Intellectual property

Gary is the senior partner in the firm's national Retail and Intellectual Property and Creative Industry Groups in which he has built up strong reputations on both a national and international basis. He specialises in resolving disputes especially those to do with anti-counterfeiting, with particular emphasis on parallel importing.  Over the past few years he has been involved in leading cases for H&M, Jimmy Choo and Dr Marten's relating to patents, trade marks, copyright and design right advice including (clients identified in bold): • Stretchline Intellectual properties Ltd v H&M Hennes & Mauritz [2015] EWHC 3298 (Pat); • J. Choo (Jersey) Ltd v Towerstone [2008] EWHC 346; • R Griggs Group Ltd v Evans [2005] EWCA Civ 11; and • Mackie Designs Inc. v Behringer Specilaised Studio Equipment (UK) Ltd RPC (1999). He acts for clients across a broad range of sectors, but is especially well known in the clothing and footwear and automotive industries. He has written articles for the New York Law Journal, International Commercial Litigation and various national and international trade press as well as being a well known commentator on television and radio on intellectual property rights. Recent accolades include being named Client Choice Awards winner for IP by The International Law Office for the years 2014 to 2018, included in the World Trade Mark Review's WTR 1000 from 2012 to 2018, awarded the Intellectual Property Magazine Innovation prize in 2010, named in the International Who's Who of Trademark Lawyers from 2009 to 2018, the Top 100 list of The Most Powerful and Influential People in Fashion in 2008 and The Lawyers Hot 100 in 2007. He is passionate about intellectual property, especially in relation to consumer brands, hence his love of fast cars, gadgets and anything sporting.  He is best known for having advised H&M, Jimmy Choo, Chloe and Dr Martens as well as setting up the mentoring scheme for the British Fashion Council (organisers of London Fashion Week) to help their NewGen and Fashion Forward designers.  The Times commented, after the Chloe case against Topshop, that Shoosmiths were "the legal label to die for"! He also leads the firm's international relationships and travels extensively meeting with clients, intermediaries and law firms.  He was on the board of the international network the World Services Group between 2013 and 2017 and was its Chairman between 2016 and 2017.   He is a member of the IBA and INTA and attends both conferences regularly. Prior to reading law at Durham University, Gary spent three years with Lombard North Central plc gaining commercial experience and an understanding of how in-house legal teams operate.  He was articled with Travers Smith Braithwaite in London where he qualified and gained experience in commercial litigation and intellectual property for nine years.

Paul heads up the Intellectual Property Practice Group across all the Foot Anstey offices and is also responsible for leading the International Group. He has practised in the IP field for over 25 years and the main legal directories have recognised him for many years as a leading individual within his field.  Paul has also been admitted into the IP Hall of Fame for the South East.  During this time, Paul has worked at two large international law firms based in London (Baker & McKenzie and SJ Berwin) and undertook a secondment to one of his previous firm’s Australian offices. Foot Anstey is a large independent national UK law firm with offices in London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and Plymouth.   Its IP team is one of the largest outside London with 5 partners and 15 other solicitors, trade mark attorneys and paralegals across its offices. Paul regularly attends conferences and events all around the world including INTA, IBA, ECTA and ACG. Paul is listed in the WTR 1000 as a Bronze Individual for Enforcement and Litigation: "Paul can always be counted upon to give sound and practice advice, and his solutions are always cost effective". Paul has a wide range of experience in dealing with IP matters and has acted for many household names in several sectors including Retail, Professional Services, Leisure, Food and Drink, Automotive, Technology and Telecoms, and regularly deals with many international and national disputes through our associated offices around the world. He has extensive experience of assisting international and national businesses on trade mark and design prosecution matters, IP disputes, and drafting and negotiating various commercial IP agreements.  In particular, he has represented many cases before the UK IPO, EU IPO,  the Intellectual Enterprise Court and the High Court. For example, Paul has acted on the following matters: Managing a large world trade mark portfolio (1500 marks) for a business licensing its rights to several other companies and enforcing those rights against third parties by bringing civil and administrative proceedings around the world. Bringing interim injunction, summary judgment and default judgment proceedings to prevent the sale of unlawful parallel imports into the UK. Acting for a large drinks manufacturer in bringing enforcement action in the UK against others seeking to take advantage of its brand in the UK. Conducting worldwide clearance searches for a financial services client and advising on the adoption of a new brand. This involved taking proactive steps to minimise any risks. Bringing and conducting court proceedings for and on behalf of many companies relating to trade marks, patents, designs and confidential information. Recently, Paul has been defending a client in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in a registered design and unregistered design right case relating to the packaging of food and is currently representing two large international clients (financial services and drinks manufacturer clients) in bringing proceedings against third parties infringing its trade mark rights.  

Tim is the firm’s Senior Litigation Partner.

Partner

Daniel advises on all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement in the UK and EU including trade marks, passing off, domain names, anti-counterfeiting, design rights, copyright, patents and confidential information. He works for clients across a variety of business sectors with particular expertise in the fashion, travel, food and drink, entertainment, agriculture, automotive and sports industries. His significant track record in all aspects of trade mark and design filing includes the prosecution and enforcement of rights before the UKIPO and EUIPO registries. He frequently advises on the registrability of brands, national and international portfolio management and the commercial exploitation of these rights. Daniel also specialises in IP litigation and has considerable experience before the English and Welsh Court and Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, as well as in UDRP proceedings before Nominet, WIPO and the Company Names Tribunal. He has a strong background in anti-counterfeiting matters, customs notices and criminal prosecutions.

Tom advises on all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. He has extensive litigation experience having represented clients in proceedings before all levels of the UK courts, and regularly advises businesses and individuals in a range of sectors on the protection, exploitation and management of intellectual property and technology. He also advises clients, particularly those in the media sector, on defamation and reputation management. His clients include BOC/Linde, Samsung and Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Tough Mudder.

Partner advising on brand protection and intellectual property; software and IT contracts; electronic commerce and data protection issues; commercial agreements.

Partner

Partner in the IP practice and Head of Life Sciences. Charlotte advises clients on the protection and exploitation of the full range of IP rights. She regularly handles IP licensing, joint development agreements, IP restructuring and transactional work. Her experience on contentious matters includes pharmaceutical patent litigation, trade mark and passing off disputes, copyright and designs litigation as well as actions involving breach of confidence and defamation. Charlotte has a particular interest in life sciences, and her technical background has assisted her with work in this sector over the past 10 years.

Senior Associate

Senior Associate advising businesses and individuals on the full spectrum of intellectual property matters, with a particular focus on infringement and ownership disputes, IP licensing and acquisitions and IP protection strategies. Also Co-head of Sport advising a number of high-profile sports clubs, organisations and athletes.

Head of Brand Protection, and Luxury and Fashion group. Advising businesses and individuals on all facets of intellectual property law and has extensive experience of litigating complex IP disputes in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.