UK Trademark Rankings 2024
WIPR Insights is pleased to announce its first UK Trademarks Rankings of leading firms and practitioners.
A key theme of the research was the growing indistinction between trademark attorneys and lawyers. While historically the divide was more explicit, attorneys and lawyers both report the diversity of firms acting opposite them in trademark matters. The table reflects this, featuring traditional full-service law firms, boutique IP specialists and attorney firms.
A number of individuals listed are dual-qualified as both an attorney and solicitor, and many attorneys specialise in contentious registry matters or have enhanced litigation rights before the UK courts, further blurring the lines between the two professions.
Brand owners in the UK are facing ongoing challenges as the effects of Brexit linger and unregulated representatives, often from China, dominate the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO).
In 2023, the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) raised an eyebrow at the top trademark filing representatives in the UK, as unregulated Chinese entities took first and third place, with Stobbs IP as the only legitimate representative in the top three. Firms report the delays caused and additional costs to clients and, alongside CITMA, have urged the UKIPO to investigate the problem.
Firms are keenly aware of developing technology and internally are developing tools to streamline processes, including Simmons & Simmons which has created an AI trademark lawyer, Rocketeer.
Externally, firms are becoming more familiar with clients in AI, NFTs, the Metaverse and Cryptocurrency. Increasingly, the market is seeing non-technology clients looking for protection and potentially planning to enter the digital asset spaces.
Arguably the most mentioned case of the year was the Sky v Skykick matter, the result of which could change the playing field for brands registering trademarks in broad goods and services. The seven-year long case reached the Supreme Court in July to determine whether the broadcaster’s monopoly on the word SKY in multiple categories can be considered bad faith. Sky is represented by Mishcon de Reya, and Skykick, a cloud software company, is represented by Fieldfisher. The matter continued into 2024.
Firms
Outstanding
Individuals
Sally Britton, Mishcon de Reya
James Fish, J A Kemp
Mark Holah, Bird & Bird
Alistair Gay, Keltie
Darren Meale, Simmons & Simmons
Kate O'Rourke, Mewburn & Ellis
Tony Pluckrose, Boult Wade Tennant
Allan Poulter, Bird & Bird
Iain Stewart, Kilburn & Strode
Julius Stobbs, Stobbs IP
Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, Baker McKenzie
Catherine Wolfe, Boult Wade Tennant
Highly Recommended
Nick Bolter, Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Anna Brackenbury, CMS
Michael Browne, Wiggin
Edward Carstairs, Gill Jennings & Every
Roy Crozier, Ionic Legal
Peter Dawson, Wiggin
Charlotte Duly, D Young & Co
Louise Goodsell, Stobbs IP
Felicity Hide, Boult
Andy King, Mewburn Ellis
Hastings Guise, Fieldfisher
Claire Lehr, Edwin Coe
Manuela Macchi, Keltie
Alasdair MacQuarrie, Gill Jennings & Every
Eleanor Merrett, CMS
Giles Parsons, Browne Jacobson
Charlotte Stirling, J A Kemp
Rowena Tolley, Kilburn & Strode
Giovanni Visintini, Troutman Pepper Locke
Catherine Wiseman, Barker Brettel
Sarah Wright, CMS
Clare Turnball, Venner Shipley
Anna Brackenbury, CMS
Michael Browne, Wiggin
Edward Carstairs, Gill Jennings & Every
Peter Dawson, Wiggin
Charlotte Duly, Charles Russell Speechlys
Louise Goodsell, Stobbs IP
Felicity Hide, Boult Wade Tennant
Andy King, Mewburn & Ellis
Hastings Guise, Fieldfisher
Manuela Macchi, Keltie
Alisdair MacQuarrie, Gill Jennings & Every
Eleanor Merrett, CMS
Charlotte Stirling, J A Kemp
Rowena Tolley, Kilburn & Strode
Catherine Wiseman, Barker Brettel
Sarah Wright, CMS
Recommended
Tom Albertini, J A Kemp
Rebecca Anderson-Smith, Mewburn Ellis
Éamon Chawke, Briffa
Rachel Conroy, Boult Wade Tennant
France Delord, Taylor Wessing
Kate Ellis, Eversheds Sutherland
Claire Evans, Mewburn Ellis
Caroline Hayward, Trowers & Hamlins
Lorna Hobbs, Cleveland Scott York
Sanjay Kapur, Potter Clarkson
Paul Kavanagh, Dechert
Kerry Lee, Squire Patton Boggs
Claire Lehr, Edwin Coe
Steven Lane, Lane IP
Stuart Lester, Mishcon de Reya
Joel McDonald, Stobbs IP
Chris McLeod, Elkington & Fife
Ben Mooneapillay, J A Kemp
Shireen Peermohamed, Harbottle & Lewis
Jason Rawkins, Taylor Wessing
Calum Smyth, Wiggin
James Tumbridge, Keystone Law
Rachael Ward, Gill Jennings & Every
Nick White, Charles Russell Speechlys
Notable
Simon Bentley, Abel + Imray
Mark Caddle, Withers & Rogers
Daniel Hardman-Smart, Stobbs IP
Corinna Hiscox, Greaves Brewster
Jasmine Lalli, GowlingWLG
Carole Nyahasha, Kilburn & Strode
Azhar Sadique, Abion
Amelia Skelding, Keltie
Nathan Smith, Dechert
Gavin Stenton, Pennington Manches Cooper
Kieron Taylor, Swindell & Pearson
Giovanni Visintini, Locke Lord
Alex Watt, Howard Kennedy
Laura West, Springbird IP
Nick Womsley, Swindell & Pearson
