Ian Bartlett

Partner. Head of Trade Marks

Ian is a recognised expert in trade mark, designs, copyright and merchandising law, both in the UK and internationally, who has worked with leading brands from all sectors of the economy and has a particularly extensive following of media and entertainment businesses. The consummate litigator, he is valued by clients for his great communication skills, excellent judgement, creative thinking and for always going beyond the call of duty.

The perfect choice for novel contentious work, Ian Bartlett “is in his element when disputes ratchet up, giving him the opportunity to showcase his perfectly pitched advocacy” according to commentators. Having trained as a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn, his background in High Court litigation, coupled with 30 years’ experience of trade mark prosecution, make him much in demand for trade mark, copyright and design hearings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and Appointed Person. He also runs cases before EUIPO (the EU trade mark and designs office) and their Board of Appeal, and works on cases referred to the General Court.

Much of Ian’s work comes from large, well-known multinationals, including international publishers, major cosmetics brands, and some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. He also represents significant numbers of small businesses. His experience spans fields as diverse as accountancy, telecommunications infrastructure, domestic flooring, pharmaceuticals, price comparison websites and highway maintenance.

As well as prosecuting and enforcing his clients’ intellectual property rights, Ian also helps them to maintain and build their portfolios, providing practical, commercial, legal advice that is carefully tailored towards their individual interests. Responsive and tenacious, he is noted as being “brilliant at adjusting his advice to the unique circumstances of each client.”

University of Leeds (1980 BA); City University, London (1983 DipLaw).