Intellectual Property

We have a full service team and advise start-ups, small to medium sized businesses as well as large international companies.

Copyright protects a whole range of original materials including written materials, software, artistic materials, models, music and dramatic works. It arises automatically without the need for registration in most countries and protects these materials from unauthorised copying.

Design rights are different and are in respect of the appearance of any product or the shape or configuration of any article.

We have the experience and expertise to provide commercially focused solutions and can help your business to identify such rights, ensure they are owned by the correct entity, properly protected, and to obtain a true benefit realised by sale, assignment or licensing.

We regularly advise on the protection and enforcement of all forms of intellectual property rights against unauthorised use or abuse by others. Often our work has included an international dimension.

We have an experienced team who have acted in cases involving breach of confidence, ownership and licensing disputes to copyright, patent and trademark infringement, opposition proceedings and revocation and invalidity actions.

Our experience is in a variety of dispute forums and not just bringing or defending legal proceedings, such as injunctions in our national courts or dealing with any opposition of patents and trademarks at UKIPO or EUIPO. We have also resolved disputes through pre-action correspondence and by using alternative dispute resolution, and arbitration.

Whatever the issue our specialist team have the commercial approach and technical knowledge to give you the strategic and tactical advice and support you need.

Our broad client base means that we have acted in a variety of innovative and research driven sectors that use or create inventions. In such cases, we draw upon the legal knowledge that our lawyers have in this technical area and also work closely with a number of specialist patent attorneys.  

We have experience on the structure, negotiation and drafting of collaboration and licencing agreements to ensure ownership and shared rights are protected at each stage of any research and development process.

We can also guide you through protecting your investment and innovation and help develop it into a commercial product.

Our team has acted for a variety of clients who differ in both size and sector interest and we understand the need to take the right approach to branding.

We carry out availability searches and file and prosecute trademarks as well as provide the strategic advice how to safeguard your trademark and reduce the risk in being involved in any intellectual property dispute.

We also advise on releasing brand value which might be through a sale, joint venture, franchise or licence.  

In addition to advising on the protection and benefit to be obtained from a trademark, we also have relationships with trade mark attorneys, both in the UK and internationally, who can advise on the registration of your trademarks worldwide.