Mathys & Squire LLP

The firm: Full-service intellectual property (IP) firm Mathys & Squire LLP works with its clients to maximise the value of their IP assets. The firm’s breadth of technical expertise and depth of professional experience are coupled with a determination to add commercial value. Mathys & Squire has a broad spread of clients, ranging from innovative startups, for which the firm’s experts assist at every stage of the business cycle, through to major UK and multinational corporations (many of whom are household names) on complex, high-value matters.

The firm’s commitment to professional excellence and its technical expertise are valued by all clients. Through its creative approach, Mathys & Squire has a successful record of securing the grant of key patents and settling disputes on the best possible terms. Client companies without their own in-house patent and trade mark departments value the firm’s understanding of their business issues and the importance and value of their IP. Mathys & Squire enjoys excellent relationships with like-minded firms of associates from all over the world.

Assignments for clients vary widely and include: strategic management of global patent and trade mark portfolios for major corporations; advising startups in relation to the creation and ownership of IP rights and their commercial exploitation; patent and trade mark prosecution, including oppositions and appeals, for major corporations; providing specialist European (EPO and OHIM) expertise to fellow professionals; working alongside solicitors and counsel in the UK, bringing to bear the firm’s complementary skills and experience; advising at CEO level on the role of IP rights in revenue generation and asset creation; finding paths through third-party patent, trade mark or other IP rights, including challenges to validity where appropriate; resolving disputes through various forms of ADR to litigation, whether as the lead firm or as part of a team; and bringing specialist IP skills to corporate finance, including due diligence.

Practice areas: Mathys & Squire offers a full range of services across patents, trade marks, designs and related IP rights, both contentious and non-contentious. Its specialist teams cover a wide spectrum of sectors including IT, electronics, telecoms, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and chemistry.

The firm’s experts have specific industry experience or advanced degrees in most relevant disciplines. The trade mark practice blends highly experienced prosecution services with portfolio management and enforcement skills.

The firm’s core areas of expertise include:

• Identifying IP capable of protection by understanding the client’s technology and business objectives.
• Obtaining valuable patent, trade mark and design registrations through skilful drafting and powerful advocacy before the world’s patent and trade mark offices.
• Representing clients in disputes and contentious proceedings (especially those of the European Patent Office), drawing wherever necessary upon the expertise of fellow professionals.
• Facilitating the commercial exploitation of a client’s IP by way of sale, licence or joint venture.
• Advising clients in relation to their IP strategy and management of their IP portfolios.

Mathys & Squire’s 35 partners, two of counsels and 44 associates are assisted by a further 26 technical assistants at various stages of qualification and a team of 18 paralegals. This spread of expertise, operating across 10 UK and European offices, with teams based in China, Japan and Dublin, enables the firm to deploy a team with the right skills and seniority at the right cost to deliver bespoke IP solutions and business advice to meet clients’ needs.

Other UK offices: Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford, York and Newcastle

European offices: Luxembourg, Munich and Paris