Region Area

Barristers

Guy Burkill KC

Position

Specialises in all intellectual property; particularly active in technology-oriented patent cases. Has acted for many leading multinational companies in the telecoms, computer, electronics, chemical, pharmaceutical, aviation and other fields. Notable cases include Salbutamol, Cimetidine and Fenbufen patents (licences of right); Hoechst v British Petroleum (chemical manufacture, account of profits); Step v Emson (claim construction); Hallen v Brabantia (technical obviousness); Dyson v Hoover (post-expiry injunction); Philips v Princo (CD recording; directors’ liability); Sweeney v MacMillan (James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’, copyright and passing off); EMGS v Schlumberger (attributes of ‘skilled person’); Flynn Pharma v DrugsRUs (trade marks: parallel importation from outside EU); Qualcomm v Nokia, HTC v Apple, Nokia v HTC, Samsung v Apple, Optis v Apple, Nokia v Oppo (various aspects of mobile phone technology).

Career

Called 1981; Middle Temple and Lincoln’s Inn; QC 2002; co-editor ‘Terrell on the Law of Patents’ 15th edition (2000), 16th edition (2006), 17th edition (2011).

Memberships

Intellectual Property Bar Association; Chancery Bar Association.

Education

Winchester College; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (1978 MA First Class Hons Engineering, electrical option).

Leisure

Violin (performs with London Phoenix orchestra, Fulham Opera, others); opera; battling with HS2; trying to mend things.

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