Munich and Milan. Mechanical engineering specialist Steven Suèr joined the Aberdeen office as a patent director. It has a large team of patent specialists to deal with inventions in a range of fields including engineering, life sciences and chemistry. Its key European patent attorneys in Scotland are Russell Thom, James Brown, Graham Murnane and John Cooper. Murnane is noted for his experience in EPO proceedings. Other notable patent attorneys in Scotland are Jamie Allan, Niall Hendry and Wendy Crosby, who heads the designs practice. Notable senior patent attorneys in England are Michael Marchant, Peter Wilson, Paul Andrews and Keith Jones. Elspeth Doyle is a rising star to watch. Lauris Kemp, a 2018 rising star, left the firm in 2019. Patent case studies show the team handled EPO proceedings on behalf of companies such as McCulloch Rail and BioMérieux.

Pinsent Masons' UK IP team is particularly experienced in dealing with patent disputes and regulatory matters in the life sciences sector. The firm is also recommended for IP transactions work. The key transactional IP lawyers in the firm are Cerys Wyn Davies, Allistair Booth and Samantha Livesey. Clare Tunstall leads the firm's IP practice. Tunstall is among the practitioners featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019). In patent disputes in England, Tunstall is supported by partners Charlotte Weekes, Christopher Sharp, Catherine Drew and Deborah Bould. IP dispute instructions in Scotland are led by litigation star Jim Cormack, who was appointed a QC in 2018. Cormack is supported by technology partner Chris Martin. The partners have a team of associates.

London-based associates Samantha Carter and Tamsin Cornwell are among the rising stars in the team. The team was bolstered by the arrival of Mark Marfé and Mario Subramaniam, both of whom joined in 2018 as senior associates. Marfé specialises in high-tech patent work while Subramaniam is into life sciences. Patent attorney Adrian Murray left the firm for an in-house role.

Case studies show the firm was involved in some of the important pharmaceutical patent cases in the English courts in recent years. The firm is well known for representing Teva in patent-related disputes; last year the firm acted for the company in its SPC dispute with Gilead Sciences over the drug Truvada. In 2018, the firm intervened on behalf of the British Generic Manufacturers Association and Medicines for Europe in the UK Supreme Court in the pregabalin patent dispute between Mylan and Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer), and it appeared before the apex court this year for Actavis Group PTC in the patent dispute with Eli Lilly & Company concerning the drug tadalafil. The firm has also shown that it can handle patent disputes outside the life sciences sector by representing Zyxel Communications in an internet technology dispute with TQ Delta.

Recent case studies show the patent team dealt with EPO oppositions on behalf of companies such as Eli Lilly and Company and Relypsa, and prosecuted important patents for the likes of Imperial Innovations and SenzaGen AB. The firm also represented companies in the medical devices, telecoms and electronics sectors. This year's patent attorney rising stars are Stockholm-based Chris Cadman, Sara Holland and Louise Robinson.

The firm welcomed Fiona Stevens and Peter Finnie as partners in December 2019. Finnie, who specialises in IT and telecoms patent work, is also recommended for IP commercialisation advice.

IP litigation boutique Powell Gilbert has featured in some of the most legally and technically complex patent disputes in the English courts in recent years. The firm won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) award for patent litigation in the UK. Patent stars such as Zoë Butler, Penny Gilbert, Simon Ayrton and Tim Powell lead patent dispute instructions in the firm. Gilbert is also featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019). The partners are supported by a strong team of associates and support staff. Joel Coles, Rajvinder Jagdev and Tom Oliver are among the rising stars to watch. The firm hired two new associates in 2018. David Lancaster, a 2018 rising star, left the firm in 2019.

Case studies show that the firm can put together a suitably qualified team for patent disputes in a number of technical fields and its partners are also experienced in coordinating pan-European patent litigation. The firm represented Illumina against Premaitha Health and Ariosa Diagnostics in a complex patent dispute concerning non-invasive prenatal testing technology and acted for Actavis Group in the UK Supreme Court in the pregabalin patent dispute with Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer). It also represented Huawei Technologies in the English Court of Appeal in a telecoms SEP dispute with Unwired Planet International.

Some of the notable developments in the practice in 2019 are as follows: James Agnew and Lydia Torne were recognised as rising stars; IP star and partner Richard Binns and Nicholas Fox left the firm; and Priya Nagpal was promoted to partner.

Allen & Overy's UK IP team is recommended for contentious and non-contentious soft IP work, including brand protection. In 2018, the firm appointed David Stone as its global head of IP following the departure of former head of IP Nicola Dagg. Stone, who also leads its trade mark practice, is one of the leading authorities in European design law and a deputy judge in the English High Court. Another notable IP partner in the team for soft IP work is Neville Cordell, who can also advise on copyright matters. Jim Ford and Nigel Parker are the key lawyers for IP-related transactions. The partners are supported by a team of associates, including 2018 rising stars Adrian Dykes and Jade MacIntyre. Alex Woolgar, who was also recognised as a rising star in the 2018 edition, has left the firm. The firm continues to grow its legal services centre in Belfast.

Baker McKenzie's UK IP team is highly recommended for trade mark and copyright work. Soft IP litigator Michael Hart leads its UK IP practice while Jessica Le Gros is in charge of trade marks. Steve Holmes, Sue McLean, Harry Small and Ben Allgrove are among the experienced lawyers in the practice for copyright and related rights advice. Allgrove, however, is the most prominent copyright lawyer. IP-related transactions can be handled by lawyers like Michelle Blunt. The partners are supported by a team of associates, most notably Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy and Julia Dickenson. 2018 rising star James Whymark left the firm for an in-house role. The firm's global chair Paul Rawlinson, who was recognised as an IP star in previous editions, passed away in April 2019.

Catherine Wiseman took over as the head trade mark following the retirement of Sarah Lait in June 2019. The firm won Managing IP's Patent and Trade Mark Attorney Firm of the Year (2019) award for trade mark prosecution work. In 2019, Rosanne Farmer, who was recognised as a rising star in 2018, was promoted to partner while rising star Rhian Banks left the firm.

Bird & Bird has a strong team for trade mark and copyright work in the UK. Its IP practice is led by patent stars Morag Macdonald, Katharine Stephens and Robert Williams. Mark Holah, Allan Poulter and Peter Brownlow are the key practitioners for trade mark protection and disputes. Phil Sherrell and IT law expert Graham Smith are recommended for copyright matters. Another notable lawyer in the firm for copyright advice is Eleonora Rosati, a well-known IP scholar who joined the firm as counsel in early 2019. Ewan Grist leads the firm's designs practice. The firm also has a dedicated IP transactions practice with experienced lawyers such as Craig Giles, Sally Shorthose and Tom Snaith. Giles advises clients in the sports and media sectors. Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard, who specialises in soft IP disputes; James Pearson, who focuses on IP transactions; and Patricia Collis, who deals with brand protection, are among the experienced junior IP practitioners in the firm.

Boult Wade Tennant continues to deliver top quality services in IP protection and portfolio management. John Wallace is the managing partner and head of trade mark/domain names practice. Trade mark instructions in the practice are led by long-established European trade mark attorneys such as Emma Pitcher, Catherine Wolfe, Felicity Hide, Tony Pluckrose and Rachel Conroy. The partners are supported by experienced junior trade mark attorneys such as Ai Ling Lim-Lee, Naomi Jenkins and Donna Trysburg. In January 2019, the firm opened another European office in Berlin, Germany, which is led by soft IP lawyer Michael C Maier.

The firm won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) award for trade mark disputes. In 2018, the firm opened its first international office in Brussels and its head of competition/regulatory practice Pat Treacy was appointed deputy High Court judge.

Trade mark case studies show the firm advises clients such as Boots, Goodyear Dunlop, and Marston’s. Nick Smee is a rising star to watch.

Following the departure of former CITMA President Kate O'Rourke in March 2019, the firm hired European trade mark attorney Charlotte Duly in November 2019 to lead its brand protection practice in London.

D Young & Co is highly recommended for trade mark protection and portfolio management work. Jeremy Pennant is a leading European trade mark attorney in the firm. Other notable senior trade mark attorneys are Jackie Johnson, Helen Cawley and Richard Burton. For soft IP disputes, clients can rely on lawyers like Tamsin Holman and Matthew Dick. Veteran IP litigator Ian Starr is still with the firm as a consultant. Flora Cook is a notable associate in the trade mark department. The firm strengthened its German practice by hiring trade mark lawyer Jana Bogatz as partner in its Munich IP office.

The firm strengthened its soft IP practice in 2018 by hiring Denton's former head of IP John Linneker. The team won Managing IP's Law Firm of the Year (2019) award for trade mark prosecution work. Amy Reynolds, who was ranked as a rising star in 2018, was promoted to partner in April 2019.

The firm won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) for designs work. George Sevier, who was recognised in the 2018 edition, left the firm for an in-house role at Dyson.

Harbottle & Lewis has a strong copyright and related rights practice in sectors such as entertainment, publishing and technology. The firm's IP team can also advise on trade mark issues. The team is led by IP partners such as Andy Millmore and Shireen Peermohamed. Millmore specialises in soft IP disputes. Another notable lawyer for disputes is Sandi Simons. Peter Armstrong, Jonathan Berger and Chloe Forsyth are key senior lawyers for non-contentious copyright and related right advice. Kostyantyn Lobov is one of the experienced IP litigation associates in the firm while Sharon Daboul is a key trade mark protection specialist. Alex Hardy, who was recognised as a rising star in 2018, is now a partner. Tony Ballard retired in 2018 and Jeremy Morton left the firm in February 2019.

HGF won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) award for IP prosecution work in Scotland. In the UK, the majority of its trade mark team is based in England. IP consultant Neil McKechnie and Rachel Denholm are the trade mark contacts in its Scottish practice. The firm's trade mark practice is led by David Potter while Martyn Fish is in charge of HGF Law, its legal practice. Trade mark attorney Jason Lumber is the firm's chairman. Stephanie Loeffler-Reading, Geoffrey Smith and Lee Curtis are among the experienced trade mark attorneys at the firm. The key senior lawyers for soft IP disputes include Marie McMorrow, Janet Knowles and Antony Gold. The partners are supported by a team of junior practitioners, notably Jennifer Good, Rebecca Field, Tom Nener and Liz Cooper. The firm continues to expand in size and presence in the UK and Europe: it merged with German IP firm Patronus IP in March 2019. Claire Hutchinson retired in 2018.

Trade mark case studies show the firm acts for companies such as AT&T, easyGroup and BlackBerry Limited. In 2019, the firm hired trade mark attorney Claudia Festen as a partner in its office in Amsterdam. Lindley was featured in Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP (2019).

International IP firm Marks & Clerk remains one of the leading firms for trade mark protection and portfolio management work in the UK. London-based European trade mark attorney Tom Farrand heads its trade marks practice. The practice consists of experienced European trade mark attorneys and IP lawyers. Some of its best known trade mark attorneys in England include Gareth Jenkins, Alison Melling, Michael Shaw and John Ferdinand. The Scottish trade mark team is led by Jenkins who is supported by experienced junior trade mark attorneys such as Janice Morrison and Jason Chester. Campbell Newell announced that he will retire in July 2019.

The firm's legal arm Marks & Clerk Solicitors rebranded as Marks & Clerk Law in April 2019. The trade mark practice of the law firm is led by Kirsten Gilbert. She is supported by experienced senior soft IP lawyers such as Gina Lodge and Vicky Butterworth. Lodge, who was also recognised in the 2018 edition, was promoted to partner in August 2018. Copyright specialist Luke Hill and transactions lawyer Simon Portman are notable associates to watch. The patent litigators in the firm who can also take on soft IP disputes include Michael Moore, who leads the designs practice, Charlie Balme and Dafydd Bevan.

Former Marks & Clerk partner Rebecca Tew joined the firm’s trade mark practice as counsel. Laura West is a rising star in the practice.

Murgitroyd is featured in the rankings for England & Wales and Scotland. This international IP firm, which is owned by Murgitroyd Group PLC, is well known for IP protection and portfolio management work. It has several offices in the UK and branches abroad, including in Finland and Ireland. The firm continues to grow in size and presence; for example, it recently acquired Southampton-based IP firm Chapman IP. Mark Hickey, who is based in London, heads up its trade mark practice while Wendy Crosby is head of designs. In its Scottish trade mark practice, the firm has experienced senior trade mark attorneys such as Christian Finn, Mike Vettese, Jacqueline McKay, Eleanor Coates and Anne Bashir; a notable junior trade mark attorney is Chris Cairns. In England, Dewdney Drew and Steve Waine are among the key senior trade mark practitioners while Helena Peat and Alison Wilson are notable junior practitioners.

Pinsent Masons is featured in the rankings for England & Wales and Scotland. The firm's IP practice is led by life sciences patent star Clare Tunstall, who is based in London. Iain Connor, who is also based in London, leads the soft IP practice. The firm recently hired a number of IP practitioners, including soft IP lawyer Florian Traub who leads its trade mark protection practice in the UK. Traub is based in London. Another notable lawyer in the firm is gaming specialist Diane Mullenex. For IP-related transactions, it has lawyers such as Samantha Livesey, Allistair Booth and Cerys Wyn Davies. All three commercial IP lawyers are based in England. Leading commercial litigator Jim Cormack and soft IP specialist David Woods are the key contacts for IP disputes in Scotland. Triona Desmond, Emily Swithenbank and Jo Alderson are rising junior IP practitioners to watch.

In 2018, the firm acquired the London-based IP firm Wildbore & Gibbons.

Reed Smith's IP team in the UK is very experienced in copyright and related rights issues, especially those affecting clients in the entertainment, media and technology sectors. The firm is also recommended for IP-related transactions and trade mark work. Stephen Edwards, Carolyn Pepper, Michael Skrein and Gregor Pryor are key IP contacts in its IP department. They are supported by other senior lawyers and associates, including Chloe Clift, Kimberley Beilin and Demelza Hassani. Another notable lawyer in the firm is consultant Nick Swimer, who specialises in broadcasting matters. The firm won a special Managing IP award in 2019 for its work in the landmark online trade mark infringement dispute, between Cartier International and BT, concerning website-blocking orders. Emma Lenthall has left the firm.

Alexandra Pygall was featured in Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP (2019) publication. In 2019, IP transactions lawyer Naomi Leach was promoted to partner and regulatory lawyer Cliodhna McDonough left the firm. Recent case studies show the firm advised clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, UCB Pharma and LEGO.

Stobbs IP is now an established UK boutique firm for trade mark work. Founder Julius Stobbs leads the firm with support from senior practitioners such as Chris Sleep, who was recognised as a rising star in the 2018 edition. The firm can handle trade mark protection and disputes work. Chris Hawkes, Richard Ferguson, Harpreet Dhaliwal and Emma Pettipher are among the experienced senior practitioners in the firm. Emma Reeve and Lewis Whiting are junior trade mark attorneys to watch. The firm strengthened its team in 2018 by hiring a number of trade mark attorneys, including Catherine Byfield, and lawyers such as Geoff Steward.

Taylor Wessing won Managing IP's Europe Trade Mark Firm of the Year (2019) award. The firm's UK IP team is respected by rivals in IP disputes. The team is also recommended for trade mark protection, IP transactions and copyright advice. The prominent trade mark lawyers in its UK IP department are Charles Lloyd, Mark Owen, Roland Mallinson, France Delord and Jason Rawkins. Owen heads the department while Mallinson and Delord are in charge of the brand management practice. Niri Shanmuganathan is recommended for copyright and related rights advice. For soft IP matters, the partners are supported by a team of experienced junior IP lawyers, including Adam Rendle, Jo Joyce, Timothy Pinto and Christopher Benson. Copyright specialist Paul Mitchell serves as a consultant. 2018 rising Tom Carl left the firm for an in-house role at NBCUniversal.

Boutique firm Wiggin is highly recommended for contentious and non-contentious soft IP matters, particularly copyright and trade mark work. Anna Carboni took over from Simon Baggs as head of IP. Baggs is also involved in the running of INCOPRO, an online IP protection service which has grown since its inception in 2012. Other notable IP litigators in the firm are Michael Browne, Rachel Alexander and Sara Ashby. The firm's trade mark protection practice is headed by Gurminder Panesar. Alexander Ross and Charles Moore are recommended for IP-related transactions in the entertainment and media sectors while Simon Chalkley is the leading all-round IP transactional lawyer in the firm. John Colbourn, Victoria Gyles and Katharine (Alexander) Hepburn are notable lawyers to watch. The team retained Managing IP's Firm of the Year award for copyright work in the UK.