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Gary Assim
Gary Assim heads up the firm’s national retail and intellectual property groups, in which he has built up strong reputations on both a national and international basis. He specialises in resolving disputes especially those to do with anti-counterfeiting, with particular emphasis on parallel importing.
Over the past few years he has been involved in leading cases on copyright and design right advice including Mackie Designs Inc v Behringer, R Griggs Group Limited v Evans and Jimmy Choo v Towerstone. He acts for clients across a broad range of sectors but is especially well known in the clothing and footwear and automotive industries.
Assim has written articles for the New York Law Journal, International Commercial Litigation and various national and international trade press as well as being a well-known commentator on television and radio on intellectual property rights.
Recent accolades include being named in the International Who’s Who of Trademark Lawyers for 2009, the Top 100 list of The Most Powerful and Influential People in Fashion in 2008 and The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in 2007.
Assim is passionate about intellectual property, especially in relation to consumer brands, hence his love of fast cars, gadgets and anything sporting. He is best known for having advised Jimmy Choo, Chloe and Dr Martens as well as setting up the mentoring scheme for the British Fashion Council (organiser of London Fashion Week) to help its NewGen and Fashion Forward designers.
Prior to reading law at Durham University, Assim spent three years with Lombard North Central plc gaining commercial experience and an understanding of how in-house legal teams operate. He was articled with Travers Smith Braithwaite in London where he qualified and gained experience in commercial litigation and intellectual property for nine years.
He joined Shoosmiths in 1997 becoming a partner the following year specialising solely in intellectual property. Assim then led the team that opened the Milton Keynes office in August 2000.
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