Ireland

Firm overview

FRKelly, as the largest Intellectual Property firm in Ireland, specialises in filing, prosecution and opposition work before the EPO and the EUIPO. With over 90 years of experience, FRKelly is widely acknowledged as one of the top pre-eminent Intellectual Property law firms in Ireland and Europe.

FRKelly has offices in Ireland (Dublin and Cork) and the United Kingdom, employing 70 people, of which 30 are Intellectual Property practitioners.

The firm combines a reputable heritage with a pioneering vision and understands the value of innovation to an economy, representing many start-ups, entrepreneurs and research institutions, including Irish, UK and US universities.

While popular among domestic entities, the firm’s long-standing legacy has garnered an established international network, with more than half of its clients availing of its expertise from abroad, particularly prestigious US multinationals.

FRKelly has a strong affinity with a broad spectrum of sectors from life sciences, cleantech and medical devices to software, ICT and engineering.

Our Life Sciences Patents practice consists of 8 attorneys, including 6 Ph. D. qualified, and is led by Dr. Maura O’Connell, current Managing Partner. With over 20 years of experience, Maura specialises in oral hearings, oppositions and appeals, before the European Patent Office.

The ICT and Engineering Patents practice comprises 11 qualified patent attorneys, of which 2 are chartered engineers and 2 chartered physicists and is lead by David Brophy who also specializes in Design Law.

FRKelly have an extensive Trade Mark practice. Our Trade Mark Attorneys possess considerable  experience and an in-depth knowledge and understanding on all aspects of trade mark protection, with a particular focus on areas such as Food & Drinks, Entertainment, Marketing, Exports, and FCMG.

Shane Smith and Niamh Hall, two of our Trade Mark partners have also co-authored the book “Intellectual Property Law in Ireland (Dec 2016, 4th Edition)” which was nominated as law book of the year 2017.

We combine established expertise with a personalised approach to provide you with practical and effective legal advice, tailored to the needs of your business.

Firm overview

Murgitroyd is a rapidly growing firm with innovation at its heart.

For nearly 50 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.

Firm overview

A&L Goodbody is consistently ranked as the leading Intellectual Property (IP) law firm in Ireland. We advise on all aspects of creating, exploiting, protecting and enforcing IP. Our areas of expertise include patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, passing off, confidentiality, trade secrets, database rights and contractual rights.

Our clients are the world's leading technology companies, pharma companies, financial institutions and telecoms operators. Our team has broad experience on contentious IP matters and our team regularly litigates IP matters before the Irish and European courts.

Our strategic and pragmatic advice is aimed at helping clients maximise and protect their brands, ideas and technologies. Our team is made up of lawyers who have international IP experience, allowing us to advise on complex IP strategy and litigation including:

• Patents
• IP Litigation
• Commercial IP
• Direct Marketing

Other locations
Belfast, London, New York, San Francisco

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:

• Xarelto litigations was named an ‘Impact Case of the Year’ at LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2024
• Impact Case of the Year - Sandoz and Teva vs Britsol-Myers Squibb (Managing IP Awards 2024)
• EMEA Patent Litigation Firm of the Year: Pharmaceuticals (LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2023)
• UK Firm of the Year (LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2023)
• Impact Case of the Year – Fingolimod (LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2023)
• Impact Case of the Year – Flynn Pharma (LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2023)
• Impact Case of the Year – Neurim Pharmaceuticals, MIP Awards 2023
• 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)