Intellectual Property
The Lawyer
The importance of registering a patent in Jordan download
Patents in Jordan are managed by the Patents Registrar in the Ministry of Industry and Trade and are governed by the Jordanian Patents Law No. 32 of 1999, as amended.
China Bulletin — April 2013 weblink
The April 2013 issue of King & Wood Mallesons’ China Bulletin is available now.
Intellectual property
IP is one of Dacheng’s premier practice areas and the firm is qualified in the provision of patent and trademark agency services.
Antitrust enforcement against abuse of IPRs and anti-competitive conduct in the high-technology sector — an update from China download
SAIC has held a meeting to obtain feedback on the latest draft of the IPR abuse regulation.
Walker Morris announces partner and director promotions in key growth areas
Walker Morris announces two partner promotions as well as eight director promotions.
Queen's Speech 2013 — controlling immigration and promoting growth download
This year’s Queen’s Speech was as noteworthy for what it did not contain as its contents. The legislative themes are controlling immigration and promoting growth.
Intellectual property
We have specialist intellectual property (IP) teams in all the important IP jurisdictions worldwide.
Data Protection Policies — update from Global Data Hub weblink
Taylor Wessing has added a fresh batch of data-protection-focused content to its Global Data Hub site.
Intellectual property in the cloud download
Intellectual property issues in the cloud continue to be one of the ‘cloudiest’ legal areas for customers and suppliers alike.
Pursuing genuine goods: how far can you go to protect your brand? download
Al Tamimi has successfully represented a multi-national tobacco brand owner before the Dubai courts in one of the most controversial cases in recent years.
Intellectual Property and Technology News (EMEA): Issue 3 — Q2 2013 weblink
The latest edition of DLA Piper’s Intellectual Property and Technology News (EMEA) is now available.
Electronic services at the Saudi Arabian trademarks office download
The Saudi Arabian trademarks office has issued a circular stating that it will now only receive new applications electronically.
Taylor Wessing's GIPI team introduces intellectual property survey weblink
Taylor Wessing has launched the GIPI4 survey, which covers topics including patents, trademarks, designs, copyright and data protection/privacy.
Anti-counterfeiting action in Kuwait download
Like many other jurisdictions in the Middle East, trade in counterfeit goods in Kuwait poses a significant challenge for brand owners.
Law à la Mode: Special Edition — INTA 2013 download
This special edition of Law à la Mode from DLA Piper focuses on a number of topical issues for brand owners.
Data & Information E-Alerts — 3 May 2013 weblink
The 3 May 2013 edition of Addleshaw Goddard’s Data & Information E-Alerts publication is available now.
HTC v Apple: UK Court of Appeal decision weblink
Judgment of the UK Court of Appeal in the patent case HTC v Apple (Case nos. A3/2012/2043 and 2044) has been delivered.
Technology and Sourcing News (UK) — April 2013 weblink
The April 2013 edition of DLA Piper’s Technology and Sourcing News (UK) briefing is available now.
Bird & Bird snares franchising duo from FFW after Abell hire
Bird & Bird has hired two franchising partners from Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) following the recruitment of high-profile IP and IT head Mark Abell.
Al Tamimi appoints Chris Appleby as regional head of technology, media and telecoms
Chris Appleby has been appointed as the new regional head of technology, media and telecommunications at Al Tamimi & Company.
Radar: Technology & Communications Update — May 2013 weblink
This month’s issue focuses on the new Defamation Act 2013 and the Supreme Court’s view on browsing the internet without permission from the relevant copyright holder.
DLA Piper announces partnership promotions across its US and international practice groups
DLA Piper has announced that 34 lawyers have been promoted to its partnership. The promotions are effective from 1 January 2013 in the US and 1 May 2013 for the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions.
Design right of the claimant and design right application download
In considering whether a design right could be registered, it is not sufficient to solely compare the filed design to the claimant’s own design.
Olswang appoints Dr Justin Hill to intellectual property practice
Olswang has announced the appointment of Dr Justin Hill to its intellectual property (IP) practice.
DLA Piper welcomes Steadman and Satchwell to Chicago IP and technology practice
Paul Steadman and Matthew Satchwell have joined DLA Piper’s intellectual property and technology practice in Chicago.
Kuwait: industrial design applications being processed download
The Kuwaiti law number 4 in respect of Patents and Industrial Drawing & Designs and Integrated Circuits issued on 15 April 1962 provided the procedures for the application for registration of patents and designs.
IP Brief — 26 April 2013 download
Addleshaw Goddard has released its IP Brief dated 26 April 2013.
Intellectual Property Matters — April 2013 weblink
The April 2013 issue of Walker Morris’s Intellectual Property Matters online publication is available now.
Data protection authorities announce investigations into Google's privacy policy download
Data protection authorities are investigating whether Google’s privacy policy complies with national data protection laws.
NLA v Meltwater: court makes a reference to the CJEU on the issue of temporary copies download
The UK Supreme Court has handed down its judgment in the case of Public Relations Consultants Association Ltd and the Newspaper Licensing Agency & Others.
Copyright body Fact to reveal first GC after Wiggin secondment
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) is gearing up to unveil its first-ever general counsel, whose appointment is expected to be announced in the coming week.
The European Court of Human Rights rejects Pirate Bay file-sharing appeal download
The ECHR has rejected, as inadmissible, an appeal from the two founders of Pirate Bay — one of the world’s largest file-sharing web platforms.
International patent filing systems — PCT and GCC patents download
Companies large or small or anyone with a commercially attractive product should consider international markets.
Internal intellectual property management download
Are you deriving the most value out of your IP assets? Unless you have implemented an effective IP management programme, the answer will most likely be in the negative.
Hogan Lovells strengthens Tokyo intellectual property team with of-counsel appointment
Hogan Lovells has expanded its IP team in Tokyo with the appointment of Dr Frederick Ch’en.
Intellectual property
We can help you protect and exploit your intellectual property.
King & Wood Mallesons advises Far East Orchard on investment with Toga Group
King & Wood Mallesons has acted for Singapore-listed Far East Orchard (FEOrchard) on its $225m investment with Australian hotel and property company Toga Group.
Hogan Lovells wins European Firm of the Year at Managing Intellectual Property awards
Hogan Lovells has been named European Firm of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property magazine.
A second stem cell patentability case is referred to the CJEU download
Henry Carr QC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge in the Patents Court, has made only the second reference to the CJEU for a preliminary ruling on the patentability of stem cells.
Browsing the internet without downloading unlikely to infringe copyright download
The Supreme Court has stated that the EU’s temporary copying defence to copyright infringement should apply to the acts of browsing the internet, caching browsed material and viewing material on screen.
Song Zhu from Hogan Lovells named in Daily Top Intellectual Property Lawyers list
Hogan Lovells partner Song Zhu has been named in this year’s Daily Top Intellectual Property Lawyers list.
When re-litigating a patent may be permitted download
In Resolution v Lundbeck, Arnold J has allowed Resolution Chemicals Ltd to pursue its own revocation proceedings against Lundbeck’s SPC/GB02/049 protecting escitalopram.
First decision of the ECJ on the unitary patent download
The ECJ has dismissed the complaints of Spain (C-274/11) and Italy (C-295/11) against the Council of the European Union with a view to the Unitary Patent.
Chambers and Partners 2013 ranks Hogan Lovells' life-sciences practice in band one
Hogan Lovells’ global life-sciences practice has been placed in band one for the second year running in the Chambers and Partners Global 2013 rankings.
Trademark protection in Ethiopia download
The Ethiopian Trademark Registration and Protection Proclamation No. 501/2006 dealing with the protection of trademarks in Ethiopia was published on 7 July 2006.
Shoosmiths' Laurence Kaye set to host IP seminar at London Book Fair
Laurence Kaye, Shoosmiths’ new publishing and digital media specialist, is to chair an IP seminar at the London Book Fair.
Mark Owen joins Taylor Wessing's international TMT group
Taylor Wessing has announced that it has appointed Mark Owen to its international technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) group.
Trademark prosecution in the Middle East download
The Iranian Trademark Registry has launched an electronic trademark application and workflow system.
The latest on European proposals to modernise trademark law and procedure download
The European Commission has announced a review of the trademark system in Europe with a view to modernising the system, both at EU and national level.
Olswang hosts dinner discussion on the globalisation of fashion
On 19 March 2013, Olswang’s fashion team hosted a dinner discussion on the globalisation of fashion at the Showroom Bonami Mannequins in Aalter, Belgium.
Radar: Technology & Communications Update — April 2013 weblink
This issue of Radar looks at privacy issues with apps on smart devices in the context of a recent Article 29 Working Party Opinion.
IP Highlights: latest stories and IP news from southeast Europe download
Karanovic & Nikolic presents a brief overview each month of some of the hot topics from the field of intellectual property for the region of southeast Europe.
Competent court division regarding Qatar trademark disputes download
Al Tamimi’s Qatar litigation team successfully won a recent lawsuit brought on behalf of a Swiss watchmaker following a dispute that arose from the trademark registration process.
Advertising jury on warnings for medical products download
Interpretation of section 25 of the Self Regulation Code of Marketing Communication.
Hyperbolic advertising: the jury says yes to perfect clean download
The Advertising and Marketing Communication Self-Regulation Authority has ruled that the expressions that emphasise the excellence of cleaning products are not in breach of the Code of Marketing Communication Self-Regulation.
For the ECJ infringement and invalidity actions are independent download
Judgment has been rendered in the case Fédération Cynologique Internationale v Federacion Canina Internacional de Perros de Pura Raza (Case C-561/11).
Walker Morris expands its team of registered trademark attorneys
Walker Morris has appointed registered UK and European trademark attorney Rachel Hearson.
Walker Morris set to commemorate World IP Day with free event
Walker Morris is hosting an event to help individuals and organisations to understand the importance of IP rights.
Medinet case: the relevance of colour in the comparison between trademarks download
The UE General Court, in the case T-378/11 regarding Medinet trademarks, took position on the relevance of colour in the perception of the relevant public.
Intellectual Property Matters — March 2013 weblink
Walker Morris has released the March 2013 edition of its Intellectual Property Matters publication.
Schütz v Werit — replacing parts in patented products download
This recent patent decision of the Supreme Court provides guidance about when replacing a part might be treated as the infringing act of ‘making’ a patented product.
Protecting your trademarks in the new domain names expansion download
There is about to be an explosion in new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs) beyond .com, .org, .edu and so on.
Arnold J describes SPC system as 'dysfunctional' download
Arnold J says the SPC system is dysfunctional as it cannot be applied consistently by local patent offices.
Hogan Lovells celebrates ECJ referral for ZTE in Huawei patent battle
Hogan Lovells has gained an ECJ referral on behalf of client ZTE in its patent dispute with Huawei.
Chambers Global 2013 — DLA Piper full ranking summary download
DLA Piper has released a summary of all of the firm’s rankings and editorial commentary in Chambers Global 2013.
BYOD policies: is your organisation compliant with the ICO's new guidance? download
With an increasingly mobile workforce, the practice of bringing your own device (BYOD) is already a fact of life for many businesses.
Data Protection Laws of the World — March 2013 edition download
This handbook sets out an overview of the applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations across 63 different jurisdictions to start you on your way through this complex area of compliance.
Chambers & Partners recognises Olswang in 2013 Global edition
Olswang has been recognised by Chambers & Partners in its 2013 Global edition.
Synapse: Law for Life Sciences — March 2013 weblink
This month on Synapse, Taylor Wessing discusses the impact of insolvency on licensors and licensees in the life sciences sector.
Hogan Lovells' Anna Kurian Shaw selected for LCLD's 2013 Fellows Programme
Anna Kurian Shaw from Hogan Lovells has been selected as an LCLD fellow for 2013.
Thomson Reuters recognises Olswang attorneys in 2013 Super Lawyers list
Olswang has announced that 28 of its attorneys have been recognised by Thomson Reuters in its 2013 London Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Partner Eleni Skordaki has also been listed in the Top 50 Women in London.
Financial services — protecting your brands weblink
Consumers are naturally drawn to brand names that clearly indicate the services being offered. It is therefore not uncommon for financial services to be offered using descriptive names such as Cash Today or Pay Day Loan.
Freshfields to merge IP and IT into corporate and disputes
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is set to amalgamate its IP and IT practice into its corporate and disputes groups.
Schütz v Werit: when repairing a patented product is permitted download
On 13 March 2013, the UK Supreme Court handed down its ruling on the question of whether replacing part of a patented product infringes the patent in question.
Brands Update — spring 2013 weblink
Taylor Wessing has released the spring 2013 issue of its Brands Update publication.
Hogan Lovells advises Werit in Supreme Court patent infringement case
Hogan Lovells has announced that the UK Supreme Court has given its decision in the long-awaited Schütz v Werit case, ruling that Werit had not been infringing patent rights by supplying replacing parts.
Intellectual property and technology news: TV Catchup caught out? download
The CJEU has handed down its decision on the copyright questions referred by the UK High Court in the long-running battle between ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and TV Catchup.
GTLDs and the Trade Marks Clearing House — what brand owners need to do now download
Many companies are applying to own and run as GTLDs either their own names (.brand) or descriptive terms (.money, .travel) instead of .com or .co.uk.
Walker Morris's IP head set to discuss risk management at outsourcing conference
Walker Morris’s head of IP set to present at the Global Outsourcing Litigation Conference.
Simmons & Simmons expands Amsterdam intellectual property team
Simmons & Simmons has appointed Hidde Koenraad as a partner in its IP team in Amsterdam.
ONEL: what constitutes genuine use of a Community Trade Mark? download
On 19 December 2012, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down its long-anticipated judgment in the ONEL/OMEL case.
European Court issues judgment in 'TVCatchup' reference download
On 7 March 2013, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued its long-awaited judgment in the case brought by ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 against TVCatchup.
IP Highlights — latest stories and IP news from south-east Europe download
Karanovic & Nikolic presents a brief overview of IP news for the region of south-east Europe.
Samsung v Apple: English High Court decision — three Samsung patents invalid download
Mr Justice Floyd has given two judgments in the case of Samsung Electronics v Apple Retail UK and others, concerning three patents owned by Samsung that were alleged to be infringed by Apple’s 3G devices.
ECJ clarifies scope of communication to the public right download
The ECJ announces its decision on ITV & others v TV Catchup C-607/11.
Industrial and intellectual property
NCTM offers strategic and commercial advice for the enforcement and protection of all forms of intellectual property.
Intellectual property and technology news download
Focusing on the Asia Pacific region, we discuss some of the key issues to consider when taking your business online.
Rights in data handbook: Protecting and exploiting IP in data and databases internationally download
The value of data and databases to business is undeniable and continues to increase.
IP Highlights: Latest stories and IP news from South East Europe download
In the ever-developing and ever-changing world of Intellectual Property, news and exciting projects are never in short supply.
Shoosmiths acquires Laurence Kaye Solicitors
Shoosmiths is set to add a publishing and digital media specialist to its commercial offering.
Licensors beware? Sub-licence capable of surviving termination of head licence download
The High Court has held that it is possible, in certain circumstances, for a sub-licence to remain valid despite the termination of the head licence.
BPI secures High Court illegal website crackdown
The High Court has today (28 February 2013) handed down judgment in a major copyright case that has been described as “a wake-up call for illegal websites”
Hotel Cipriani succeeds in latest round of trademark litigation weblink
Hotel Cipriani has succeeded in its latest round of trademark litigation.
ASSOS v ASOS: High Court provides further guidance as to survey evidence following Marks & Spencer v Interflora weblink
The High Court has provided further guidance for survey evidence following Marks & Spencer v Interflora.
The extent of copyright protection for computer software weblink
Walker Morris considers the extent of copyright protection for computer software.
Don’t let the raised bar trip you up download
On 15 April 2013, significant changes to Australian patent law will come into force
IP, commercial, communication and technology
We advise on the legal and regulatory aspects of the intellectual property, commercial, communication and technology sectors in which our clients operate.
The Unified Patent Court agreement is signed — what does it mean for you? download
The significance of the Unified Patent Court agreement.
Government set to make changes to UK copyright legislation download
The government has published its final response to the Copyright Consultation.
Trademark registration in southern Sudan download
Following the separation of North and South Sudan, the continuous worry for trademark owners is the protection of their rights in southern Sudan.
Dubai court subpoena recognised by a US domain names registry download
Identity protection in respect of the ownership of domain names is no longer an obstacle in litigation before the Dubai courts.
Design copyright reform: the Hargreaves process bears further fruit? download
The IPO has produced an impact assessment that will lead to the repeal of Section 52 of the Copyright and Designs Act and Patent Act of 1988.
Synapse February 2013 focuses on injunctions against pharma patent infringement
Taylor Wessing discusses injunctions against pharma patent infringement.
Intellectual property
We give our clients legal assistance with regard to copyright, trademark and other intellectual and industrial property rights issues.
For the record
As Guinness World Records’ first full-time GC, Raymond Marshall faced his own departmental challenges - while judging weird and wonderful record attempts
Intellectual and industrial property law
We undertake the task of securing and registering trademarks in Cyprus and Greece, as well as with the centralised agency of the European Union based in Alicante, Spain.
Intellectual property, information technology and media
MOLITOR launched its intellectual property, information technology and media practice group in 2007.
Finnish Supreme Administrative Court decides emoticon cannot be trade marked download
This is a comment on a court judgement that decided that a trademark consisting of punctuation marks should not be registered.
Clients warned over scam invoices soliciting payment for trade mark services weblink
Walker Morris warns of a scam invoice warning.
Intellectual property
We represent clients on the creation, development, exploitation and enforcement of all forms of intellectual property.
K&L Gates loses IP partner to UK tech boutique Kemp Little
Technology boutique Kemp Little has hired K&L Gates IP partner Rebecca Halford-Harrison.
Intellectual property
The IP department has always been a pioneer practice in developing the practice of law and pushing its boundaries.
Intellectual property
The firm’s intellectual property attorneys advise private and publicly traded businesses in a wide range of sectors.
Intellectual property litigation
The Curtis Intellectual Property Litigation team combines the skills of seasoned trial lawyers with the technical expertise of registered patent attorneys and Ph.D-level advisers.
Intellectual property
Chadbourne & Parke’s intellectual property practice offers clients the highly specialised legal and technical expertise of an intellectual property ‘boutique’ combined with the business and litigation skills of a multinational general-practice law firm.
Intellectual property
Innovators rely on Mayer Brown to help protect, preserve and enforce their intellectual property assets.
Intellectual property
The King & Wood Mallesons IP team is among the largest and most highly regarded practices in China.
Scraping the data barrel download
Everyone thinks they know what data is. But data is a very difficult concept to capture in terms of legal status.
Law a la mode — Winter 2012–13 (China and global spending) download
China’s middle class is set to drive global consumer spending.
Intellectual property
Combining careful planning with good judgement to help you protect your intellectual property.
Intellectual property
Acumum is undoubtedly a leader in international intellectual property (IP), due to our extensive experience in this field.
Intellectual property
We work closely with our clients to ensure that they maintain the right protection to safeguard their intellectual capital, develop their businesses or protect their creative work and, where appropriate, to secure the enforcement of their rights against unauthorised use.
Intellectual property
We are recognised as being one of a small handful of go-to firms for intellectual property in Europe and Asia.
Intellectual property
Our intellectual property group helps drive your business growth by protecting and leveraging your ideas and innovations, your brand and your creative works.
Patents
Our patents group is one of the largest and best known in Europe. Highly experienced in both contentious and non-contentious patent matters, we help our clients, based in Europe and internationally, to exploit, protect, manage and defend their IP rights.
Trade marks and designs
The size and strength of Taylor Wessing’s European Trade Mark group and the variety of the brands we represent across all business sectors means we have outstanding experience in every area of trade mark and design law.
Intellectual property
Our mission is to safeguard and enhance our clients brands and reputations. Through our expertise, we strive to reduce the time our clients spend dealing with problems in order to achieve their desired result, thereby increasing the value of their brands.
FFW IP head Mark Abell claims "ambush" ahead of Bird & Bird move
Field Fisher Waterhouse’s (FFW) head of IP and IT Mark Abell has resigned to join Bird & Bird.
Key developments in IP — January 2013 download
Real Intellectual Property Case Law Guide.
Intellectual property
Karanovic & Nikolic’s IP team brings together leading intellectual property lawyers, commercial and corporate lawyers to provide a full service to clients across the jurisdictions of the former Yugoslavia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.
Intellectual property
DLA Piper’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice is one of the largest groups of IP lawyers in the world. Nearly 400 lawyers develop asset management and protection strategies designed to help clients manage risk, continue growth and protect market share around the globe.
LG and SNR Denton advise as Dragons' Den star buys Jessops brand
Lawrence Graham (LG) and SNR Denton have taken lead roles on the sale of the Jessops brand and certain assets to a group including Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones.
Intellectual property
The Intellectual Property Department at Walker Morris has established a truly seamless one-stop service for clients, advising on all types of contentious and non-contentious matters, including licensing, merchandising and securitisation, patent and other IP litigation, and research and technology collaboration.
Intellectual property
Simmons & Simmons is a full-service intellectual property practice providing clients with an unparalleled level of expertise and service.
Cayman Islands IP law revision download
The Cayman Islands has enacted the Patents and Trade Marks Law 2011.
The changing face of China's Civil Procedure Law: effects of the recent amendments download
China’s recently amended Civil Procedure Law (“CPL”) will come into force on January 1, 2013.
On the right track: Second Draft Amendments to China's Copyright Law published download
The National Copyright Administration of China (“NCAC”) released the first draft amendments to China’s Copyright Law at the end of March 2012.
The road to international copyright and trademark protection in the US download
US copyright and trademark law is now much closer to that of Europe, but key differences remain.
International corporate rescue: intellectual property licenses and US bankruptcy law download
The treatment of intellectual property licenses under US bankruptcy law
The Patent Box download
The UK Government has been keen to improve the UK’s competitiveness in the high-tech arena. This was largely motivated by a string of departures of UK headquartered multinationals from the UK.
Showstoppers: the effect of bankruptcy on intellectual property licenses download
The effect of bankruptcy on intellectual property licenses.
UK copyright changes download
The Government state that the current copyright legislation appears to hinder the reasonable use of copyright protected works and is outdated in the digital age.
Considerations in trademark licensing in the UAE download
The licensing of trademarks is an essential component of various commercial agreements facilitating business operations in the UAE.
The temporary Jordanian patent law no.71 of 2001 download
As part of the process of acceding to the WTO, Jordan has enacted its new Patent Law No. 71 of 2001 (the “Patent Law”), in accordance with the international standards which Jordan has been committed to through joining the TRIPs Agreement.
New DIFC data protection law comes into force download
The Dubai International Financial Centre , a financial services free zone located in the Emirate of Dubai, has its own ‘European style’ data protection law, applicable in the jurisdiction of the DIFC.
Cadbury retains hold over its trademark for a shade of purple download
This briefing considers trademark law in the UAE by comparison to Cadbury’s successful trademarking of a shade of purple in the UK.
When is a software licence transferable even if it says it’s non-transferable? download
Software companies cannot prevent the sale of “second-hand” software licences, where those licences are for a one-off fee and an unlimited period.
Advocate General issues opinion in Football Dataco v Sportradar download
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has said that where a website operator displays material on its website that infringes the sui generis database right of a third party, that operator infringes the third party’s rights both in the country in which the server hosting the website is based and in the countries in which the users accessing that information are based.
The European Court of Justice rules on how far copyright extends in computer programs
An analysis of the SAS Institute Inc v World Programming Ltd case, and its implications for European copyright law in software.
Managing the risks and costs of e-discovery in multiple related investigations and litigations download
A guide to the effective management of electronic data where it is potentially implicated in a number of disputes.
Intellectual Property & Data Protection 2013: Legal developments you need to know about download
This is a short guide to some of the key legal developments for intellectual property and data protection in 2013.
Developing and managing a European patent litigation strategy download
Effective patent litigation strategies need to reflect the realities of global competition.
An important new weapon in pan-European patent disputes - the English Courts can hear non-English patent infringement cases download
The English Patents Court has delivered a ground-breaking judgment which could change the way that European patent litigation is conducted.
UK Information Commissioner’s Office opens public consultation on changes to data protection notifications download
The UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened a consultation on proposed changes to the data protection notification process.
CJEU confirms functionality of computer programs not protected by copyright download
The Court of Justice of the European Union has handed down its keenly awaited judgment in SAS Institute Inc. v World Programming Ltd.
New EU counterfeit goods regulation download
On 24 January 2013, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee of the European Parliament endorsed a new Regulation setting out customs procedures for goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights.
Hot 100: Alison Dennis, Field Fisher Waterhouse video
Alison Dennis (scroll down for video interview) has substantially grown both her own client base and the life sciences practice at Field Fisher Waterhouse since she joined the firm from Reed Smith just four years ago.
Hot 100: Alexia Willetts, FIFA
FIFA IP legal counsel and head of trademark registration Alexia Willetts packed a lot into 2012.
Hot 100: Harjinder Obhi, Google
Google’s director of litigation (Emea) Harjinder Obhi did not spend 2012 with his feet up.
Hot 100: Michael Silverleaf QC, 11 South Square
11 South Square’s Michael Silverleaf QC has become one of the go-to IP silks of his generation, and 2013 will see him continue to work on industry-defining cases.
Bakers names former IP head as successor to London chief Senior
Baker & McKenzie has elected IP partner Paul Rawlinson to succeed Gary Senior as managing partner of its London office.
China trade marks — inclusion of retail and wholesale services relating to medicines and pharmaceuticals download
The China Trade Marks Office recently announced that from 1 January 2013 it is accepting applications to register trade marks in relation to retail or wholesale services for pharmaceutical, veterinary and sanitary preparations and medical supplies only in class 35.
Countdown to the introduction of the new patent box regime download
From 1 April 2013, UK companies will be able to elect into a new regime that applies a lower rate of corporation tax to profits from qualifying intellectual property rights.
China life sciences newsletter — Winter 2012 download
Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of our China Life Sciences Newsletter, a periodic update on key developments, companies, and people in the dynamic China life sciences industry.
European IP bulletin — December 2012 download
In this issue (inter alia): European Commission to review misleading and comparative advertising directive; Information Commissioner’s office publishes report on enforcement of new cookie rules; Scrabble tile trade mark declared invalid.
Patent by numbers
A single patent court system for Europe and the high-profile ‘phone wars’ are putting IP at the heart of clients’ business strategies
China releases draft administrative rules on national standards involving patents (interim) download
On 19 December 2012, the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) released a notice to solicit public comments regarding the updated draft Administrative Rules on National Standards Involving Patents (Interim).
Approval of the EU Unitary Patent Package download
On 11 December 2012, the European Parliament approved three measures collectively known as the EU Unitary Patent Package.
Germany's CBH defeats WilmerHale in gummy bear court battle
CBH Rechtsanwälte has won a German court case for Haribo against WilmerHale client Lindt & Sprüngli after the confectionery company claimed that the Swiss chocolatier had infringed its trademark on golden bears.
Judgment of the EU Court of Justice in AstraZeneca v Commission download
On 6 December 2012, the EU Court of Justice dismissed AstraZeneca’s appeal of the General Court’s judgment in AstraZeneca v Commission.
Karanovic & Nikolic supports IPR conference in Serbia
Amcham, with the support of Karanovic & Nikolic, held its 10th Annual Intellectual Property Rights Conference (IPR) in Arandjelovac, Serbia on 5–6 December 2012.
Wragges and Simmons advise as Birmingham club takes on Fox TV over Glee name
Simmons & Simmons and Wragge & Co are set for a High Court trademark trial next year with a Birmingham comedy club trying to take Fox TV’s ‘Glee’ off the air.
Norton Rose hires Allen & Overy IP litigator
Allen & Overy (A&O) IP litigator Huw Evans is set to leave the firm to join Norton Rose as a partner.
Olswang IP lawyer spearheads 'game changing' patent service
Olswang IP partner Campbell Forsyth has spearheaded new patent service HLP3, a process aimed at helping patent owners monetise their patents for a fixed fee, working alongside a group of insurers, funders and IP experts.
Field Fisher suffers another exit as A&O hires Germany head
Field Fisher Waterhouse’s (FFW) has seen another partner exit its European practice with German managing partner Joachim Feldges moving to Allen & Overy (A&O) as the magic circle firm bids to strengthen its German IP team.
Hoyng Monegier boosts Amsterdam with Hogan Lovells hire
IP boutique Hoyng Monegier has picked up Hogan Lovells partner Carla Schoonderbeek, less than 18 months after she joined the international firm from Nauta Dutilh.
Finland's Roschier ties up with IP firm
Finnish firm Roschier has launched a brands team through a merger with IP outfit Benjon.
Samsung wins in regard to Apple ‘over-wide’ patent claims
The UK High Court has ruled that although there is indeed similarity between Samsung’s tablet and Apple’s patents, there is no actual infringement.
Cell division
Mobile phone giants square up for a big scrap over 4G technology
China releases new draft patent law for comment download
On 9 August 2012, China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) released a draft fourth amendment to China’s Patent Law for public comment.
Colour trademarks in the fashion industry download
Just one day before the start of New York Fashion Week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit gave some much-needed comfort to the fashion industry by ruling in the legal battle between French footwear designer Christian Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent that Louboutin’s famous red lacquered sole deserves trademark protection.
What price a competition lawyer... $3bn?
Competition lawyers are worth their weight in gold.
Powell Gilbert beats Field Fisher Waterhouse in six-year biotech case
Boutique IP firm Powell Gilbert has secured patent validation for its client Human Genome Science (HGS) after six years of litigation.
Keystone Law lawyer tragically killed in accident in central London
A woman who died after being crushed by falling window frames in central London has been named by police as Amanda Telfer, a lawyer at Keystone Law.
Living Social legal chief jumps to King.com
The former international legal chief of deals website Living Social has taken up a new in-house role at online games developer King.com.
Quinn Emanuel defeated as Samsung ordered to pay $1bn in Apple damages download
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan client Samsung lost a landmark patent case against arch-rival Apple over the weekend with a US court ordering Samsung to pay $1bn (£655m) in damages for infringing several of the iPhone maker’s designs.
Pan-European preliminary injunctions in patent infringement proceedings download
The Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe’s highest court in charge of interpreting harmonised laws among the 27 member states, has set the scene for a new option in patent infringement proceedings in Europe.
US quartet says cheese to Carlyle's $3.3bn Getty purchase
Davis Polk & Wardwell, Debevoise & Plimpton, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Weil Gotshal & Manges have all snapped up roles advising on the Carlyle Group’s acquisition of Getty Images from US private equity rival Hellman & Friedman.
EU Court rules on resale of 'used' computer programs download
On 3 July 2012, the Court of Justice of the European Union released its much-anticipated ruling in UsedSoft GmbH v Oracle International Corp.
Charles Russell helps Paddy Power secure LOCOG backdown over billboards
Charles Russell has secured a popular victory for Irish bookmakers Paddy Power after Olympics organisers LOCOG backed down over an advert campaign.
Europe moves a step closer to a unified patent system download
Political agreement was reached at the June 2012 European Council meeting on what had been termed as the last remaining issue on Europe’s new patent system — the location of the Central Division for the Unified Patent Court.
Into the data jungle - in association with Huron Legal
In this age of increased cross-border litigation the landscape of data protection is changing, and new legislation is on the EU launch pad
Android war – UK courts win
Apple IP challenge shows our court system is willing and able to achieve speedy results
Anti-fakes pact hangs in balance
If Europe rejects anti-counterfeit agreement there is little chance of it gaining wider acceptance
Belgium's De Wolf boosts IP with Capgemini hire
Belgian firm De Wolf & Partners has moved to strengthen its IP team with the hire of Capgemini’s former general counsel for Australia.
Hogan Lovells wins €500,000 cost in Eli Lilly patent dispute
Hogan Lovells has scooped half a million euros in costs from a successful intellectual property litigation in the French courts.
Brodies bolsters IP team with double partner hire from Maclays
Brodies has bulked up its IP practice with the hire of two partners from Maclay Murray & Spens.
Paper clipped
New EU rules and lawyers’ increased comfort with digital formats are sparking a sea-change in the way law firms manage their documents
Chinese firms land roles on basketball star's IP dispute
Retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan has instructed Chinese law firms Fangda and Jun He to advise on and act in a lawsuit in China against Qiaodan Sports Company for the unauthorised use of his name.
Dechert picks up Linklaters team for Paris IP push
Dechert has launched an IP team in France through the hire of Linklaters partner Marianne Schaffner and a team of associates.
'From Process to Profit' in association with Thomson Reuters FloSuite Legal video
The Lawyer Roundtable ‘From Process to Profit’, in association with Thomson Reuters FloSuite Legal.
Faulty powers
Fighting online piracy has been a hot issue for several years. Do we need a new Copyright Act? Four leading in-house lawyers have their say
Munich lawyers team up for IP boutique launch
Four lawyers from firms including Eversheds and Taylor Wessing have joined forces to launch an IP boutique in Munich.
Lawyers back London as seat of European patents court
UK lawyers are backing London as the home of the new European patents court, saying that the capital is a perfect fit.
Apple loses Chinese iPad trademark challenge
Technology giant Apple is considering its next step after losing a court case in Shenzhen over the ownership of its iconic iPad trademark.
Hogan Lovells adds another partner to US-China IP team
Hogan Lovells has hired an IP partner in Shanghai to bolster its Chinese practice.
Hogan Lovells appoints San Francisco IP partner for China cases
Hogan Lovells has hired a Squire Sanders & Dempsey partner in San Francisco to strengthen its IP and IP litigation capabilities, particularly in the Chinese context.
Novartis GC Werlen to join Quinn Emanuel as partner
US litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has picked up the outgoing general counsel of pharmaceutical giant Novartis as a partner to boost its European offering.
McDermott's London IP litigation chief quits for boutique EIP
The head of the London intellectual property litigation group group at McDermott Will & Emery, Gary Moss, is leaving the firm to launch a legal practice at patent and trademark boutique EIP.
IP boutique Hoyng Monegier adds Nauta Dutilh partner to ranks
Niche IP firm Hoyng Monegier has hired a team of lawyers from Benelux giant Nauta Dutilh.
Mishcon seals victory for Lady Gaga in IP case against Lady Goo Goo
IP set 11 South Square was both a winner and a loser in the High Court this week as pop superstar Lady Gaga obtained an injunction preventing a computer game company from releasing a single by a cartoon character.
Mishcon bags FFW, Travers duo
Mishcon de Reya has boosted its partnership with the addition of Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) IP partner Lewis Cohen and Travers Smith banking partner Michael Bardell.
Taylor Wessing picks up FFW trademark partner
Taylor Wessing has bolstered its trademarks, copyright and media team with the hire of trademark specialist France Delord as partner.
DLA Piper grows life science offering with key hire
DLA Piper has boosted its IP and technology group with the hire of Jacqueline Bore as partner.
Hogarth silk defeats force of Sumption in Star Wars showdown
The Supreme Court has held that Lucasfilm can enforce a US copyright in the UK but that the stormtrooper helmet the movie giant went to court over was not a sculpture and therefore the defendant did not breach copyright.
Olswang opens Munich IP office
Olswang has extended its European network with the launch of an IP-focused office in Munich.
Dewey's Milan IP chief jumps ship for Orsingher
Dewey & LeBoeuf’s Milan IP head Marco Consonni has left the firm with three lawyers to join Italian IP boutique Orsingher.
Quinn Emanuel gears up for City patent capability
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is preparing to launch a UK patent litigation practice. It will be the first major strategic extension of the US litigation firm’s London office since its launch three years ago.
Profession blows hot and cold over plan for digital copyright exchange
Proposals to introduce a digital copyright exchange may be wishful thinking and could create a two-tier system of IP protection, according to sector experts.
Taylor Wessing turns to SJ Berwin and Squire Sanders for IP hires
Taylor Wessing has looked to rival firms SJ Berwin and Squire Sanders Hammonds as it continues the expansion of its IP practice.
Gowlings adds Unilever IP lawyer to London team
Canadian firm Gowlings has hired Unilever’s former vice-president legal and global anti-counterfeiting counsel for its London office.
Howrey exodus continues as another seven partners jump ship
Seven IP partners have left Howrey’s US offices in the last five days including San Francisco-based rainmaker KT Cherian.
FFW snares Howrey team for launches in Munich and Düsseldorf
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) plans to open in Munich and Düsseldorf after hiring a four-partner team from Howrey.
Lucasfilm invokes the force of Sumption QC in Star Wars showdown
Brick Court’s Jonathan Sumption QC has been called upon to represent Lucasfilm in its Supreme Court battle over the alleged copyright infringement of the Star Wars stormtrooper helmet.
Howrey breakaway firm boosts partner ranks ahead of launch
The boutique firm formed by Howrey’s European IP team has made a further five partner hires in time for its official launch.
Unified vision
The fate of the recent Johnson & Johnson contact lens action shows why the pace of movement towards a centralised EU patent system is quickening, says Douglas Campbell
Norton Rose appoints DLA Piper partner for Paris IP push
Norton Rose has hired a DLA Piper partner to strengthen its IP and IT practice in Paris.
SNR Denton advises Qatar on successful Fifa World Cup bid
SNR Denton has claimed a starring role acting for Qatar on its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Kilpatrick seals merger with US IP boutique
US firm Kilpatrick Stockton yesterday confirmed it is to merge with IP boutique Townsend & Townsend & Crew.
Norton Rose sets up Asian IP group
Norton Rose has launched an IP and technology practice that will be headquartered in Hong Kong and offer services across Asia.
Dozen Howrey partners break away to establish IP boutique
Howrey’s European IP head and Europe managing partner are both set to leave along with at least 10 other partners to set up their own IP firm.
E-war and peace
Digital books are finally making their mark, and a happy ending to the long IP tussle between authors and traditional publishers may just be in sight
IP boutique Rouse names new head of UK
IP specialist Rouse has appointed a new head of its UK operations, with Luke Minford moving into the role after six years heading the firm’s office in China.
DLA hires six-strong Hogan Lovells IP team in LA
A team of six IP lawyers, including five partners, are leaving Hogan Lovells’ Los Angeles office for DLA Piper because of client conflicts.
Bakers secures IP panel spot for JCB
Baker & McKenzie has been appointed as global IP counsel for manufacturing giant JCB.
Norton Rose boosts Asia IP with DLA swoop
?Norton Rose has continued to grow its Asian footprint with the hire of two IP partners from DLA Piper’s Hong Kong office. Non-contentious IP and technology specialist Gigi Cheah and contentious and non contentious IP lawyer Justin Davidson will join the City firm’s Hong Kong practice, taking its partner headcount to ...
Howrey launches in Düsseldorf with hire from local firm Bardehle
US firm Howrey is to launch a Düsseldorf office after hiring a partner from one of Germany’s top IP boutiques.
Olswang battles Orion over Conan IP dispute
Olswang has been retained by Paradox Entertainment to help it defend its intellectual property ahead of the release of the film Conan.
Pinsents scores six from dissolving Roiter Zucker
PINSENT Masons is hiring a team of six lawyers that together form the bulk of the life sciences boutique Roiter Zucker.
Wilberforce IP barrister quits for partnership at Powell Gilbert
High flying Wilberforce Chambers barrister Anna Carboni is to leave the set to join IP boutique Powell Gilbert.
Stephensons hires hike IP capability in HK
Stephenson Harwood has boosted its Hong Kong practice with the appointment of Clifford Chance consultant Audrey Shum as a partner in its IP team.
Freeth Cartwright hires IP head from Martineau
Midlands firm Freeth Cartwright has brought in Simon Barker from Birmingham rival Martineau to head its intellectual property team.
IP outfit Joshi & Welch scores BP in-houser
IP boutique Joshi & Welch has appointed former BP in-houser Bob Boad as its new chairman.
A&O defector keeps entire Mannheim complement
The Allen & Overy (A&O) German IP litigation partner leaving the firm to launch Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges’ first Continental Europe outpost is taking over the magic circle firm’s entire office.
Quinn Emanuel taps A&O for German IP launch
US litigation firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges is launching its first office in Continental Europe with the hire of a group of IP lawyers from Allen & Overy (A&O) in Germany.
FFW hikes Brussels IP team with A&O hire
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has built up its Brussels IP practice with the hire of former Allen & Overy (A&O) of counsel Thierry van Innis.
DLA Piper boosts IP knowhow
DLA Piper has hired Gareth Morgan from Taylor Wessing as a partner in its IP/IT practice.
Latent patent
A viable Europe-wide patent system has caused legislators not a little consternation over the years. Benoît Strowel examines the history behind the concept
Latent patent
?A viable Europe-wide patent system has caused legislators not a little consternation over the years. Benoît Strowel examines the history behind the concept.
Wire guard
?Illegal downloading of copyrighted material is now being tackled by the Government with a new bill. Hamish Porter takes a look at what it contains
Wire guard
Illegal downloading of copyrighted material is now being tackled by the Government with a new bill. Hamish Porter takes a look at what it contains
Arnold & Porter poaches London IP team from Milbank
Arnold & Porter has bulked up its London IP practice with the capture of a four-lawyer team - led by partner David Perkins - from Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy.
Marks & Clerk boosts partnership with Simmons hire
Marks & Clerk Solicitors has brought on Simmons & Simmons partner and dispute resolution specialist William Cook to the firm.
Speechly boosts IP team with Nabarro hire
Speechly Bircham has turned to Nabarro for the hire of competition partner Robert Bell.
Hammonds seeks German patents tie-up following double defection in Munich
Hammonds is in talks with German firm Gulde Hengelhaupt Ziebig & Schneider about setting up a patent prosecution referral relationship following the departure of two partners from the UK firm’s Munich office.
Channeling your IP
Guernsey is forging ahead with plans to introduce laws offering greater protection and exploitation of IP rights. By Jason Romer
Drug wars
The European Commission wants to make pharmaceuticals companies’ IP rights less anticompetitive. Stefan Abel and Thomas Friede report
May the law be with you
Not so long ago, in a courtroom far, far away, raged a fierce battle over a Briton selling replica Star Wars paraphernalia. Karen Fong sheds some light on the dark side of IP
Edwards Angell splashes out on IP
A pair of high-profile IP partner hires made last week by the City offices of US firms confirmed the continuing vigour of the practice area during the downturn.
2Birds joins forces with Chinese IP boutique
?Bird & Bird has formed an alliance with Beijing IP boutique Xiang Kung Law Firm, with the aim of strengthening its contentious capabilities in China.
Bristows shows IP’s rude health with revenue up by a fifth
Bristows’ financial results have confirmed the health of the IP market, with the London firm posting a 19.5 per cent increase in revenue.
Links TMT/IP chief quits for dual roles
Linklaters’ global head of technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and IP has left the firm to take up roles with Bird & Bird and Chinese healthcare group Sinocare.
IP/IT Special Report: Copy righting
When it comes to intellectual property disputes, going down the litigation route isn’t always the best option. Gary Fern argues that protecting patents is best done through arbitration
Commercial & Chancery Special Report: Shorter and sweeter
The Commercial Court working party’s recommendations are not set in stoneand, as such, will be a shot in the arm for the country’s litigation framework, says Simon Davis
Commercial & Chancery Special Report: Brussels clout
A new pre-action conduct direction flags up the importance to the plaintiff of securing the court first seized, ensuring their jurisdiction of choice isn’t scuppered by the defendant’s delaying tactics. By Keith Oliver, Steve McCann and Katie Brown
Commercial & Chancery Special Report: The big issues
A working party set up by the Commercial Court Users Committee has tried to streamline and deliver precision to the court’s methodology. Gregory Banner reports on what could be achieved
FFW IP partner makes US switch
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) IP partner John Olsen, who took his firm to an employment tribunal, has left to join the London office of US firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge.
Eversheds takes pole in green bike rally brief
Eversheds has won a mandate as the sole adviser to the organiser of the world’s first zero-carbon grand prix, which will take place on the Isle of Man TT circuit in June 2009.
A&O, Freshfields join US firms in push on P3
Allen & Overy (A&O) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have joined forces with leading US firms and banks to lobby for the expansion of public private partnerships ...
QCs named as FA selects new first 11
The Football Association has revamped its legal panel, handing positions to 11 silks, who will decide on football disputes involving clubs and players.
Former Eagles manager goes to war with Camerons
Former Crystal Palace FC manager Iain Dowie is taking CMS Cameron McKenna to court over fees racked up by the firm when it represented Dowie in defence of a claim brought by the club.
Rouse and IP consultancy Iceberg join forces
Leading international IP firm Rouse has formed a strategic alliance with consultancy Iceberg Transactions to ramp up its non-contentious IP transaction capability.
Mishcons secures prison sentence in Microsoft case
Mishcon de Reya has scored a rare criminal conviction from an IP case, securing a jail sentence on behalf of Microsoft against a parallel importer.
Pinsents, Mills & Reeve knock rivals off Trafficmaster panel
Pinsent Masons and Mills & Reeve have landed spots on Trafficmaster’s legal panel, knocking previous advisers ;Addleshaw Goddard and Lewis Silkin off the list.
Slaughters scores last-minute Arshavin transfer for Arsenal
Slaughter and May has completed the biggest deal of the football transfer window, securing Russian star Andrei Arshavin for Arsenal.
Freshfields wins London Olympic gold
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been appointed the official law firm of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
MoFo nudged towards traditional tech work
Waning life sciences market prompts firm’s hunt for new corporate partners.
Locke Lord confirms Morgan & Finnegan mass hire
US firm Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell confirmed today that it had hired a group of around 30 lawyers from New York IP boutique, Morgan & Finnegan.
Linklaters in High Court defending negligence claim
Linklaters in High Court defending negligence claim" /Former Linklaters partner Andrew Legg gave "careless and negligent advice" in a dispute between two telecoms companies, the High Court was told this week.
Morgan & Finnegan faces dissolution
US intellectual property boutique Morgan & Finnegan is on the brink after 12 of its 17 partners quit.
Cadwalader wins role on $68bn Pfizer mega-merger
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has scored a lead role on US drug manufacturer Pfizer’s $68bn (£49.8bn) acquisition of rival Wyeth, the biggest M&A deal in the world for months.
Orange squeezes Bevan Brittan out of new panel
Mobile phone giant Orange has left Bevan Brittan out of its new-look panel.
SJ Berwin in redundancy talks with 50
SJ Berwin in redundancy talks with 50" /SJ Berwin has launched a series of redundancy consultations that could see up to 50 members of London staff lose their jobs.
Simmons advises oligarch on Evening Standard deal
The Daily Mail and Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev have called on Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Simmons & Simmons to advise on the sale of the Evening Standard.
2Birds captures partner duo in volatile Frankfurt with Lovells, Willkie Farr raids
Bird & Bird has boosted its Frankfurt office with the hire of two partners, taking Wolfgang Hess and Sven-Erik Heun from Lovells and Willkie Farr & Gallagher respectively.
BLP, Hill dickinson on Hammers shirt deal
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Hill Dickinson have advised on West Ham United’s new sponsorship agreement.
IP special report: Crimes of fashion
Copying has long been viewed as part and parcel of the fashion industry. But as the downturn bites, designers and retailers are increasingly taking action to protect their brands.
Field Fisher cuts 31 jobs as consultation ends
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has cut 31 support staff after a redundancy consultation ...
Speechly adds two partners to IP/IT team
Speechly Bircham has bolstered its IP, technology and commercial practice by taking on two partners, Nathalie Moreno from Beachroft and Vinod Bange from Eversheds.
DLA beats rivals to £10m Govt IT role
DLA Piper has seen off Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) and Pinsent Masons to win a Government mandate worth up to £10m in fees over five years.
A&O, McDermotts under orders to gauge BlackBerry IP case costs
A High Court judge has ordered Allen & Overy (A&O) and McDermott Will & Emery to estimate their costs before an intellectual property (IP) ...
Is Davenport’s internet piracy strategy a self-defeating one?
So there you are, quietly enjoying some internet porn, when you hear a letter drop on to the mat. It is from Davenport Lyons, a media and IP firm, demanding around £500 for the porn. And it has killed the mood.
Telly vision: Gordon Finlayson, Showtime Arabia
He began his career as a journalist and dabbled in the music business, but now Gordon Finlayson has finally found his perfect job – overseeing the legal function at Showtime Arabia.
Channel 4 names new legal head
Channel 4 has promoted Prash Naik to the role of controller of legal, replacing Jan Tomalin, who has left to set up her own firm.
A&O and McDermott to reveal costs before trial
High Court judge has ordered Allen & Overy and McDermott Will & Emery to estimate their costs before an intellectual property (IP) trial, showing judicial unease over the cost of UK litigation.
BT centralises lawyers, expands trainee intake
BT Group is in the process of overhauling the in-house functions of its separate businesses, creating central pools of lawyers to handle employment and regulation issues.
BAE Systems replaces Delhi-bound chief counsel
BAE Systems has appointed a new chief counsel for its land systems business following Mike Elston’s move to India.
Which? makes formal "bullying" complaint about Davenport Lyons
Consumer group Which? has complained to the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) about letters sent by Davenport Lyons to alleged file-sharers on behalf of copyright owners.
BAE knowledge head quits for tech company
BAE Systems is set to lose its head of knowledge management, with Jo Humphrey expected to join technology company Johnson Controls as chief- counsel for Europe.
Panel awaits its fate as T-Mobile probes fees
T-Mobile is set to renegotiate terms with its UK panel firms in an effort to drive down costs in response to the economic downturn.
Dentons helps Al Jazeera change its image
Denton Wilde Sapte has been giving lessons to global media network Al Jazeera on improving its image in the press.
2Birds’ Singapore tie-up points to future merger
Bird & Bird’s newly formed association with Singapore firm Alban Tay Mahtani & de Silva (ATMD) has been established as a precursor to a full-blown merger.
Davenport Lyons’ client list gets the sex factor
Davenport Lyons’ client list gets the sex factor" /London media firm Davenport Lyons is bulking up its client list with porn companies as part of a push into copyright litigation.
Dance floor diva: Victoria Davies, Ministry of Sound
With record deals, fitness videos and even a festival tent, Ministry of Sound has become more than just a nightclub. Tom Phillips meets head of legal Victoria Davies
SFO faces £10m legal bill on collapsed pharma investigation
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) could face a £10m legal bill following the collapse of its £25m, six-year investigation into alleged price fixing by drug manufacturers.
O2 slashes panel to two firms as GC quits
Mobile phone company O2 has completed a radical overhaul of its legal function that has seen general counsel Justine Campbell leave the company and Clifford Chance and Herbert Smith appointed as sole advisers in Europe.
Right Russian: Pavel Klimov, Unisys
When Pavel Klimov embarked on his career in communist Russia he had few options open to him. Now he is a globetrotting lawyer in charge of Unisys’ Emea legal team.
Guardian legal chief jumps ship to Ofcom
The Guardian newspaper has lost its head of legal Nuala Cosgrove to media regulator Ofcom.
Number of High Court IP cases rockets 83 per cent
Intellectual property (IP) disputes in the High Court have shot up by 83 per cent in the past year as businesses move to protect their IP rights in the downturn.
Field Fisher lawyers freed from Mumbai terror ordeal
Mark Abell and Christopher Jackson, the Field Fisher Waterhouse partners trapped in a Mumbai hotel siege, have been evacuated.
Irwin Mitchell elects PI head as new chief
Irwin Mitchell personal injury (PI) head John Pickering has been elected unopposed to the post of managing partner.
Mathys & Squire opens Manchester outpost
Patent and trademark attorney firm Mathys & Squire has launched a Manchester office with the hire of two directors from rival firm William A Shepherd & Son.
iLaw adds lawyer number 10 to roster
Start-up IP boutique iLaw now employs 10 lawyers following the hire of former DLA Piper commercial lawyer Rachel Laurent.
Clintons, Withers, line up for £2.4bn Ecclestone divorce
Clintons' star family lawyer Liz Vernon is to go up against Withers partner Mark Harper in the Ecclestone divorce, set to produce the largest divorce settlement in UK legal history.
FoxMandal Little hires Akash Chittranshi IP lawyer
India’s largest law firm by lawyer numbers, FoxMandal Little (FML), has hired a new head of copyright from specialist Indian IP firm Akash Chittranshi & Associates.
Dewey and Freshfields on Jacko's High Court turn
Dewey & LeBoeuf has gone head to head with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in a case brought by a Bahraini prince against singer Michael Jackson.
Feature: Tabloid blues - privacy and the press
Daily Mail chief Paul Dacre’s speech to the Society of Editors, in which he took Mr Justice Eady to task for his privacy rulings, has laid bare the simmering tensions between certain papers and the judiciary.
Technology boutique launches in West End
Outsourcing lawyer Rory Graham and former Baker & McKenzie disputes lawyer Robert Coffey have launched their own firm.
Daily Mail chief slams judge
Mr Justice Eady has come under attack from the Daily Mail editor-in-chief Paul Dacre for bringing privacy laws in by the back door.
Luthra scoops four-lawyer IP team from Anand
Indian firm Luthra & Luthra has scooped a four-lawyer team from Indian IP specialist firm Anand & Anand.
FFW media head joins NBC Universal
NBC Universal has hired a Field Fisher Waterhouse partner to launch the legal department of its new International Television Production business.
Tree for all: Ruth Daniels, The Generations Network
As the international vice president of legal for genealogy website The Generations Network, Ruth Daniels is relishing the challenge of new markets, she tells Tom Phillips
Speechly Bircham helps GO3 sign David Beckham
Speechly Bircham has advised food maker GO3 on the launch of a healthy eating food range endorsed by David Beckham.
Memery Crystal makes two redundant in corporate
Memery Crystal has laid off two fee earners in its corporate department following a round of redundancies.
Mail to apologise to football star for World Cup slur
Collyer Bristow has forced the Daily Mail to apologise to Italian footballer Marco Materazzi for the newspaper's coverage of the 2006 World Cup Final.
Coffey Graham swells London IT sector
The London IT legal market has a new entrant in the form of Coffey Graham, a two-partner firm, which launched last week. Founders Rory Graham and Robert Coffey hail from Morgan Lewis and Baker & McKenzie respectively.
Big Brother producer hires ITV man as legal head
Big Brother producer Endemol has hired ITV's group director of legal and regulatory compliance as global head of legal.
Bard company: Caroline Barnett, Royal Shakespeare Company
Former actor Caroline Barnett has found the perfect role as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s general counsel. Tom Phillips reports.
8 New Square victorious in software patent appeal
IP chambers 8 New Square has scored a Court of Appeal win for technology company Symbian, in a decision that could see software patents allowed in the UK for the first time.
Abu Dhabi media city hires first GC
The Newly launched Abu Dhabi media city twofour54 has turned to Dubai-based pay-TV operator Showtime Arabia for its first general counsel.
Steeles Law takes F1 chief’s privacy battle to Europe
Norfolk-based Steeles Law has been retained by Formula 1 chief Max Mosley to take his privacy case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Focus: Philip Trott, Taking the rap
Bates Wells & Braithwaite head of immigration Philip Trott has made a name for himself standing up for rappers’ rights
SFO to appeal High Court decision over Holbein super-case
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to appeal the High Court’s ruling that one of the Government’s longest and most expensive prosecutions should be dropped.
Paramount counsel goes it alone
The former UK legal director of Paramount Home Entertainment has launched a boutique media firm.
LTA serves Couchman Harrington plum deal
London sports firm Couchman Harrington Associates has won a choice mandate from pensions company Aegon to advise on its sponsorship of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Mixed ruling sees White & Case win a halt to parallel trade in medicines
White & Case has secured a mixed ruling on one of the most anticipated judgments on competition law from the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Brabners replaces Travers on West Ham appeal
Brabners Chaffe Street has bagged a lead role acting for West Ham United on the club’s appeal against a £30m payout to Sheffield United.
Facebook hires former White House man as GC
Facebook has hired Kirkland & Elllis partner Theodore Ullyot as its new general counsel.
Eversheds slashes IT team by 40 per cent
Eversheds has chopped the size of its in-house IT team by 40 per cent – from 200 employees to 120 – following the outsourcing of its daily operations.
Intelsat beams in former MTV legal head
Bermuda-based fixed satellite provider Intelsat has appointed the former head of business and legal affairs for the emerging markets division of MTV Networks International as its assistant general counsel, principally responsible for Europe and the Middle East.
City office upgrade signals Mintz Levin’s drive to boost corporate, IP
US firm Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo is to move into bigger offices in London as it seeks to build up its reputation for corporate and IP in the UK capital.
It takes two
It’s no accident that the Chancery Division and the Commercial Court are separate entities – and that’s how they should stay, argues Geoffrey Zelin.
One for all
Calls for a merger of the Chancery Division and the Commercial Court have right – and the interests of litigants – on their side, says Lawrence Cohen QC
Commercial & chancery
The Commercial and Chancery arena is in for a busy new term, with two of the biggest cases for this year starting in the courts – the Buncefield litigation and Tajik Aluminium.
It’s good to talk
Commercial enterprises thrive on saving time and costs, which is why mediation is threatening to take over from traditional litigation.
Price check
The court system needs to address the high costs of lower-end commercial disputes if it wants to service the business community effectively.
Heller IP team set to join Covington & Burling
A group of around 15 intellectual partners from Heller Ehrman are thought to be about to leave the firm to join Washington DC-based Covington & Burling.
Winston & Strawn NY hosts Brit technology forum
The New York office of Winston & Strawn played host yesterday (15 September) to a group of 21 UK technology companies on the hunt for business opportunities in the US.
MTV to rejig legal dept after chief walks
MTV Networks is due to reshuffle its legal team after parting company with Robert Cummins, its head of business and legal affairs for emerging markets.
FFW partners go to war
Field Fisher Waterhouse IP partner John Olsen has filed a claim with an employment tribunal, complaining of age discrimination and harassment. His claims are absolutely astonishing.
Field Fisher faces age claim by IP partner
Field Fisher Waterhouse partner John Olsen is taking his own firm to an employment tribunal, alleging age discrimination and bullying behaviour.
Hamburger the focus of world’s biggest IP law meet
The world’s largest-ever meeting of intellectual property lawyers was held this week in Boston, with the centrepiece being a battle over a hamburger.
Davenport grows via trio of partner captures
West End firm Davenport Lyons has continued its recent expansion by hiring a trio of partners for its employment, IP and property practices.
Brabners tops football transfer league with 33
Brabners Chaffe Street has emerged as the busiest law firm in football, advising nine clubs on a total of 33 transfers during the summer transfer window, which closed last Monday (1 September) at midnight.
Linklaters IT partner joins Bristows
Linklaters IT partner joins Bristows" /Bristows has snared Linklaters IT partner Christopher Millard, who joined the firm as a consultant today.
Morgan Lewis to retrench in IT, outsourcing
The London office of US firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius is reviewing its strategy following the loss of its only two IT and outsourcing partners.
Linklaters helps QCA beat hasty retreat from ETS exam contract
Linklaters has advised the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) on an early exit from its contract with US-owned exams administrator ETS Europe after the latter failed to deliver test results.
Field Fisher boosts IP disputes with DLA hire
DLA Piper has been hit by the loss of an IT litigator less than a month after making five redundant in its technology, media and communications group.
Time to rethink media coverage rules in employment tribunal cases
The press pack outside the London Central Employment Tribunal is a sure sign that somebody's reputation is going to be irretrievably sullied by the afternoon's media coverage.
Dentons seals £300m TV rights sale for Cricket Board
Denton Wilde Sapte has marked its tenth year advising the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) by acting on the £300m sale of the UK media rights to matches between 2010 and 2013.
Technically speaking...
Alexandra Harrison, a legal consultant at Kroll Ontrack and former barrister suggests why using technology in the preparation and presentation of evidence is key to controlling the cost of litigation. Edmund Lawson QC also talks about his first hand experience.
Athletic privacy
As the Beijing Olympics Start, Athlete Privacy is High on the Agenda
Norton Rose woos DMH Stallard IP partner
Norton Rose has raided DMH Stallard for IP partner Jonathan Ball, who only joined the South East firm ;a ;year ;ago ;from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Fladgate faces potential £10m payout as Izodia gets around to negligence action
Fladgate faces potential £10m payout as Izodia gets around to negligence action" /Fladgate may have to pay out in excess of £10m in damages if the negligence action brought against the firm by former dotcom company Izodia is successful.
Howrey wins through for new client Eli Lilly in human genes patent case
Howrey has won a groundbreaking patent case for new client Eli Lilly after the High Court handed down its first-ever judgment on the patentability of human genes.
Freezing order overturned in £25m Bolivian telecoms case
Reed Smith and Stephenson Harwood have secured a Court of Appeal discharge of a $50m (£25.44m) freezing injunction against the Republic of Bolivia and its state-owned telecommunications company.
Data security and outsourcing – the FSA turns up the heat
In a report published in April by its Financial Crime and Intelligence Division (FCID), the FSA warns that many financial services organisations are still falling substantially short of what it expects of them in safeguarding the security of their customer data, and that this presents a “serious, widespread and high-impact risk” ...
Lost in the post
Nowadays it’s so easy for vast quantities of data to leave the workplace – on CDs and DVDs, on laptops, on USB sticks. Inevitably some of it is mislaid, lost or stolen. When two CDs went astray containing personal details of 25 million people, businesses realised that if confidential data is going to leave the office it ought to be encrypted.
DLA review sees five TMC lawyers redundant
DLA Piper is conducting a firmwide review of staffing levels, resulting in five redundancies in the firm’s technology, media and communications (TMC) group.
Wragges aims for German IP launch
Wragge & Co is set to open an IP litigation office in Munich by September, although it will maintain its relationship with German best friend Graf von Westphalen, which also has a Munich presence. Wragges head of IP Gordon Harris said: “Increasingly, if you have European patents, US clients ask themselves whether to enforce in the US or in Germany, and quite frequently the answer to that is Germany.”
Virgin Media names new deputy GC
Virgin Media has promoted associate general counsel Scott Dresser to deputy general counsel.
US firm trio settle Nokia-Qualcomm dispute
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, Cravath Swaine & Moore and Cooley Godward have brokered a deal that sees the end of a three-year global dispute between Qualcomm and Nokia.
Reed Smith to open in Silicon Valley with MoFo hire
Reed Smith is to launch an office in Silicon Valley after hiring Morrison & Foerster Palo Alto partner Rich Scudellari.
Heller Ehrman hires DLA Piper IP partner
Heller Ehrman has recruited IP partner Richard Penfold from DLA Piper to boost its year-old London office as speculation over an impending merger with Baker & McKenzie persists.
DLA Piper makes London lay-offs
DLA Piper has made five lawyers redundant in its technology, media and commercial group.
Star Wars: attack on the clones struck down
Litigation firm SimmonsCooperAndrew has struck down George Lucas’ High Court battle for ownership of the IP rights to the Star Wars stormtrooper helmets.
Wragge & Co opens Munich IP base
Wragge & Co opens Munich IP base" /Wragge & Co is to open an IP litigation office in Munich by September, though it will maintain its relationship with German best friend Graf von Westphalen, which also has a Munich presence.
Alston & Bird to launch two west coast bases
Alston & Bird is targeting a simultaneous launch of two offices this week on the US west coast.
Litigation: A keyword for Google?
Many lawyers acting for brand owners will have felt the shockwaves emanating from Google’s recent controversial change to its policy regarding the use of trade marks as keywords in the UK and Ireland.
Advisors kept as Mosley moves from privacy to libel
Norfolk-based Steeles Law has been retained by Formula 1 chief Max Mosley as he launches libel proceedings against the News of the World.
Pinsents wins William Hill online mandate
Pinsent Masons has scored its first major deal for bookmakers William Hill since a June panel review, ;advising ;the company on a deal to upgrade its online betting service.
Bakers wins Narnia domain name battle
Baker & McKenzie has prevailed over a Scottish family in a fight over the narnia.mobi domain name, after a decision from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
Glaxo turns to Sidley for new GC
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has hit the US for its new general counsel, hiring Sidley Austin life sciences partner Dan Troy after a seven month search.
Howrey’s Lords patent win for Angiotech sets new IP precedent
Howrey’s burgeoning UK intellectual property (IP) practice has scored a valuable patent win for biotechnology ;client Angiotech against Conor Medsystems in the House of Lords.
Nokia ends GC search with internal candidate
Nokia has found a new global general counsel following a 10-month search, having decided to promote internally for the role.
2Birds raids Mayer Frankfurt for IP veteran
Bird & Bird has boosted its IP team in Germany with a partner hire from Mayer Brown’s Frankfurt office.
Conservation group turns to Lovells on carbon PPP
Lovells is advising international conservation group Flora & Fauna International (FFI) on a series of carbon-reduction PPP projects in developing countries.
Hogan takes first steps in Middle East
Hogan & Hartson is launching its first office in the Middle East when it opens in Abu Dhabi next month.
Lovells advises ParalympicsGB on McCartney ad
Lovells has advised on the ParalympicsGB on the intellectual property issues on its new TV advertising campaign featuring Sir Paul McCartney.
Jeantet scores LVMH victory against Ebay
French firm Jeantet Associés has scored a €40m win for retailer LVMH after a French court ruled that auction site Ebay failed to block the sale of counterfeit LVMH goods.
Singing cowboy joins Orrick as IP partner
Orrick has hired the former head of Jones Day’s Los Angeles IP group, Rob Dickerson as a partner.
Duane Morris London moves next door
US firm Duane Morris has moved into a new London office to pave the way for the expansion of its core practice areas. The firm is targeting litigation, insurance, corporate, IP, insolvency and employment as areas of growth in the City. London co-managing partner Susan Laws said: "The much-improved office space will allow us to continue to support the growing interest in the London legal market from our US, Singapore and Vietnam offices." The new office is next door to the old premises ...
Music industry body finds new GC within
Music industry association IFPI has ended its year-long search for a general counsel, promoting litigation head Jo Oliver to the top job.
Bird & Bird crowned International Firm of Year
Bird & Bird won International Firm of the Year at The Lawyer awards last night, in recognition of a global expansion strategy that has helped the firm triple its revenue over the last seven years.
Music industry body fills GC vacancy after year
Music industry association IFPI has ended its year-long search for a general counsel, promoting litigation head Jo Oliver to the top job.
William Hill unveils streamlined panel
Bookmaker William Hill has slimmed down its internal legal panel of advisers.An invitation to tender was sent to around 10 firms, with Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst ;and ;Pinsent Masons making the cut.
Bakers fails to follow its own advice in Narnia saga
Baker & McKenzie, the firm suing an Edinburgh dad on behalf of the CS Lewis estate after he purchased the ‘narnia.mobi’ domain name has not managed to protect its own .mobi domain name.
US patent pre-eminence under threat as China posts 25 per cent increase
China is on course to overtake the US as the world's largest patent-filing jurisdiction by 2012 if the growth in both countries continues at its current rate.
Couchman and Onside seal Twenty20 cricket deal
Sport boutiques Couchman Harrington Associates (CHA) and Onside Law have finalised a deal that will see a new Twenty20 cricket tournament in England funded by Texas billionaire Sir Allen Stanford.
Why scoring a place at football's top table is a goal worth shooting for
Football is becoming more soap opera than sport and each character in the cast has their own legal team backing them up. As money pours into the game from sponsorship and media deals, the stakes have increased along with the legal complexities.
Narnia Dad defends his domain name policies
The Scottish father who owns the narnia.mobi domain name insists that it was a present for his 11-year-old son despite the fact that he owns 78 other domain names.
Davenport Lyons wins Savile Row suits row
Davenport Lyons won a favourable decision from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for its client, Bond Street suit maker Sartoriani, allowing it to advertise its suits as "bespoke" even though they have not been made on Savile Row.
Baker & McKenzie vs 11-year old in Narnia IP row
A couple from Edinburgh being threatened with a law suit by Baker & McKenzie over their son’s 11th birthday present has received offers of Pro Bono advice from three law firms, The Lawyer can reveal.
Howard Kennedy media department walks
Howard Kennedy has parted company with its six-partner media practice, with three of the team poised to launch their own boutique.
Firms handed MoD FLIGHT TRAINING roles
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), Linklaters and Simmons & Simmons have all scored roles advising on a £635m contract to provide flight training for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). BLP helped the Ascent consortium, comprising VT Group and Lockheed Martin, secure the 25-year deal. BLP finance head Simon ...
Lovells technology of counsel off to FFW
#Field Fisher Waterhouse has boosted its technology practice by hiring Katrina Dick as a partner from Lovells. Dick specialises in communications law and regulation, new media, and information technology law. At Lovells she was of counsel. FFW's technology group now comprises 12 partners and 22 lawyers. The appointment is the firm's fifth lateral hire since April and the second in ...
Olswang helps Microsoft add top C4 shows to Messenger TV roster
Olswang has represented Microsoft on an agreement with Channel 4 to allow users of Windows Live Messenger to watch shows such as Skins and Peep Show online.
Gone in 0.08 seconds. But is Google's rule change really trademark theft?
The next time you run an internet search on Google and click on one or two of the top results, you might find yourself participating in a covert trademark theft that spans the globe - all in the space of around 0.08 seconds, depending on your connection speed.
Amanda Doyle: Orange
Orange's vice-president for legal and regulatory Amanda Doyle is reviewing her panel. Kit Chellel finds out who the favourites are.
Cravath, Paul Weiss win Time Warner deal
Cravath Swaine & Moore and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison snared lead roles on Time Warner's $9.25bn (£4.68bn) spin off of its cable television operations. Longstanding adviser Cravath advised Time Warner on the deal, which has separated the media conglomerate from Time Warner Cable. Corporate relationship partner Richard Hall led the team. Paul Weiss corporate partners Ariel Deckelbaum and Robert Schumer led the team advising Time Warner Cable.
Bird & Bird turnover up nearly a quarter
Bird & Bird has emerged as one of the fastest growing technology and media outfits in the top 100 UK firms, outstripping its peers with a 24 per cent increase in turnover to reach £143m.
Pfizer appoints DLA litigation chief as new GC
Pfizer has snared DLA Piper’s co-head of its class action practice group to be its vice president and global general counsel.
Harbottle looks to tax dept for new chief
Media and entertainment firm Harbottle & Lewis has appointed tax partner Glen Atchison as its new managing partner, taking over from Lawrence Abramson. Atchison will take up his role at the start of June after leading the tax practice for 10 years. He has been on the firm's management committee since 2006.
Stephenson Harwood and Norton Rose scoop sharia insurance deal
Stephenson Harwood and Norton Rose have snared lead roles on the outsourcing of sharia-compliant insurance, believed to be the first deal of its kind.Norton Rose, led by partner Mike Rebeiro, advised Principle Insurance on the £90m outsourcing...
Olswang pleased with 'comforting' financial results
Olswang has posted an 11.2 per cent increase in revenue over the past year, up to £92.4 million from 83.1m the year before.
Cravath, Paul Weiss advise in $9.25bn media deal
US firms Cravath Swaine & Moore and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison snared lead roles on Time Warner’s $9.25bn spin off of its cable television operations.Long standing advisers Cravath advised Time Warner on the deal, which will see the...
Harbottle & Lewis tax chief elected managing partner
Media and entertainment firm Harbottle & Lewis has appointed a new managing partner, with tax partner Glen Atchison taking over from Lawrence Abramson.
A&O partner sets up IP boutique
An Allen & Overy (A&O) IP and commercial partner in Hamburg has set up his own boutique practice, taking three associates with him.
MoFo Tokyo signs up IP bengoshi
Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has hired IP bengoshi Yukihiro Terazawa to bolster its Japanese practice with joint venture partner Ito & Mitomi.
Edwards Angell launches Euro patent team
US firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has launched a European patent prosecution practice in London just months after merging with UK firm Kendall Freeman.
Herbies unveils new computer system for workload planning
Herbert Smith is rolling out a bespoke computer system designed to ensure that work is efficiently allocated between teams.
K&L Gates merges with Taiwan firm
K&L Gates merges with Taiwan firm" /US firm K&L Gates has announced a merger with Taiwanese firm J&J Attorneys-at-law, strengthening its Asian capabilities.
New-look legal team at Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters has unveiled a restructured legal team following the firms' merger and installed a new general counsel for Europe.
2Birds migrates to CEE with Prague launch
Bird & Bird has launched a Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) desk with the hire of rated Czech Republic technology and media partner Stephen Kines, paving the way for an office opening in Prague.
Rouse & Co founder in 7 Bedford Row move
The founder of IP consultancy Rouse & Co International has been appointed chief executive at common law set Seven Bedford Row (7BR).
Squire Sanders poaches team of eight for Ukraine office relaunch
Squire Sanders & Dempsey has relaunched its office in Ukraine after taking an eight-lawyer team from its former local ally The Silecky Firm.
August & Debouzy recruits rogue trader's lawyer to the partnership
Nabarro's French best friend, August & Debouzy, has hired the lawyer representing former Société Général rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel as a partner.
Standout April for MoFo as firm secures six life sciences transactions
Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has sewn up a raft of UK life sciences deals, winning a place on six transactions in the past month.
Schillings wins Appeal Court victory for author JK Rowling
Media law firm Schillings scored a victory in the Court of Appeal today (7 May), which held that the privacy of client and Harry Potter author JK Rowlings’ five-year-old son had been infringed.
IP boutique bags A&O IP chief
IP firm Rouse Legal has boosted its partnership with the hire of the head of Allen & Overy's intellectual property group.
Promotion and hire add two to ranks of Wiggin partnership
Media boutique Wiggin has added two new partners, promoting one and hiring the other from Bristol firm Veale Wasbrough.
Premier League picks DLA Piper for IP clash with pubs
DLA Piper has scored the lead role acting for the FA Premier League in a dispute with a group of UK pubs over the broadcasting of football?matches.
FFW bags Eversheds franchising team; relaunches construction team
Field Fisher Waterhouse has snared three Eversheds franchising lawyers and is to relaunch construction.
Orange's UK panel firms put on notice
Telecoms giant Orange UK is set to revamp its roster of legal advisers in its first panel review for three years.
A&O's BlackBerry patent win soured as costs inquest criticises hours tally
The backlash from A&O's £5.2m bill for work shows how you can win a court battle but lose the ensuing PR war.
AEG Live hikes legal team with promotion and BPI capture
Music promoter AEG Live, which has artists such as Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake on its books, has created the new role of general counsel and promoted one of its in-house lawyers to the position.
Herbies client BAA under fire from Competition Commission
The Competition Commission signalled its intention to force a break-up of the near monopoly BAA operates in the supply of airport services in the UK.
A&O faces costs post-mortem after BlackBerry judgment
BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion is set to scrutinise the details of the £5m-plus bill that Allen & Overy presented it with following a patent battle with wireless technology company Visto.
Canon Europe to size up legal panels
Canon Europe has launched its first-ever series of formal panel reviews in emerging markets, targeting jurisdictions such as Russia and Dubai.
Collyers IP partner jumps ship for Reprieve deputy director role
Collyer Bristow IP partner Clare Algar is to leave private practice to join human rights charity Reprieve as deputy director.
DuPont Fabros Technology recruits new GC
Real estate investment trust DuPont Fabros Technology has hired a new general counsel from mobile telecoms company Sprint Nextel.
Herbies on song for music publisher sale
Herbert Smith client Imagem Music has won an auction to buy classical music publisher Boosey & Hawkes from private equity house HgCapital.
IP and TMT associates left behind in a promotion round to forget
Compared with last year, 2008 has been an unexceptional promotion round for many senior associates in the top 100 firms. But for those in the IP and technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) departments, it was just another year of being almost completely overlooked.
A&O slammed for "shocking" costs
Allen & Overy (A&O) has been slammed by the High Court for racking up almost £5.2m in costs and spending the equivalent of nine man years for a five-day trial.
Speechly Bircham seals Revlon deal for supermodel Elle Macpherson
Speechly Bircham has picked up the lead role acting for model Elle Macpherson on her deal to become the new face of $1.33bn American cosmetics giant Revlon.
Bird & Bird doubles partnership promotions
Bird & Bird doubles partnership promotions" /Bird & Bird has doubled its promotions to the partnership, making up a record 14 associates to partnership this year after last year’s haul of seven.
PartyGaming hires lawyer to save on fees
PartyGaming is taking its commercial work in-house to save money after hiring Victoria Allison from IWC Media to join the team at the online gambling company's Gibraltar HQ.
'You're hired', Apprentice makers tell new legal and business head
The television company responsible for hit show The Apprentice has hired Jacqueline Moreton as its head of legal and business affairs from the UK arm of US media company CBS Paramount.
Herbies' Moodie retires to tend his vines
Herbert Smith IP heavyweight Bill Moodie is retiring after more than 30 years in legal practice.
Dundee Uni broadens LLB offering
The University of Dundee is introducing a bachelor of law degree that enables students to gain dual-qualification in Scottish and English and Welsh law.
FFW acts on sale of BBC's outside broadcasts division
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has fended off competition from a range of other firms to advise the BBC on the sale of its outside broadcasts division to sports broadcaster Satellite Information Services (SIS).
Olswang spot on for Boyle's new picture
Olswang has advised independent film company Celador Films on Trainspotting director Danny Boyle's new picture. Film partner James Kay closed the deal on new title Slumdog Millionaire six weeks early after the team simplified the documentation to make it more user-friendly. Film4, the co-developer and co-financer on the project, was advised by in-house legal head Paul Grindey. Distributors Pathe Pictures ...
DLA Piper launches NY patent team with former Clifford Chance IP chief
DLA Piper launches NY patent team with former Clifford Chance IP chief" /DLA Piper has snared former Clifford Chance America IP head to lead its IP practice group in the New York office.
Bird & Bird loses former chairman to FFW…
Bird & Bird has lost its former chairman and leading technology partner Hamish Sandison to Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW).
Diageo gives global IP team regional focus
Diageo has restructured its global IP team to focus on regions rather than product lines in order to align the team more closely with the rest of the business.
Consultancy offer sees IP guru Gold take Midas touch to LG
Senior IP lawyer and patent attorney Tibor Gold has taken up a role as a consultant at LG. According to senior partner Penny Francis, this will help open doors for the firm's burgeoning IP practice.
Costume designer strikes back in Star Wars IP rights test case
Litigation boutique SimmonsCooperAndrew will cross light sabres with Harbottle & Lewis in a High Court battle of galactic proportions over who owns the IP rights to the stormtrooper costumes from the Star Wars films.
Lovells forges ahead with global IP expansion strategy
Lovells has strengthened further its international IP practice with the addition of Wragge & Co patent litigation partner Adam Cooke.
Simmons rebuilds Hong Kong team
Simmons & Simmons Hong Kong has hired technology, media and telecoms (TMT) partner Damien Bailey from Minter Ellison, where he headed the Chinese TMT practice.
Olswang doubles Berlin office with Links IP team
Olswang's Berlin office has doubled in size after taking on Linklaters' highly rated IP team of two partners and six fee-earners.
Hardwicke swoops on 5 Raymond for IP snr jnr
Hardwicke Building has ramped up its IP capabilities with the hire of senior junior Madeleine Heal from 5 Raymond Buildings.
Linklaters IP team quits for Olswang
Linklaters IP team quits for Olswang" /Olswang has taken on a star team of eight lawyers from Linklaters in Germany, doubling the size of its burgeoning Berlin office.
Olswang acts on EU rollout of film studios' digital cinema
Olswang has advised new client Arts Alliance Media on five long-term deals to secure the rollout of digital cinema for five studios across Europe.
Powell Gilbert adds first new partner
IP boutique Powell Gilbert has made up its first partner, bringing the total number of partners to six at the year-old firm.
FFW helps Tottenham Hotspur fend off counterfeit traders
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has scored a winning role for Carling Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur, advising on the club's crackdown on counterfeit goods being sold over the internet.
Bristows scoops three-partner team from restructuring Howrey
City IP boutique Bristows has recruited a three-partner disputes team from the London office of US firm Howrey.
Simmons beats DLA, Eversheds in Sitel preferred adviser race
Simmons & Simmons has edged out DLA Piper and Eversheds to become the preferred legal adviser for £1bn turnover outsourcing specialist Sitel.
Dundas's not so unique selling point
Dundas & Wilson has just launched a specialist outsourcing unit that it claims is the largest in Scotland. As Dundas partner Laurence Ward puts it: "A dedicated outsourcing team of this size is unique in Scotland."
Howrey launches Spanish IP practice with Gómez raid
Howrey has launched an IP practice in its newly-formed Madrid office, grabbing a four-lawyer team from Spain's leading firm for IP Gómez-Acebo & Pombo.
Make or break: why Lovells is ditching referral firms in global IP drive
Is entry into the US and Japan total madness or entrepreneurial genius?
Olswang scoops fourth photon buy
Olswang has advised communications company Photon Group on its largest acquisition to date.
Nabarro targets public sector with DLA hire
Nabarro has hired IT outsourcing partner George Wheeler-Carmichael from DLA Piper in a bid to attract more public sector-related work.
Orange deputy GC takes up GSM Association top legal post
The trade organisation for the global mobile phone industry has hired a new general counsel to revamp its legal department.
Links shakes up TMT and IP groups with merger
Linklaters has merged its technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and IP practices as it prepares to boost both departments internationally.
Wragges triumphs as Appeal Court ends Cinpres patent saga
Wragges triumphs as Appeal Court ends Cinpres patent saga" / One of the country's longest-running patent cases has ended with a Court of Appeal victory going to the IP team at Wragge & Co, after 12 years of bitter courtroom battles.
Bird & bird's shooter strikes diamond deal
Bird & Bird IT partner Simon Shooter has advised De Beers in his first major deal for the diamond giant since joining the firm from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) a year ago.
Claimant libel lawyers hit back at media demands for CFA caps
Hollywood actress Sharon Stone has used it. Supermodel Naomi Campbell has had it. Hell, even hypnotist Paul McKenna has utilised it.
Privacy issues
On 20 November, to gasps from the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had lost two CDs containing a copy of its entire child benefit database. This is one of the largest ever breaches of personal information security, anywhere in the world.
Bristows promotes two to partner
IP firm Bristows has re-energised its partnership with the promotion of two associates.
Media lobbies Govt to introduce libel cap
Twenty two media groups have joined forces to lobby the Government for a cap on the exponential costs in libel cases.
BT Global Services ups lobbying clout in run-up to US election
BT Global Services is on the verge of naming a new US general counsel after moving its legal chief into a senior lobbying position in Washington DC.
New Marks & Clerk chair vows to boost Asia
Marks & Clerk, the UK's biggest patent and trademark attorney firm, has appointed its youngest-ever chairman and committed to a strategy of international expansion.
Kemp Little dials up extra T-Mobile coverage with Ericsson outsourcing
Technology boutique Kemp Little has helped to improve mobile phone coverage for people on the T-Mobile network, advising the company on an outsourcing agreement with Ericsson.
Eversheds' Tyco model sparks quiet revolution
One year on, Eversheds' Tyco deal is setting a standard that others are trying to follow. By Nina Goswami
Olswang in for the Long haul
Olswang has made a major long-term investment in its telecoms practice with the hire of ex-Mayer Brown partner Rob Bratby.
Howrey takes Simmons and Taylor Wessing partners
Howrey has boosted its London IP group with two new partners, taking Marjan Noor from Taylor Wessing and Paul Inman from Simmons & Simmons.
Practising law in the 'real world'?
An increasing number of law firms are opening, or considering to open, offices in 'Second Life', the virtual three-dimensional world.
Linklaters hire boosts Lovells litigation in Poland
Lovells has beefed up its global intellectual property media and technology practice with the addition of a new partner in Warsaw from Linklaters.
Harbottle gets happy ending in film fee dispute
Media boutique Harbottle & Lewis settled its case against Hollywood producer Israel Baron after two days in the High Court just before Christmas.
IPS Law homes in on Manchester music scene
Manchester sports boutique IPS Law has launched a music and entertainment practice with a lawyer from Laytons Solicitors.
Wiggin scores sport and media triple
Wiggin's sport and media team has scored a hat trick of deals, picking up mandates from ITV, Virgin Media and Manchester United FC.
FFW advises Chello Zone on TV joint venture with HIT
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has embraced the world of children's television, advising international broadcaster and TV distributor Chello Zone on a 10-year joint venture with HIT Entertainment, the home of popular children's programmes such as Bob the Builder, Thomas and Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Pingu, Barney and Fireman Sam.
Facing facts
Most users of social networking websites such as Facebook have no idea how their personal data can be used. It's time to educate them on the risks, says Kevin Calder
Making your mark
From the shape of a sausage to Tarzan's yell, the courts are inundated with unusual trademark applications. Mary Bagnall and Susie Curtis clarify what, exactly, a trademark is
World renown?
The US is facing stiff resistance over its patent reforms.
Osborne Clarke hires new German patents chief
Osborne Clarke has boosted its Cologne office with the appointment of partner Michael Trimborn who will lead its German patent practice.
Eversheds hires DLA Piper tech partner
Eversheds hires DLA Piper tech partner" /Eversheds has hired former DLA Piper senior technology, media and commercial partner David Glover as a partner in its commercial practice group.
BLP tipped for first asian gaming float
Online gaming is set to get a boost in the coming weeks, with Asian Logic becoming the first Asia-based gaming company to seek a London listing.
Cadwalader raids boutique for NYC IP team
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has boosted its New York IP team with the hire of two partners from IP firm Morgan & Finnegan.
FFW offers discount fixed fee for trademark opposition work
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) is offering a discount fixed-fee arrangement for its trademark opposition service, giving clients the chance to nip IP disputes in the bud for £200.
Reed Smith steps up to the platform for Bebo web initiative
Reed Smith Richards Butler senior associate Gregor Pryor has bagged a role advising social networking site Bebo on an open media content-sharing platform.
Foley's Shanghai office goes live
Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner has been given the green light to set up a representative office in Shanghai following an application made in February (www.thelawyer.com 5 February).
Capgemini expands panel to hike dispute resolution choice
IT consultancy Capgemini UK has expanded its legal panel following a review, handing SJ Berwin its first role on the roster to advise on dispute resolution.
New music partner for Davenport
Media lawyer Nigel Davies has joined West End media law firm Davenport Lyons as a partner in its music department.
Kemp Little opens competition practice
Technology firm Kemp Little has launched its dedicated competition and regulatory practice with the recruitment of partner Susannah Sheppard.
Music group BPI lands new GC
The BPI, the industry group for UK record companies, has finally ended its search for a new general counsel, hiring Kiaron Whitehead from litigation firm Forbes Anderson Free.
Hill Dickinson adds IP/IT muscle
Hill Dickinson's Manchester office has recruited its first patent attorney in a bid to establish itself as a full-service IP/IT practice.
Danoptra snares legal head from Halliwells
UK gaming and amusement machine operator Danoptra Holdings has landed Halliwells' head of gambling law Nick Hawkins to take the newly created role of director of legal services.
Addleshaws scores lead role on Football League broadcast deal
Addleshaw Goddard is bringing football back home to terrestrial television, scoring the lead role for the Football League in its £264m media deal with the BBC.
Danoptra scoops Halliwells gambling head
UK gaming and amusement machine operator Danoptra Holdings has snared Halliwells head of gambling law Nick Hawkins to take the newly created role of director of legal services.
BPI hires new general counsel
The BPI, the industry group for UK record companies, has finally ended its search for a new general counsel, hiring Kiaron Whitehead from litigation firm Forbes Anderson Free.
Google raids Expedia for new GC
Google has hired a new general counsel to head its growing UK legal team, snapping up Expedia's rated European legal chief Luisa Edwards.
TSYS lures Global Switch GC for UK legal head role
Payments processing company Total Systems Services (TSYS) has snared Global Switch general counsel Solomon Osagie to head its new UK-based legal team.
Lovells brings Japanese patent firm on board to create Tokyo IP team
Lovells has announced a merger with Japanese firm Kubota Law & Patent that will allow it to advise on domestic Japanese IP law for the first time.
4 Pump Court blocks Blackstone's bid to secure F1 title for Hamilton
Sports experts at Blackstone Chambers and 4 Pump Court went head-to-head at the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in a clash that could have seen Formula 1 rookie driver Lewis Hamilton crowned champion.
Beachcroft technology head quits for Eversheds
Beachcroft has lost its head of technology Nick Holland to rival firm Eversheds.
Boutique scores victory for Blairs over paparazzi
Media boutique Atkins Solicitors has scored substantial damages for the former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Booth QC of Matrix chambers.
US consortium wins UK e-borders deal
The in-house team at US defence company Raytheon has negotiated and signed a £650m contract with the Home Office to manage its e-borders project.
HMRC blunder prompts calls for stronger punishments
The Government’s loss of 25 million people’s bank and employment details in the post has led to calls for the Information Commission to receive stronger powers.
Intl Cricket Council secures Collyer-Bristow sports chief
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has hired the former head of Collyer-Bristow's sports practice to head its commercial legal department.
Pinsents rebounds with double IP hire
Pinsent Masons has recovered from Mishcon de Reya's raid on its IP team with hires from national rival Addleshaw Goddard and the BBC.
Brodies hires Addleshaws technology star
Brodies has beefed up its technology and information group with the addition of former Addleshaw Goddard partner Andrew Rigby.
Bird & Bird celebrates record six months
Bird & Bird is celebrating one of the best half year performances in its history, growing by 24 per cent over the last six months.
Infosys targets law firms with new legal outsourcing business
India’s second largest IT company Infosys Technologies is set to target UK and US firms through the launch of its legal process outsourcing (LPO) business.
Bringing IP to Ireland
Ireland is becoming an attractive location for IP, with foreign companies moving their brands/licensing IP to those located in Ireland. To sustain this position, substantial efforts have been made to introduce measures to ensure that Ireland has the necessary legislative and administrative framework in place to offer sufficient legal protection for IP rights, as well as tax incentives to encourage and foster growth of IP rights in Ireland.
Norton Rose boosts tech team with associate hires
Norton Rose has lured two senior TMT associates from Allen & Overy (A&O) and Baker & McKenzie by offering them partnership.
TwoBirds scores Dutch customs team from Simmons
Bird & Bird has launched a new trade and customs practice in Europe, landing a four-lawyer team from Simmons & Simmons in the Netherlands.
Trademark changes: good for lawyers, bad for owners
On 1 October 2007 a new system for examining UK trademark applications was introduced.
Sports boutiques forge transatlantic alliance
New York firm Dreier has signed an alliance with London boutique SK Sport and Entertainment to advise US sports figures in the UK and Europe.
Unilever in-houser wins INTA presidency
The International Trademark Association (INTA) has named Unilever global anti-counterfeiting head Richard Heath as its president for 2009.
Baker & McKenzie hires fresh faces for IP
Baker & McKenzie has hired a raft of IP lawyers in Asia to recover from last month's raid by Jones Day, opening up a new front in the war for IP talent.
Court of Appeal redraws rules on design and trademark rights
IP practitioners will need to update their textbooks on trademark and design rights after the Court of Appeal handed down two judgments within a week.
Another partner quits McDermott in London
McDermott Will & Emery has suffered the loss of its London head of IP, Larry Cohen, who has defected to US rivals Latham & Watkins.
Thelen launches new patent litigation group
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner has raided the New York office of Weil Gotshal & Manges, hiring patent litigation partner Steve Rizzi.
ITMA and LawSoc settle trade mark battle
The Law Society and the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) have settled a row over the use of the title “trade mark attorney”, reaching an agreement through mediation.
Colt targets formal panel in last leg of legal reshuffle
Colt Telecom is planning to establish a formal legal panel as the final stage in a reconstruction of its legal department begun when the company relocated to Luxembourg in June 2006.
Lord Mawhinney slams football deals
Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney has hit out at the lack of legal integrity in football players’ contracts.
Internet domain operator ups dispute personnel
Nominet, the operator of the .uk internet domain, is looking for 10 IP and internet specialists to join its dispute resolution panel as it looks to cope with the growing number of domain name disputes.
Cadwalader launches IP practice
New York firm Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft has launched an IP practice, raiding IP firm Morgan & Finnegan for a trio of senior lawyers.
Simmons vows organic TMT expansion
Simmons & Simmons has pledged to focus on organic growth in its London communications and outsourcing group following the loss of two-fifths of its London partner capability in a matter of months.
CC ties up licensing for kids’ TV show
Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has advised interactive media company Ludorum on a licensing agreement for the UK broadcast related rights to a new animated children’s series.
Greenberg brings in GSK’s head of trademarks
Olswang’S US ally Greenberg Traurig has lured GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) global head of trademarks to boost its New York office.
Guildhall QC bolsters Vickery defence
Guildhall Chambers silk Richard Smith QC has managed to get England rugby captain Phil Vickery a lenient punishment after his trip on USA centre Paul Emerick.
Judges demand Euro data protection accord
Judges and eminent legal figures across Europe are set to launch a steering group to harmonise data protection for criminal proceedings.
LeBoeuf partner returns to in-house roots with ITV job
ITV has appointed LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae corporate partner Andrew Garard as its legal director to replace the outgoing Kyla Mullins.
Man Utd hikes legal team with Addleshaws signing
Manchester United FC has doubled the size of its legal team with the hire of a lawyer from Addleshaw Goddard.
A novel idea
Getting rid of unnecessary disclosure will make patent litigation cheaper and faster, says Jonathan Radcliffe
Simmons exits prompt new TMT strategy
Simmons & Simmons has pledged to focus on organic growth in its London communications and outsourcing group following the loss of two-fifths of its London partner capability in a matter of months.
Legal advisers can be a football club's best signings
Transfer spending by English football clubs this summer has exceeded £500m, according to recent analysis by Deloitte. This figure confirms the ever-increasing value and complexity of football transactions.
Taylor Wessing becomes star player on Rugby World Cup team
Taylor Wessing has scored the lead role on the disputes committee of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, thanks to a recommendation from rival Clifford Chance.
Eversheds wins court victory for Dupont
Eversheds has won a crucial IP dispute for chemicals company Dupont against packaging giant Smurfit.
Fish & Richardson set for Munich opening
IP firm Fish & Richardson is expanding its reach beyond the geographic confines of the US, opening its first international office in Munich.
Eversheds wins appeal for Dupont
Eversheds has won a crucial IP dispute for chemicals company Dupont against packaging giant Smurfit.
FFW scores Red and White's bid for Arsenal
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) could be in line to take over from Slaughter and May as Arsenal Football Club's lead law firm after advising Russian steel billionaire Alisher Usmanov on his purchase of a 14 per cent stake in the club.
Lovells takes first steps for US IP capability
Lovells is planning to build an IP practice in the US following the lateral hire of partner Veronica Mullally from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.
Bird & Bird captures Linklaters' head of IP
Bird & Bird has boosted its Brussels IP team with the hire of Linklaters Brussels IP head Jean-Christophe Troussel.
Ashurst snares A&P IT star for India group
Ashurst has expanded its growing India group with the hire of former Arnold & Porter partner Murali Neelakantan as a partner in its corporate department and head of the firm's India group.
Pinsents improves public sector standing with Govt IT instruction
The outsourcing team at Pinsent Masons has raised its public sector profile by advising the Cabinet Office on a framework contract for sharing IT services.
Privacy on parade
Judges are creating new privacy case law with each new ruling. And with the lack of parliamentary legislation
Marks & Clerk wins Mr Miss World case
Marks & Clerk Solicitors won a last-minute injunction against Channel 4 for client Miss World Limited, forcing the broadcaster to change the name of its Mr Miss World show.
Bristows, Taylor Wessing alumni spirit away human genome case
Bristows, Taylor Wessing alumni spirit away human genome case" /Two of the biggest names in IP, Bristows and Taylor Wessing, have missed out on the UK's first-ever human genome patent litigation after the loss of key litigation ...
EU criminalises breaches of IP rights
The infringement of IP rights is set to become a criminal offence after the European Parliament's legal affairs committee backed a directive to harmonise EU criminal laws.
High Court deals second patent blow to software developers
The High Court has dealt a blow to companies looking to patent software-related inventions after rejecting Bloomberg's bid to patent a computer program.
Viacom hires Jenner & Block for YouTube battle
Media behemoth Viacom has instructed East Coast litigation specialists Jenner & Block to handle its $1bn copyright case against video site YouTube.
Material witless
The exponential rise in popularity of user-generated websites MySpace and YouTube has brought to the fore the fact that the copyright laws governing these media are a grey area. By Graham Simkin and Kevin Smith
Thought policing
The Court of Appeal's decisions in Aerotel and Macrossan go some way to clarifying patent law and signal the UK's intention to concur with a European standard. By Alan Johnson, David Brown and James Boon
Get out flaws
What constitutes a ’material breach’ is becoming a central problem for those wishing to terminate long-running IT contracts. By Sarah Walker and Carolyn Greene
Wragges IP chief departs to join Marks & Clerk Solicitors
Wragges IP chief departs to join Marks & Clerk Solicitors" /Wragge & Co’s head of IP Gregor Grant has quit the Birmingham-based outfit for Marks & Clerk Solicitors, the associated law firm of the world’s largest firm of patent and trademark attorneys.
Kirkpatrick wins Testa IP team
Recently-merged Anglo-American firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham is the latest to profit from the demise of Boston technology and venture capital powerhouse Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault.
Three more jump ship from Hammonds
Hammonds’ beleagured IP and construction practices have suffered another blow with the departure of three more partners.
HMV looks to Simmons over Nabarros
Simmons & Simmons won out over Nabarro Nathanson to advise HMV on its first major deal since completing its panel review in mid-2004.IT partner Michael Sinclair led the Simmons team advising the leading music retailer on its new music download contract with Microsoft.
Patent leathering
2004 saw Lord Hoffmann do a U-turn on his Improver patent yardstick. Will it make patent law any easier to interpret? By Stephen Jones
Outgoing DWS partners win the right to vote on new management
The Eleven departing Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS) media and IP partners have been cleared to vote in the forthcoming management elections after the firm went to counsel to clarify its position.
Hallmark IP wins ex-Olswang trademark star
Hallmark IP has recruited Olswang’s former head of trademark filing and prosecution, Vivienne Coleman, as the first step on its road to becoming a multidisciplinary IP practice.
US firms boost outsourcing at expense of London rivals
Morrison & Foerster’s raid on Shaw Pittman, first reported in The Lawyer last week, was the third eye-catching move into outsourcing by a US firm in the space of a year.
DLA targets Aussie, Indian link-ups
Australian and Indian law firms have emerged as unlikely targets for DLA ahead of this Saturday’s (4 December) vote on the merger with Chicago’s Piper Rudnick.
Stibbe overhauls IP in wake of double defection
Dutch M&A heavyweight Stibbe is to restructure its IP department and exit patent law following the departure of partners Jan Brinkhof and Kurt Stöpetie.
FFW in Burger King victory over Rouse
IP boutique Rouse & Co has lost Burger King as a client but hired one of the fast food chain’s trademark attorneys.
Morgan Lewis lures talent from rival and client
The London office of Morgan Lewis & Bockius has scored a double coup after recruiting the former head of Norton Rose’s IP/IT group as well as the general counsel from client Cantor Fitzgerald International. Richard Barratt joins the US firm as a partner from Norton Rose, where he was global head of IP and IT before a recent restructuring of the department. Former client Robert Falkner was general counsel ...
Mathesons lures Corrs Chambers IP specialist in refocusing strategy
Leading Dublin firm Matheson Ormsby Prentice has expanded its IP team with the recruitment of Alistair Payne from rated Australian firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
MoFo hires disabled office junior after charity IP work
US-based firm Morrison & Foerster’s (MoFo) efforts for London charity Choices 4 All has led to the firm employing an office junior with learning disabilities, an unlooked-for benefit of providing pro bono IP protection advice.
DWS left shellshocked as eleven media/IP partners defect to DLA
DWS’s TMT practice left with skeleton crew; defectors cite lack of investment as reason for exodus. By Joanne O’Connor
Kirkpatrick puts new admin partner in SF office
Nicholson Graham & Jones’s merger partner Kirkpatrick & Lockhart has shaken up its San Francisco management. It has appointed IP specialist Deborah Bailey-Wells as administrative partner, taking over from Peter Sheats. Bailey-Wells will also become a member of the firm’s management committee. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 28 September
DLA Group entices Polish firm Lukowicz into the fold
DLA’s international association DLA Group is expanding its presence in Eastern Europe after securing its first Polish member.
Shearman scores dual hire for West Coast push
Shearman & Sterling is forging ahead with its Californian recruitment drive after scooping its second lateral in less than a month. IP litigation partner Brian Cannon leaves Fish & Neave for Shearman. He will rejoin former colleague Vicki Veenker who left Fish & Neave four years ago to establish Shearman’s IP group at Menlo Park.
Norton Rose’s Cologne team gears up for defection to CMS
Norton Rose may be on the verge of losing its entire Cologne office as its partners accelerate talks with CMS Hasche Sigle.
Kilpatrick continues UK recruitment drive
Kilpatrick Stockton is forging ahead with its aggressive UK recruitment drive after taking on a former Clifford Chance partner. Mary O’Connor, formerly an arbitration partner at the magic circle firm, will become a partner in the litigation department at the Atlanta firm’s London office. Just over a month ago, Kilpatrick scooped two senior IP partners from Simmons & Simmons. Its London head of IP ...
Careers: people
Linklaters Madrid has strengthened its M&A and private equity practice with the hires of two associates from magic circle rivals. Alexander Kolb arrives from Clifford Chance’s corporate department, where he has worked since 1999, while Victor Manchado joins after five years at
The key to IP
Ireland continues to be a jurisdiction of choice for companies wishing to establish a European base. Alistair Payne reports on managing IP in Ireland
Last partner quits CC’s Düsseldorf IP department
Clifford Chance has lost its last Düsseldorf IP partner Christian Osterrieth to embryonic German IP boutique Reimann Osterrieth Kohler Haft.
Careers: people
Cobbetts has bolstered its IP, information, communications and technology and media teams with the hire of two solicitors for its Manchester office. Laura Harper arrives after a five-year stint at Pannone & Partners, while Sonia Luthra joins the top 50 firm from DWF Solicitors.
Competition expert returns to fold at Stanbrook & Hooper
International competition law and trade practices firm Stanbrook & Hooper has re-appointed a former partner of the firm to boost is competition and intellectual property expertise.
Opinion
Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch declared the Sydney Olympics “the best Games ever”. Could the Athens Games rise to this challenge? The Greeks certainly had a tough act to follow and the doom-merchants had a great time cataloguing the problems facing the organisers, but by the closing ceremony the praise was all but unanimous: the Greeks ...
British Olympic Assoc head of legal pushes for ambush marketing laws
No sooner had the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) head of legal affairs Sara Friend stepped off the plane from Athens, than she was back in the office working on the London 2012 bid and demanding legislative change.
Hogarth, 19 Old Buildings join to create IP mega-set
Hogarth Chambers has merged with 19 Old Buildings to form the bar’s largest IP set.
Nick Carter: Capital One Bank
A former City lawyer is heading the legal team at Capital One, a company that markets itself as ‘fun’. Jodi Bartle goes looking for a laugh
Pillsbury Winthrop wins IP haul from Mintz Levin
US firm Pillsbury Winthrop has scooped the co-chair of IP at Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo and his eight-strong team for its Northern Virginia office.
Simmons loses two IP heads to Kilpatrick
Simmons & Simmons has been hit with the double loss of its London and New York IP heads to Kilpatrick Stockton.
Cisco poised for move to DuPont legal model
Tech company latest to adopt one-firm partnering scheme pioneered by DuPont
Willoughby’s future is bright with Orange
IP boutique Willoughby & Partners last week found itself at the centre of the Orange-EasyGroup spat over the use of the colour orange in EasyMobile’s trademark.
Jones Day donates office to ex-partners for start-up
Jones Day is helping two of its former IP partners to launch their own practice by offering them rent-free space in the firm’s London office.
Opinion
Elvis Presley’s That’s All Right recently made the top three in the UK singles chart on the 50th anniversary of its first release. This anniversary also has major implications for the copyright in the sound recording of the track; it will expire on 31 December 2004. From 1 January 2005, third parties will be able to press and sell copies of this recording without infringing copyright.
Opinion
The commonly held idea that perfumes, recipes and other formulae are the mere sum of their ingredients, and are therefore not protected under copyright law, was recently rejected by the Court of Appeal of Den Bosch in the Netherlands. In a groundbreaking decision, the court ruled that Lancôme’s perfume ‘Trésor’ was copyright-protected. Physicochemical analysis and the laws of probability ...
King & Spalding drives patent group forward with new hire
King & Spalding’s fledgling New York patent litigation group has welcomed a partner from Kenyon & Kenyon. Robert Perry, who was also a member of Kenyon & Kenyon’s management committee group, will bring the number of fee-earners in King & Spalding’s New York-based group to 11, including four partners. King & Spalding set up the practice area in May, bumping up the firm-wide lawyers and patent agents based throughout Atlanta and New York to 60 experts.
The phone home
The Nordic telecoms market continues to be particularly mobile. Henrik Nilsson provides the lowdown
Careers: people
Langleys Solicitors has appointed a new partner to bolster its commercial team. Andrew Argyle has joined the firm’s Lincoln office, where he will specialise in commercial litigation. Argyle arrives from Birmingham firm Shakespeares, where he was a partner in the commercial litigation department.
Kerry Griffin: Innovision Research & Technology plc
From pharma to logistics to the Tube, Innovision’s microchips are leading the way towards a more coherent future. Alex Wade gives the lowdown
Jones Day IP old boy goes it alone
Legacy Gouldens IP stalwart Charters Macdonald-Brown has left Jones Day to set up his own practice. Macdonald-Brown, who was head of IP at Gouldens since 1977, which then merged with the US’s Jones Day last year, left the firm last Wednesday (30 June) and started up his new specialist IP practice, entitled Redd, the following day. Joining Macdonald-Brown is partner Simon Chalkley and associate Sara Ashby, ...
Careers: people
Thames Valley firm Pitmans has appointed a new senior solicitor to its defendant personal injury team. Alan Davies joins from Merriman White, a firm based in London and Guildford. Davies was previously a partner at Gregory Rowcliffe & Milners and Edward Lewis in London and specialises in insurance litigation.
Jenner & Block and Roper & Quigg merge
Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block has merged with IP litigation boutique Roper & Quigg. Roper’s founding partner Harry Roper will lead Jenner’s IP and technology team. Seven other lawyers will join Jenner as partners, two as of counsel, with a further nine associates making the move. Former assistant secretary of commerce and commissioner of patents and trademarks Donald Quigg is one of the of counsel. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 14 June
Awards preview: media/ip/it team of the year
On 22 June, 1400 people will crowd into the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane for the most eagerly-awaited event of the year. With only one week to go, The Lawyer brings you a sneak preview of the shortlisted individuals and teams
Waterfront Partnership
“We don’t believe in charging clients for each minute we spend. Our philosophy is very much one of ‘pick up the phone and give us a call’,” says Carole Hailey, who set up boutique IP and IT firm the Waterfront Partnership two years ago.
Hearken the hacks
Why lawyers and their clients would benefit from working with journalists – especially in a crisis. By Magnus Carter
Landwell hit with exit of real estate head
Landwell has sustained another partner loss after losing its London based head of real estate to Bird & Bird.
Arnold & Porter hikes London with DWS IP raid
The London office of Arnold & Porter has snatched Denton Wilde Sapte IP partner Clive Thorne as part of the firm’s effort to beef up its London practice. Thorne, a well-known IP litigator, is set to join Arnold & Porter as a partner on 1 September. He has extensive experience in the UK and Asia in a wide range of IP and technology litigation and arbitration involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, design rights and e-commerce disputes. The addition of Thorne will bring the total number ...
Iraqi lawyer sets up shop in Baghdad
Hussein Damirji, a native Iraqi who has spent most of his life outside his homeland, has returned to set up his own law firm.
Careers: people
Editor of Taxation magazine Malcolm Gunn joined the London tax team at Haarmann Hemmelrath as a tax consultant on 25 May. Gunn will focus on personal income and capital taxation.
DWF recruits fourth Weightman Vizards property expert
North West firm DWF has added another partner to its growing haul of former Weightman Vizards property lawyers.
Ex-OGS man makes move to Cephalon
The former general counsel of Oxford GlycoSciences (OGS) and British Biotech John Ilett has been named as the first European lawyer at US pharmaceutical company Cephalon.
Blake Lapthorn gets specific
Blake Lapthorn Linnell has completed a review of its practice groups and is introducing a series of sector teams aimed at specific industries.
Clydes scoops Kurdistan govt contract
The Kurdistan government has appointed Clyde & Co to act on all negotiations and contracts with foreign companies investing in the one relatively safe region of Iraq.
The ties that bind
The European Commission’s decision against Microsoft is likely to be a watershed for competition law enforcement in the EU. Robert Bell reports
Getting the marks out
The European Court of Justice has just given trademarks a thorough run through the wash, says Andrew Hobson
Hertz lawyer steps into Jimmy Choo in-house role
Former Hertz in-house lawyer Hannah Merritt has scooped one of the most coveted jobs in the legal market.
Halliwells’ turnover hits record high
Halliwell Landau has posted a record turnover, which is up by 12.7 per cent to £40m for the last financial year. Halliwells also announced nine internal partnership promotions, with one intellectual property lawyer gaining equity. At the same time, the Manchester firm has lost property partner Nancy Brown to Eversheds. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 11 May
Trevisan focuses on food in Parma
Italian intellectual property (IP) boutique Trevisan & Cuonzo is to launch a new office in Parma specialising in IP issues for the food and food-related sectors.
Halliwells see revenue jump in record year
Halliwell Landau has posted its highest-ever turnover for the last financial year after revenue grew by 12.7 per cent to £40m.
Mayer Brown outdoes the agents in trademark ranks
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and Baker & McKenzie have barged aside the trademark agents to land top five positions in 2003’s community trademark filings chart.
Wilson Sonsini wins partner trio for office launch
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has raided Pillsbury Winthrop for a team of partners to launch its new San Diego office.
William Fry swoops for Landwell IP team
Top five Dublin firm William Fry has carried out its second raid on PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Irish law firm Landwell, poaching a rated contentious intellectual property (IP) team.
DLA ramps up intellectual property with hire of Harbottle & Lewis partner
DLA has continued to strengthen its intellectual property (IP) practice with the hire of Harbottle & Lewis partner Richard Penfold.Penfold will work with head of IP Jeremy Dickinson, who joined from Hammonds in 2002, to further grow the practice.
Hammonds beefs up in Italy with White & Case IP partner
Hammonds is continuing its push in Italy with the hire of White & Case partner Lorenzo Attolico and a team of assistants and the expansion of its office space in Rome.
Opinion
The war of the Apples in the High Court (the Beatles’ Apple Corps v Apple Computer Inc) highlights the failure of intellectual property agreements to account for technological advancements. The purpose of a trademark is to distinguish one person’s goods or services from those of others. Nevertheless, it happens that two – and sometimes more – traders end up using the same brand. ...
Next generation set to take over at Nicholson Graham
A new guard is to take over management of Nicholson Graham & Jones, with insolvency head Tony Griffiths succeeding Michael Johns as managing partner.
FFW prises IP pair from Laytons
Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has nabbed intellectual property (IP) partners David Knight and Simon Chapman from regional firm Laytons. The pair will join FFW as partners. Knight focuses on patent litigation and Chapman concentrates on trademarks and copyright. The duo’s previous clients have included Hilton, Nokia, Remington, Reckitt Benckiser and Qinetiq.
Probe into 9/11 charity’s legal fees
US Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has launched an investigation into legal fees earned by a leading New York attorney while acting for a charity that evolved out of 11 September.
Neighbours
The Australia-US free trade agreement is aimed at reducing legal and investment barriers. By Michael Beaumont and Madeleine Cox
Marks & Clerk and Blair & Co push MDP boundaries
UK trademark behemoth goes all out to create MDP while Govt pontificates
Slaughters loses Abbott instruction to Freshfields
Slaughter and May has been dumped by Abbott Laboratories for its forthcoming court fight over royalties against Cambridge Antibody Technology Group (Cat) and replaced by
Lovells tiff
Just as the Spanish have got the hang of how to pronounce Lovells (previously the whisper in Madrid was “Low Balls are coming, Low Balls are coming”), it seems the City firm may have to change its name.
Weil Gotshal litigation devolves power after record expansion
The management of Weil Gotshal’s global litigation practice is being decentralised following 100 per cent departmental growth in the past five years.
Blake Lapthorn Linnell suffers triple partner departure
Blake Lapthorn Linnell has been dealt a blow with the departure of three partners in as many months.
WTO trademarks panel gains new chair
Miguel Rodriguez Mendose, head of Van Bael & Bellis’s Geneva office and former deputy director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has been appointed chairman of the WTO panel ‘European Communities – Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications’. The panel will rule on US and Australian complaints over the EU’s system of trademarks and geographical indication for agricultural products and foodstuffs. He is joined by Seung Wha Chang of Korea and Peter Kam-fai Cheung ...
Mishcons music maestro goes solo
One of Mishcon de Reya’s best-known partners, David Glick, has left to set up his own media and entertainment-focused group of companies. Glick, noted for his deal-doing abilities in the music business, counts Craig David, Fatboy Slim, Nick Cave and The Kinks among his clients. His new business will be known as the Edge Group and will feature a legal services business (Edge Legal) and a boutique management ...
Gianni wins Cisco contract
Gianni Origoni’s close association with Linklaters has helped it score Cisco Systems as a new client.
Townsend and LSG join forces
US firm Townsend & Townsend & Crew is to merge with litigation boutique Legal Strategies Group (LSG) on 1 March. Six partners and 12 lawyers will join Townsend’s San Francisco branch, a 150-lawyer intellectual property and litigation practice. LSG focuses on antitrust, trademark and commercial litigation. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com, 18 February
Townsend and Townsend and Crew reveal San Francisco merger
US firm Townsend and Townsend and Crew is to merge with litigation boutique Legal Strategies Group (LSG).
Commission plans to simplify IP with EU Community Patent Court
The creation of a Community Patent Court with EU jurisdiction has been formally proposed by the European Commission in its bid to harmonise and simplify EU intellectual property protection.
Wragges wards off Treasury Solicitor for Napster address
Wragges wards off Treasury Solicitor for Napster address" /Wragge & Co has secured a crucial domain name victory for new client Roxio, the owner of the outlawed former file-sharing system Napster.
Wragges heads off the Treasury Solicitor in domain name fight
Wragge & Co has won out against the Treasury Solicitor’s department in a bizarre dispute over the Napster domain name.
Poppleston sneaks Cyprus govt mandate from Deloitte
Niche licensing firm Poppleston Allen has beaten big four accountancy firm Deloitte to advise the Cyprus government on the review of its betting legislation.
UK and African lawyers team up to free Zimbabwe’s press
Zimbabwe’s only independent daily newspaper The Daily News is back on the streets after a three-month hiatus, following a campaign by African and UK lawyers.
Karen D'Rosario: Vital Distribution
Music distributor Vital was more than ready for an in-house counsel when Karen D’Rosario arrived. She has been helping save the company a small fortune ever since. By Matt Byrne
Web head
Taking over Yahoo!’s European legal affairs was the perfect move for Jonathan McCoy, a champion of the freedom of the internet.
Fee levels see Lovells IP ace defect to Graf
Lovells’ Hamburg office has lost competition and intellectual property (IP)/technology, media and telecoms (TMT) partner Walter Scheuerl to Wragges’ German best friend Graf von Westphalen Bappert & Modest. Scheuerl pointed to the fee structure at Lovells and other international law firms as a key reason behind his move.
Trio quits Weightmans to go it alone
Three Weightman Vizards lawyers have left the 78-partner firm to form a new commercial boutique. The new firm, PFK Legal opens for business today (12 January). It is the brainchild of Mark Forman, Neil Kelly and James Powell. It will focus on commercial, media and intellectual property work out of offices in Oriel Chambers, Liverpool.
Clifford Chance US hit by IP lawyer migration
Clifford Chance New York is continuing to lose lawyers as a group of eight intellectual property (IP) attorneys jump ship for Hogan & Hartson.
Clifford Chance New York rainmaker quits for Kaye
Clifford Chance’s New York intellectual property (IP) group has been hit with a series of defections, including its high-billing head of department.
CC Munich head quits to set up niche practice
Clifford Chance is set to lose the head of its Munich office next year when intellectual property partner Joachim Feldges leaves to set up an independent boutique.
Fundamentals
With £62bn worth of funds on its books, F&C Management has hit on a winner with legal director Gillian Switalski, who much prefers an in-house strategy.
Shearman launches London IP practice
Shearman & Sterling’s London office has added another string to its bow as it expands into intellectual property (IP) through the hire of its first UK specialist.
Addleshaw Goddard IP partner jumps ship
Addleshaw Goddard has lost its second intellectual property (IP) partner in three months.Simon Clark is joining Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) with a group of three associates to create a new IP group for the firm.
Field Fisher takes on accountancy big four
Field Fisher Waterhouse's intellectual property (IP) practice is teaming up with its tax group to launch a direct attack on the big four accountancy firms.By combining the firm's IP expertise with its transfer pricing knowledge, Field Fisher hopes to offer what it terms "the most comprehensive asset management service in the City".Brands, technology, me-dia and telecommunications ...
Clyde & Co first to Iraq
Clydes beats the City with Iraqi launch as it stakes key claim to lucrative post-war reconstruction
Dresdner Kleinwort to create US, Asian panels based on UK model
German investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein is set to launch legal panels in the US, Japan and Singapore following a successful pilot scheme in the UK. A further German panel is likely to follow.
Jacob wins promotion to the Court of Appeal
Mr Justice Jacob, one of the finest judges in the High Court, has been promoted to the Court of Appeal.
IBM IP head jumps ship to Microsoft
Microsoft has poached the intellectual property (IP) chief of rival technology giant IBM. Marshall Phelps will manage Microsoft’s entire IP portfolio from its West Coast HQ as vice-president and deputy general counsel for IP. He will be responsible for 3,000 US patents and over 11,000 trademarks. First reported on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews 10 June
A pretty picture
With its acquisitive streak finally slowing down, Getty Images' legal department has its sights set on image rights. Steve Hoare reports.
Taylor Wessing set to shun technology
Anglo-German firm in shock U-turn as profits slide; IT departures imminent
Eugene F Collins merges with property firm
Second-tier Dublin firm Eugene F Collins has taken over commercial property and finance boutique GD Fottrell & Sons.
Lovells gets go-ahead for Chinese expansion
Lovells has won a coveted licence to open a second office in China in the latest round of permits issued by the Chinese Ministry of Justice.
Foley opens Tokyo office with IP star
US firm Foley & Lardner has gained its first foothold in Asia by launching an office in Tokyo.
Mayer Brown raids Holmans for Lloyd's
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw is extending its Lloyd's reinsurance practice with the hire of highly-rated reinsurance litigator Ian McKenna from Holman Fenwick & Willan.
Boutique dissolves as Loyens & Loeff takes on name partners
The Brussels office of Loyens & Loeff has recruited the name partners of intellectual property (IP) and IT boutique Van Asbroeck & Cottenie, resulting in the dissolution of the seven-lawyer firm.
Deacons slashes Hong Kong numbers
Australian firm Deacons has axed 21 staff in its Hong Kong office.
Jacob urges patent agents to advocate
Mr Justice Jacob has attacked "timorous" patent agents in an attempt to encourage them to take a more active role in advocacy.A
Oppenheimer unsettled after mass defection
The future of Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly's Silicon Valley office is hanging in the balance with the imminent defection of 25 of its lawyers to Dechert.
O2 legal chief set to sack 25 firms
Two-thirds of external advisers to go as Sanna overhauls entire legal function
Bristows beats patent judgment
Bristows has succeeded where Bird & Bird failed and become the first firm to overturn a certificate of validity for a patent in the High Court.
Making his mark
From cosmetics to Field Fisher via the Paris Ritz, John Olsen has had a long fight to get due recognition for his trademark practice. Steve Hoare reports
Linklaters head of IP in shock defection to Bar
Linklaters' London head of intellectual property (IP) Anna Carboni is set to leave the firm to join Wilberforce Chambers.
Field Fisher and Linklaters improve trademark filings
Field Fisher Waterhouse has claimed first place in the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys' (ITMA) annual ranking of community trademark (CTM) filings, while Linklaters is the only law firm to significantly buck the downward trend of filings.
Field Fisher, patent attorneys team up
Field Fisher Waterhouse has entered into a unique relationship with attorneys Mathys & Squire to offer the patent expertise of both firms under one virtual roof.
Herbert Smith IP/IT partner joins Norton Rose
Norton Rose has bolstered its technology group with the appointment of intellectual property (IP) and IT litigator Matthew Harris, who is currently a partner at Herbert Smith. Harris has acted on a number of high-profile IP/IT disputes recently, including Capital One's IT dispute with a Fujitsu subsidiary and the AA's copyright dispute with Ordnance Survey.
The two powers
Taylor Wessing's German and UK managing partners seem like chalk and cheese. So can they integrate their firms? Catrin Griffiths reports
Licensed to bill
Richards Butler's Michael Skrein is used to hobnobbing with celebrities. Kathryn Hobbs meets the man who really knows how to treat a girl
Turner surprise
KLegal's growth strategy is paying off, with H20 partner Catrin Turner et al joining the ranks - but the firm might get more growth than it bargained for
Civil shepherd
Ronald Thwaites QC, brought up on a professional diet of criminal actions, finds that his direct approach to civil work keeps him off the streets
Keeping tabs
For Baker & McKenzie's Harry Small, keeping Levi's little red tab sacred was a must - despite the fact that he doesn't wear jeans very often
No place like home
A law firm with no office and equal fees for associates and partners? It's a crazy idea, but Peter Rouse might be just the man to pull it off
New judge for patents court
Intellectual property (IP) specialist chambers 8 New Square is looking for a successor to its head, Michael Fysh QC, who has been appointed judge at the Patents County Court.
Partner quits Wessing taking total to sixteen
Yet another Wessing partner has quit the firm - but has not followed his 15 former colleagues to Andersen Luther.
Kropp-Olbertz Schulte-Franzheim Seibert
News in brief
Spruson and Cheong in IP merger
A new niche practice has been formed in Singapore with the marriage of two of Asia’s biggest names in IP.
Lovells hires niche IP lawyer from Paris rival
Lovells is continuing its expansion in Europe as the Paris office takes on an intellectual property (IP) partner from local firm Dubarry Le Douarin & Veil.
Salans scoops team of three from New York rival
Franco-US firm Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn is expanding its New York intellectual property (IP) practice with a team from Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn.
Beachcroft IP head goes to Field Fisher
Beachcroft Wansbroughs has lost its head of intellectual property (IP) and an assistant to Field Fisher Waterhouse.
Denton Wilde introduces IP group to TMT
Denton Wilde Sapte has announced the formation of a new intellectual property (IP) group.
Public Property
IP.com offers a cheap alternative to messy, expensive patents and from small beginnings the website is now aiming to go global. Mary Murphy investigates the company that says it is the true defender of ideas.
Linklaters sends Jones to Germany to develop European IP integration
Linklaters & Alliance is sending one of its top London intellectual property (IP) partners to Germany in a bid to integrate the European practice into the rest of the group.
New chambers Hogarth throws down IP gauntlet
One Raymond Buildings and 5 New Square merge: recruitment ubderway
Eversheds IP chief moves to Martineau
Birmingham firm Martineau Johnson is taking on the head of intellectual property from Eversheds' Nottingham office to boost its high-tech practice.
Shearmans appoints top IP partner from Fish & Neave
Shearman & Sterling has raided leading Los Angeles intellectual property (IP) boutique Fish & Neave for the second time in six months.
Fitting the Bill
When even the railway system can't make a man angry, he has to be the nicest lawyer around. Fiona Callister meets Martineau Johnson's very agreeable senior partner elect
Coudert moves senior partner for IT focus
Coudert Scharmann, Coudert Brothers' German office, has relocated a senior partner to Munich.
Kristian Wiggert
Morrision & Foerster golden boy Kristian Wiggert, the new London office managing partner, may appear unassuming, shy even. Claire Smith meets the man whose image belies his professionalism
