Michael Browne > Wiggin LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Wiggin LLP
9TH FLOOR, MET BUILDING
22 PERCY STREET
LONDON
W1T 2BU
England
Michael Browne photo

Work Department

Intellectual Property

Position

Michael advises on the enforcement and exploitation of all forms of intellectual property, as well as competition law issues which frequently arise in IP matters.

“IP is the driving force behind today’s economy.

I help clients to make the most of their IP by putting in place the right agreements to get their products and services to market on the right terms, as well as defending their rights when competitors step over the line.

I have more than a decade of experience working with clients from a range of IP-rich industries including fashion, technology, computer games and sports, to name a few.

My transactional IP work often has an international flavour, and I have particular experience in helping clients to establish international distribution networks and franchise operations.

Where a dispute cannot be avoided, I am able to draw on considerable litigation experience from cases I have undertaken across the English and EU IP courts and registries, as well as my involvement in cross-border arbitrations and mediations, to identify the right strategy for a given scenario and commercial objective.

IP is a constantly evolving field and I enjoy contributing to the development of the law in this area through my involvement in organisations such as UNION-IP (for which I am currently the GB Group Council member and Honorary Secretary), the Competition Law Association (of which I was the National Reporter General for several years) and CIPA. I also enjoy helping to train the next generation of IP lawyers in my role as a visiting lecturer on the Oxford University Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Law and Practice, where I teach IP Litigation and design law.”

Career

Prior to joining Wiggin, Michael was a partner at Redd, having originally trained at Eversheds.

Memberships

Michael is actively involved in a number of professional organisations, including UNION IP (of which he is a GB group Council member), the Competition Law Association (of which he is a Committee Member and National Reporter General) and CIPA.

Lawyer Rankings

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design

Experts in the digital world, Wiggin LLP is particularly known for its online enforcement and intermediary liability work, acting for content and brand owners, as well as clients in the film, publishing and luxury goods industries. One key area of expertise includes copyright infringement, and its brand strategy and portfolio management practice is also expanding. The team is capable of working across a broad spread of sectors, from film and music to pharma and technology, and is recommended for its ‘commercial and pragmatic’ approach. Sara Ashby spearheads the practice, covering the full gamut of IP rights, while Rachel Alexander’s expertise includes online enforcement and copyright infringement matters. John Colbourn’s broad practice advises on international brand strategy and portfolio management, as well as considerable litigation experience. Michael Browne’s practice covers contentious and non-contentious remits, such as trade secrets and copyright litigation. Joanne Gibbs, Calum Smyth and Peter Dawson are also recommended.

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)

Wiggin LLP’s ‘friendly and engaging’ team is renowned for its technology and media sector expertise and is also capable of acting across a diverse range of other sectors, from film and music to pharma and gaming. Leading the practice is Sara Ashby, who advises on patent enforcement and strategy with extensive experience in the litigation sphere. Key contact Calum Smyth’s range of expertise encompasses software patentability, technology transactions, brand protection, M&A and structuring issues, whilst Michael Browne’s broad experience extends from patent entitlement disputes and various other proceedings, to drafting and negotiating joint development, licensing and franchise agreements. Associates Georgina Hart and Sinclaire Marber Schäfer are other names to note in the practice, the latter joining from Kirkland & Ellis International LLP in May 2022.