United Kingdom (England) - Jurisdiction Review

Barker Brettell

Firm overview

Built on solid foundations dating back to 1891, today Barker Brettell is a modern and vibrant intellectual property (IP) practice, the cornerstone of which continues to be patents, trade marks and designs and copyright and, ultimately, putting IP on its clients’ board room agenda through IP strategy and management, and additional services such as IP audits and valuations.

The firm’s clients benefit from over 60 attorneys and trainee attorneys with a variety of academic backgrounds, as well as a large and highly regarded support network of paralegals and administrators. It’s UK practice, based in Birmingham and Southampton, is also supported by a team of attorneys in Sweden, which means the firm can offer a seamless and consistent service for clients in Europe and, in respect of trade marks, before the EUIPO.

Barker Brettell’s UK-based and international client portfolio spans independent inventors, start-ups, SMEs, universities, university tech transfer and spin-out organisations and other research institutions and government agencies as well as large, multi-national, global corporations.

When it comes to patents, Barker Brettell operates and has strength and depth in all of the major (and EPO recognised) technical fields (including Biotechnology, Computer implemented technology, Electronics & Semiconductors, Engineering & Manufacturing, Fintech, Life Sciences & Chemistry, Medical devices, Pharmaceuticals and Physics & Materials) and practice-wide, the firm overlays its technical expertise with a sector-focused approach that spans the Aerospace, Automotive, Computing & Software, Cosmetics, Energy, Food & Drink, Medical and Universities sectors.

Types of work undertaken:

Patents: Our patent team continues to acquire and support the procurement and management of over 1,700 new patent applications annually, with particular experience in managing intricate patent portfolios. One service that helps us stand out in the IP market is our ‘IP Valuation’ package: designed for clients considering M&A, investment, or floatation; optimizing tax-efficiency, or calculating royalties.

The firm's patent specialisms include pre-filing advice and patentability searches, invention mining and the drafting of applications for new inventions, the filing and prosecution of patent applications, advice on contentious issues, EPO opposition work, freedom-to-operate opinions, landscape searching, transactional work relating to licensing and IP-related due diligence and recently added IP valuations and audits.

The firm has a strong secondment program seconding patent attorneys to internal in-house patent departments.

Trade marks: We routinely handle filing and prosecuting of 2,700 trade marks annually, which we are confident exceeds many of our competitors. We tailor filing and enforcement strategies for clients, handling oppositions, revocations, cancellations, cease and desist letters, internet takedowns, company name and domain name complaints and customs actions. We are also experts in the negotiation of settlements.

From advising to enforcement, our trade mark practitioners have extensive experience in all trade mark aspects. Our team acts directly before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO); we continually rank among the top filers of UK trade marks (and formerly EU trade marks, until this work transferred to our Sweden office).

The firm's trade mark specialisms include IP strategy, the searching, filing and prosecution of applications, oppositions, cancellations, enforcement programmes, the negotiation of settlement agreements, renewals, assignments and licensing, domain name issues, internet takedown actions, customs and excise actions, due diligence exercises, portfolio management and counterfeiting issues.

Designs & Copyright: Designs continues to be a real specialism within Barker Brettell's practice, and the firm is routinely ranked as one of the highest filers of UK and EU designs of any UK firm. With much interplay between designs and other IP rights, its designs team comprises patent and trade mark attorneys who provide robust and cost-effective strategies for design protection. Over the years the firm has built a strong reputation for designs advice and strategy.

In addition to its core services, the firm has a strong oppositions and appeals record and offers additional services including IP audits and IP valuations.

Mewburn Ellis

Firm overview

Mewburn Ellis is the forward-looking European IP firm. We are a business that puts our clients, our people and our values at the heart of everything we do. It is what we believe makes us unique in the IP space.

With more than 150 years' experience in the IP profession, our focus is on providing clear, honest, strategic advice to maximise the potential of IP as an asset and so increase the value of our clients’ business. The result is a firm with a stellar national and international client list that builds strong and long-standing client relationships – over a third of our clients have worked with us for over 20 years. Our approach is always personal and client-focused. We work hard to ensure our clients benefit from “joined up” thinking when it comes to their IP strategy working alongside them as trusted partners in order to support their business ambitions and growth plans. We work at all stages of the IP lifecycle, from protecting IP to commercialisation, as well as dealing with disputes should they arise.

We have an international IP practice and work with some of the most innovative companies across the globe to advise on and positively influence their filing and prosecution strategies working hard to achieve a deep understanding of their commercial goals and long term vision. From household brands to dynamic start-ups across all industries and our clients are as diverse as the technical areas we cover.

With expertise spanning over 50 specialist technical areas we work across the entire chemistry, materials, engineering, ICT and life sciences sectors. We also have specialist expertise in SPC's and other Patent Term Extensions as well as Plant Variety Inventions.

Many of our patent attorneys have PhDs, and our clients always feel confident they are dealing with someone with a real technical understanding. Our qualified patent paralegals possess an in-depth understanding of the complexities of all aspects of the patent administrative process and provide exceptional client service.

We are committed to our ‘Forward Community Programme’ and being a good corporate citizen. We want to have a positive impact on our people, communities, and the planet in which we live. Our community programme has now been running for four years and has made tremendous change, and we have now given over £1 Million to good causes. You can see more about our community programme here: https://www.mewburn.com/community-giving. As a firm, we focus on Inclusion and Diversity, and it has become part of our culture. We started from the top with each member of our management board signing up to the IP Inclusive Senior Leader’s Pledge, as well as many of our people being recognised as diversity influentials and trailblazers. In addition, we actively support charities that are in line with our strategic I&D priorities. Sustainability is also an important focus for us. We work with many green clients who share the same values as us, as we continue to build on our own green credentials. We are proud to have been awarded the prestigious EcoVadis Platinum Medal in 2024. We are the world’s first Intellectual Property firm to receive this medal, which is the highest rating you can earn in sustainable business practices.

We are recognised for the quality of our people and we devote considerable energy and resources into developing them. We foster a continuous learning environment that is accessible to all and integrated into our day-to-day life. Our open learning culture is all inclusive, regardless of the stage that people are at in their career we strive to ensure that innovation and success is perpetuated and shared. Investment in our people is key for us and it’s our commitment to sharing knowledge, insights and best practice that makes a Mewburn-trained attorney an excellent attorney.

HGF

Firm overview

HGF is one of Europe’s largest firms of IP specialists. With a dynamic and forward-thinking growth strategy, the firm is one of the few to offer clients a fully integrated IP solution, bringing together over 190 patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, and IP solicitors. The firm has 25 offices throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Austria.

HGF is already one of the leading firms in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe in terms of its national reach, volume of Patent Cooperation Treaty and EU trademark 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. This has been reflected in accolades such as a continued listing in the Financial Times Leading Law Firm and winning 7 awards at the Managing IP Awards 2025.

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

Marks & Clerk Law

Firm overview

Marks & Clerk is one of the UK’s largest, and longest established, intellectual property firms. Our expert teams of patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers are wired directly into the UK’s innovation economies via our offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Alongside our presence in the UK, we also have offices in nine international locations covering the EU, Canada and Asia, meaning we can tap into local expertise, globally.

Our team provides a full-service IP offering, from the initial filing of IP, through to litigation and commercial exploitation. Having seen the benefits that our clients derive from our full-service model, a number of patent attorney firms have since sought to follow a similar approach by adding solicitors to their teams. However, our well-established and highly regarded litigation and commercial transactions practices continue to set us apart from other firms.

We are experts not only in intellectual property law, but also in the science and technology that underpins our clients’ businesses. Our ability to draw upon this specialist technical expertise, not just in the context of patent prosecution but also in the context of litigation and commercial transactions, enables us to provide clients with a level of service and reach unmatched by other firms.

IP STARS Reviews

Abion

Abion is recommended for trade mark and domain names protection work. The firm has grown its IP business in recent years through lateral hires and IP firm acquisitions.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Azhar Sadique, Kane Ridley, Chris Sleep, and Mark Hickey.

Follow MIP’s coverage of Abion here.

Appleyard Lees

Appleyard Lees is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management. It is one of the traditional patent and trade mark attorney firms in the UK that has a legal practice. The firm has European patent attorneys in technical fields such as biotechnology, electronics, chemistry, and computer technology.

Notable patent attorneys: Richard Bray, Dick Waddington, Bobby Smithson, Paul Beynon, Julia Gwilt, Ean Davies, Barbara Fleck, and David Walsh.

Notable trade mark attorneys: David Moy, Graham Johnson and Paul Brandon.

Notable lawyers: Chris Hoole, Amritjot Jethwa, and Robert Cumming.

Baker McKenzie

Global law firm Baker McKenzie has an IP practice in the UK. Its UK IP team is recommended for trade mark, copyright and IP transactions work.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Jessica Le Gros and Rachel Wilkinson Duffy.

Notable copyright lawyers: Ben Allgrove and John Groom.

Notable transactional IP lawyers: Steve Holmes, Sue McLean, and Natalie Ellerby.

Barker Brettell

Birmingham-based patent and trade mark attorney firm Barker Brettell is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management. The firm has experienced patent attorneys for areas such as mechanical engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, medical devices, computer technology, and electronics.

Notable patent attorneys: Andy Tranter, John Lawrence, Alan Wilson, Yvonne Johnson, Lucy Trueman, Jennifer Atkinson, David Combes, Carrie Duckworth, and Nicholas Braddon.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Rosalyn Newsome, Ian Pearce, Rosanne Farmer, Catherine Wiseman, Lucy Walker, and Tracy Arch.

Bear & Wolf IP

Bear & Wolf is a boutique that specialises in trade marks and brands. The firm has an office in Denmark to deal with EU trade mark work.

Notable practitioners: Mark Heritage and Simon Tracey.

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird is one of the leading law firms in the UK for contentious and non-contentious IP work. It is often involved in high-profile IP disputes in the UK. The firm is also recommended in European jurisdictions such as France and Germany, making it one of the most reliable firms for pan-European IP litigation. It also has a representative US office in San Francisco, California. The firm has experienced lawyers that can handle patent litigation in different fields, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and telecommunications.

Notable patent litigators: Patrick Kelleher, Jane Mutimear, Richard Vary, Mark Hilton, Morag Macdonald, and Katharine Stephens.

Notable trademark practitioners: Emma Green, Allan Poulter, Christine Danos, Peter Brownlow, and Mark Holah.

Notable IP transaction lawyers: Sally Shorthose and Tom Snaith.

Notable copyright and design practitioners: Ewan Grist, Christine Danos, Rebecca O’Kelly-Gillard, and Phil Sherrell.

The soft IP team is supported by copyright scholar Eleonora Rosati. Ewan Grist is an all-rounder in IP litigation.

Boult Wade Tennant

Boult Wade Tennant is highly recommended for IP protection and portfolio management. Market commentators respect the firm because of its experienced practitioners as well as its working culture, stability, and business strategy.

The firm has European patent attorneys to advise on inventions and patents in areas such as computer technology, renewable energy, mechanical engineering, medical devices, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Its trade mark team is highly regarded in the market.

Notable patent attorneys: Jonathan Palmer, James Legg, Michelle Pratt, Nina White, Adrian Hayes, Tessa Bucks, Alex Frost, Simon Kahn, Neil Thomson, Daryl Penny, Matt Spencer, Daniel Weston, and Rohan Setna.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Rachel Conroy, Emma Pitcher, Catherine Wolfe, and Felicity Hide.

Brandsmiths

Brandsmiths is well known for its expertise in trade mark litigation. The firm has appeared in several trade mark cases, including some that reached the appellate courts. The team can also handle trade mark filing, office proceedings, and other soft IP disputes.

Notable soft IP lawyers: Andrew Lee, Michael Forrester, Stephen Lowry, and Tom Keane.

Browne Jacobson

Browne Jacobson is a full-service UK law firm with an active IP practice. The firm is recommended for soft IP, especially trade marks, and IP transactions.

Notable IP lawyers: Declan Cushley, Ciaran Markey, Mark Daniels, and Darragh Killeen.

Notable commercial IP lawyers: Selina Hinchliffe, Nick Smee, Emma Roake, Cat Driscoll (née Harrison), Paula Dumbill, and Giles Parsons.

D Young & Co

D Young & Co is one of the leading UK firms for IP filing, office proceedings and portfolio management work. In patents, the firm is particularly respected by rivals for its technical expertise in life sciences, electronics, and engineering. As one of the pioneers of a one-stop shop for IP services, the firm has maintained its legal practice with a team of lawyers. The firm also has a team in Munich, Germany.

Notable patent practitioners: Anthony Albutt, David Alcock, Jonathan Jackson, Jonathan DeVile, Simon O'Brien, Garreth Duncan, Robbie Berryman, Rachel Bateman, and Alan Boyd. Albutt is among its patent attorneys with litigation qualification.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Gemma Kirkland, Jackie Johnson and Richard Burton.

Notable lawyers: Tamsin Holman, Oscar Webb, Anna Reid and Matthew Dick.

EIP

IP firm EIP is recommended for patent protection and litigation work. The firm’s patent litigation activities in the UK have cemented its reputation as one of the best firms for electronics patent work. In addition to its hi-tech patent expertise, the firm has experienced European patent attorneys for engineering, biotechnology, and chemistry work. It has expanded its footprint in recent years, with offices in the United States, Sweden and Germany.

Notable patent litigators: Gary Moss, Andrew Sharples, Kathleen Fox Murphy, Tom Brazier, and Robert Lundie Smith.

Notable patent attorneys: Laurence Brown, Colin Lobban, Jerome Spaargaren, Matt Lawman, Monika Rai, Richard Gordon-Brown, Darren Smyth, and Gareth Probert.

Patent litigation supremo Moss now serves as the firm's chairman, while Sharples and Smith co-lead the UK litigation practice. Sharples is dually qualified as a patent attorney and solicitor.

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher is best known for its expertise in soft IP. The firm is recommended for trade mark protection, dispute resolution, and advisory services related to copyright and IP transactions. The firm also has experienced lawyers in other departments, including media and technology, who can provide guidance on copyright and related rights issues.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Hastings Guise, Amy Reynolds and Harriet Seymour. Guise is dually qualified as a solicitor and a trade mark attorney.

Notable soft IP litigators: Nick Rose, James Seadon, and Tommy McKenna.

Notable IP transaction practitioners: Gordon Drakes, David Bond, Sonal Patel Oliva and Vicky Reinhardt.

Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner

US-headquartered IP firm Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garret & Dunner has a European patent practice, with teams in the UK and Germany. The partners in the London office are supported by a team of associates and technical specialists. The team has expertise in fields such as ICT, electronics and pharmaceuticals. The firm's UK practice is recognised for patent prosecution.

Notable patent practitioners: Maeve O’Flynn, Darren M Jiron, Luigi Distefano, Yelena Morozova, and Amanda K Murphy.

Notable trade mark practitioner: Clare A Cornell.

Gill Jennings & Every

Gill Jennings & Every is one of the leading UK IP firms for patent prosecution and portfolio management work. The firm is also recommended for trade marks. It acquired patent attorney firm Beresford Crump in 2019, a move which expanded its practice. The firm’s patent expertise covers technical fields such as biotechnology, computer technology, chemistry, and engineering.

Notable patent attorneys: Matthew Hoyles, Lucy Samuels, Alistair Holzhauer-Barrie, John Fisher, Peter Arrowsmith, Arnie Clarke, Michael Lord, John Jappy and Stephen Haley.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Alasdair MacQuarrie, Luca Colombo, and Edward Carstairs.

Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG is highly recommended for IP disputes and transactions in the UK. The firm has patent litigators with expertise in the hi-tech and life sciences sectors. It is among the few law firms with a notable design litigation practice. The firm is also recommended for trade mark protection work.

Notable patent litigators: Alexandra Brodie, Paul Inman, Seiko Hidaka, Huw Evans, and Michael Carter.

Notable soft IP lawyers: John Coldham, Kate Swaine, and Dan Smith.

Notable IP transaction lawyers: Luke Kempton, Patrick Duxbury, and Sharmela Kalmer.

Greaves Brewster

Greaves Brewster is recommended for patent protection work. The firm has experienced patent attorneys for technical fields such as chemistry, medical devices, engineering, and biotechnology. Some of its patent attorneys have in-house experience. The firm can also deal with trade mark protection instructions.

Notable patent attorneys: Jakob Bumke, Rachel Wallis, Lee Chapman, and David Spinner.

Notable trade mark attorney: Corinna Hiscox.

Haley Guiliano

Haley Guiliano has an IP practice in the UK. Its patent attorneys have expertise in semiconductors, engineering, and biotechnology. They collaborate with their colleagues in the US.

Notable patent attorneys: Peter Hale and Andy Hilton.

Case studies show patent assertion advice, prosecution, and EPO proceedings.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills and US law firm Kramer Levin Naftal & Frankel merged in 2025 to become Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. The firm is highly recommended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent litigation in the UK.

Notable patent litigators: Sebastian Moore, Andrew Moir, Jonathan Turnbull, Andrew Wells, Peter Dalton, and Emily Bottle.

HGF

HGF maintains its position in the UK market as one of the leading firms for IP protection and portfolio management. The firm has expanded in the UK and across Europe in the past few years. It secured private equity investment in 2024 to drive its growth strategy.

In the UK, most of the firm’s IP practitioners are based in England. It has a large team of patent attorneys covering a range of technical fields, including engineering, chemistry, life sciences and electronics. The firm also has a strong trade mark practice and offers dispute resolution and commercial IP services through its sister law firm, HGF Law.

Notable patent attorneys: Christopher Benson, Kate Taylor, Andrew Wells, Chris Moore, Hsu Min Chung, Vanessa Stainthorpe, Jennifer Uno, and Richard Jenkins.

Notable trade mark attorneys: David Potter, Stephanie Loeffler-Reading, Jonathan Thurgood, Geoffrey Smith, and Lee Curtis.

Notable lawyers: Martyn Fish, Rachel Fetches, Janet Knowles, and Marie McMorrow. Knowles specialises in IP transactions. Fish is the firm’s CEO.

Follow MIP’s coverage of HGF here.

J A Kemp

J A Kemp is a long-established patent and trade mark attorney firm that is highly recommended for IP protection and portfolio management. The firm has an excellent reputation in chemistry, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, but it also has experienced teams for electronics, software and engineering patent work. Its European patent attorneys are respected for their expertise in drafting and office proceedings.

Notable patent practitioners: Pamela Tuxworth, Dominic Forsythe, Amanda Simons, Ravi Srinivasan, Mark Roberts, John Leeming, Graham Lewis, Toby Hopkin, and Martin Jackson.
Notable lawyers: Aaron Newell, John Hornby, and James Fish.
Notable trademark practitioners: Tom Albertini, Ben Mooneapillay and Charlotte Stirling.

Fish is in charge of the the trade mark and designs department. The senior practitioners are supported by a team of associates, trainees, and support staff.

Kilburn & Strode

Kilburn & Strode is a top-tier patent and trade mark attorney firm. Unlike some of its rivals, the firm remains dedicated to the business of IP protection and portfolio management. The UK team collaborates with its growing team in the Netherlands for EU trade mark work. It has a liaison office in California, United States.

Its patent attorneys are respected for their drafting work and skill in IP office proceedings. The firm's technical coverage is broad, but market commentators pick out electronics, life sciences, chemistry, and engineering as strong practice areas.

Notable patent attorneys: Richard Howson, Gwilym Roberts, Nick Bassil, Nick Lee, Elizabeth Crooks, Gareth Fennell, Nick Shipp, and Robin Lloyd.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Rowena Tolley, Ben Scarfield, Ryan Pixton and Iain Stewart.

Marks & Clerk

International IP firm Marks & Clerk needs no introduction in the field of IP filing and portfolio management. It has a large team of patent and trade mark attorneys across England and Scotland. The firm offers dispute resolution and commercial IP services through its sister law firm, Marks & Clerk Law.

The firm has a large team of patent practitioners across the UK in several technical fields, including engineering, computer technology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, life sciences, and medical devices.

Notable patent attorneys in England: Kirsteen Gordon, Andrea Williams, Will Arends, Daniel Talbot-Ponsonby, David Robinson, Will Nieuwenhuys, Thomas Prock, Jonathan Stafford, Mike Williams, and Philip Cupitt.

Notable patent attorneys in Scotland: Tim Hargreaves, Tomas Karger, Andrew Docherty, Richard Gibbs, Graham McGlashan, Pamela Bryer, Mairi Rudkin, and David Murray.

Notable trade mark attorneys in England: Esther Gottschalk, Samantha Collins, Gareth Jenkins, Michael Shaw, and John Ferdinand.

Notable trade mark attorney in Scotland: Janice Morrison.

Notable soft IP lawyers: Kirsten Gilbert and Hannah Finster.

Notable patent litigators: Mike Gilbert, Dafydd Bevan, and Charlie Balme. Balme and Bevan also deal with soft IP disputes.

Maucher Jenkins

In 2016, UK IP firm RGC Jenkins & Co merged with German IP firm Maucher Börjes to form Maucher Jenkins. The firm also has offices in Switzerland and China. It is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management work and has strong expertise in telecommunications, computer technology, life sciences, and engineering.

Notable patent attorneys: James Cross, Michael Jaeger, Stuart Rowlands, Fiona Kellas, Philip Treeby, Holly Whitlock, and Reuben Jacob. Cross and Treeby are also qualified to conduct court litigation.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Katie Cameron and Tanya Buckley.

Mewburn Ellis

Mewburn Ellis is highly recommended for patent protection and portfolio management work, especially in life sciences and chemistry. The firm also has expertise in ICT and engineering. The firm has recently invested in its patent litigation practice, adding to its team of patent attorneys who are also qualified to conduct court litigation. Its trade mark team is also recommended.

Notable patent attorneys: Richard Clegg, Richard Johnson, Jeremy Webster, Graeme Moore, Simon Kiddle, Emily Hayes, Matthew Naylor, Nick Sutcliffe, Chris Denison, Stephen Gill, Simon Parry, and Robert Watson.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Andy King, Rebecca Anderson-Smith, and Jacqueline Pang.

Notable lawyers: Sean Jauss, Kate O’Rourke, Camilla Balleny, and Amy Crouch.

Jauss, who leads the legal practice, handles patent disputes and transactions.

Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya is recommended for IP disputes and trade mark protection work. It also has a team that deals with IP licensing work.

Notable IP litigators: David Rose, Gareth Dickson, Angela Fox and Campbell Forsyth.
Notable trade mark practitioners: Jeremy Herzog, Louisa Dixon and Sally Britton.
Notable IP transaction lawyer: Lewis Cohen and Patrick Farrant.

The partners are supported by a team of junior practitioners, including Rising Stars Dominic Walsh and Richard Parsons. Rose is an all-round IP litigator. Forsyth, who also serves as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division, specialises in patent litigation. Fox is a thought leader on litigation in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Morgan Lewis & Bockius is now recommended for patent litigation in the UK, thanks to the experienced patent litigators that joined the firm’s London office in 2024. The firm was already known for its trade mark practice in the UK.

Notable patent litigators: Tim Powell and Hiroshi Sheraton.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Nick Bolter and Martin Henshall.

Follow MIP’s coverage of the firm here.

Murgitroyd

International IP firm Murgitroyd is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management work in the UK. Read our review about the firm here.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke is a full-service law firm with a growing IP practice in the UK. The firm's reputation in the market has gone beyond soft IP and transactions – it is now recognised for patent disputes in the life sciences and technology sectors.

Notable patent litigators: Arty Rajendra, Trevor Crosse, Tim Harris and Will James.

Notable soft IP lawyers: John Linneker, Jonathan Davidson-Kelly, Richard May and Robert Guthrie.

Notable IP transaction lawyers: Tamara Quinn and Mathilda Davidson.

Follow MIP’s coverage of the firm here.

Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons is recommended for contentious and non-contentious IP work in the UK. It is best known in the market for its IP work, especially patent and SPC litigation, in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.

Amsterdam-based patent litigator Judith Krens and Birmingham-based soft IP lawyer Tom Nener lead the firm's global IP practice, while Charlotte Weekes is in charge of the life sciences practice.

Notable patent practitioners: Charlotte Weekes, James Marshall, Christopher Sharp, Gareth Morgan, Kristina Cornish, Tracey Roberts, and Catherine Drew.
Notable soft IP practitioners: Tom Nener and Florian Traub.
Notable IP transactional lawyers: Cerys Wyn Davies, Jo Alderson, Allistair Booth, and Gina Bicknell.

Potter Clarkson

Potter Clarkson is renowned for life sciences patent work in the patent office, but it also covers other technical fields such as chemistry, mechanics, and computer technology. Some of its patent attorneys also hold litigation qualifications.

The firm has made significant progress in its European expansion strategy, with new offices in Denmark and Sweden. The firm strengthened its trade marks practice in 2018 by acquiring the London-based IP firm Wildbore & Gibbons, a move which increased the number of IP Stars and trade mark practitioners in the firm. Its dispute resolution and commercial team, established in 2016, continues to be involved in IP disputes.

In March 2022, the firm announced its partnership with law firm Westerberg & Partners to handle patent litigation before the Unified Patent Court.

Notable patent attorneys: David Carling, Fiona (Stevens) Law, Peter Finnie, Deborah Maxwell, Sara Holland, Stephen Smith, Caroline Marshall, Charlotte Crowhurst, Michael Pears, Daniel Hudson, Mark Didmon, Simon Curtis, and Richard Bassett.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Cameron Malone-Brown, Emmy Hunt, and Sarah Talland.

Notable lawyers: Mark Kramer, Dave Holt, Mark Snelgrove, Nick McDonald, Richard Roberts, and Oliver Laing. Kramer leads the firm's litigation and licensing practice in London. Snelgrove specialises in commercial IP work.

Powell Gilbert

IP litigation boutique Powell Gilbert has featured in some of the most legally and technically complex patent disputes in the English courts. It is also one of the most experienced UK firms for UPC litigation, with offices in Ireland and Düsseldorf. The firm is highly recommended for patent disputes, especially in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. The firm also has patent litigation experts for SEP and FRAND disputes.

Notable patent litigators: Zoë Butler, Penny Gilbert, Simon Ayrton, Peter Damerell, Bethan Hopewell, Siddharth Kusumakar, Joel Coles, Ari Laakkonen, Tim Whitfield, and Alex Wilson.

Reddie & Grose

Reddie & Grose is a well-established IP firm in the UK. The firm is recommended for patent and trade mark protection and management work. Its patent attorneys are experienced in drafting, prosecution and office proceedings work in technical fields such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, software, biotechnology and engineering.

One unique thing about the firm is that several of its patent attorneys can also protect and manage trade marks.

Notable patent attorneys: Philip Bates, Paul Loustalan, Julie Millburn, Michael Roberts, Robert Sackin, Pete Sadler, Neil Thornton, Alan Bates, Nick Reeve, Will Ponder, Ian Loveless, and Robin Ellis.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Dale Carter, Alice Findlay, Tom Sharman, and Helen Wakerley.

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons is a full-service international firm with a UK IP team that can deal with IP protection, transactions, and disputes. It is among the few law firms in the UK that have a patent attorney team. Its patent and transactional practice covers biotechnology, chemistry, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.

Notable patent litigators: Priya Nagpal and Scott Parker.

Notable patent attorneys: Kevin Cordina and Frederick Nicolle.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Marisa Broughton, John Slater, and Darren Meale.

Notable IP transaction lawyers: Lydia Torne, Michael Gavey, Angus McLean, and Joel Smith.

Stobbs IP

Stobbs IP specialises in trade marks. The firm understands the lifecycle of brands, with specialists who can advise on brand protection strategy, management, commercialisation, and disputes. The firm can also deal with other soft IP areas such as designs. In 2021, the firm entered into an IP work partnership with EIP.

Notable soft IP practitioners: Chris Hawkes, Richard Ferguson, Louise Goodsell, Emma Pettipher, Claire Breheny, Esther Jolley, Caspar Rebling, Harriet Berridge, and Julius Stobbs.

Follow MIP’s coverage of the firm here.

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing is a leading law firm in the UK for contentious and non-contentious work. The firm is present in all sorts of patent disputes, including those concerning medical devices, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. The firm can handle both trade mark filing and disputes work, and its transactional expertise covers various sectors. The copyright practice spans traditional and digital copyright-based industries.

Notable patent litigators: Nigel Stoate, Simon Cohen, Chris Thornham, Amanda Ebbutt, Matthew Royle, Michael Washbrook, and Tom Foster.

Notable trade mark practitioners: Mark Owen, Jason Rawkins, Roland Mallinson, Giles Crown, France Delord, Anneka Dalton, and Alison Cole.

Notable copyright lawyers: Adam Rendle, Xuyang Zhu, Niri Shanmuganathan, and Timothy Pinto.

Notable IP transaction lawyers: Alison Dennis, Adrian Toutoungi, Colin McCall, and Tasmina Goraya.

Venner Shipley

Venner Shipley is highly recommended for IP protection and management work. The firm has patent teams for technical fields such as electronics, engineering, software, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. The firm’s practice, especially for trade marks, expanded in late 2020 thanks to the merger with UK IP firm Brookes IP. The firm further expanded in 2024 following its merger with AA Thornton, a UK IP firm that was previously ranked for IP disputes and prosecution.

Notable patent attorneys: Jan Walaski, Siân Gill, Allie Elend, Pawel Piotrowicz, Peter Thorniley, Tim Russell, Alex Brown, Richard Kennedy, Kirsty Dolphin, Paul Derry, Simon Taor, and Anton Hutter.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Clare Turnbull, Jane Martin, and Yoann Rousseau.

Notable lawyers: David Birchall, Geoff Hussey and Dan Byrne.

Brown is the go-to attorney for design protection, while Taor is experienced in SEP matters. Thorniley leads the firm’s UPC practice. Birchall is a non-practising solicitor.

Walker Morris

UK law firm Walker Morris has an IP practice that focuses on trade mark work in sectors such as FMCG, retail, leisure, manufacturing, sports, and healthcare.

Notable IP practitioners: Alan Harper, Matthew Lingard, and Sarah Williams.

Withers & Rogers

Withers & Rogers is among the well-established IP firms in the UK market. The firm also has offices in Paris, France, and Munich, Germany. The firm is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management. In patents, the firm has experienced patent attorney teams to deal with inventions and patents in sectors such as renewable energy, defence, automotive, computer technology, robotics, and medical technology.

Notable patent attorneys: Joanna Thurston, Richard Worthington, Ben Palmer, Diego Black, Chris Froud, James Gray, Bethan Halliwell, Nicola Anderson, Helen Henderson, Gemma McGeough, Chris Range, and Russell Edson.

Notable trade mark attorneys: Fiona McBride and Mark Caddle.