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

RPC

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Noted for its ‘ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory issues’, RPC’s areas of expertise include IP disputes, global trade mark portfolio management, as well as recent involvement in copyright infringement claims. The team is particularly active in the retail, tech, media and sport sectors. Co-lead and ’great strategist’ Jeremy Drew is well-versed in both contentious and non-contentious IP, and fellow co-head David Cran strengthens the team with his capabilities across a broad array of sectors, from telecoms to retail. ‘Highly pragmatic’ Ciara Cullen has represented various clients in disputes, with particular experience in the food and drink and retail arenas. ’Hard-working and talented’ Ben Mark’s strengths lie in handling trade marks and passing off matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Ciara Cullen is highly pragmatic and puts her litigation skills to good use when negotiating complex agreements and resolving difficult disputes.'

  • 'Jeremy Drew is a great strategist and a pleasure to work with.'
  • 'Ben Mark is among the best of the best. He is among the wisest, hard-working, and talented lawyers.’

  • ‘RPC have in-depth knowledge of the law and offer practical advice, in keeping with our business objectives.’

  • ‘RPC's practice is unique in its ability to provide clients with a full range of legal services across the TMT sector. They have a deep understanding of the issues that are relevant to clients in this space and are able to provide clear, commercially-minded advice.'

  • 'They take the time to understand their clients' businesses and objectives and are able to provide tailored advice that is aligned with those objectives. They are also known for their ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory issues and are able to provide practical solutions that help clients to manage risk.'
  • 'I have been particularly impressed by their investment in and commitment to diversity and inclusion. RPC remains the only firm where I have actually been aware of a conscious and deliberate strategy of creating a balanced and diverse team working on each piece of litigation with which I have been involved.’
  • 'I have been consistently impressed with the individuals I work with at RPC in this space. They are talented, dedicated, and able to provide the highest level of service to their clients.’

Key clients

  • Être Cecile
  • SSP (Upper Crust, Millie's Cookies and Ritazza)
  • Associated Newspapers
  • Soft Construct
  • Saracens R.F.C.
  • News UK
  • Frasers Group / Sports Direct
  • AB InBev
  • Irish Distillers
  • Which?
  • Google
  • Kout Food Group

Work highlights

  • Acting SoftConstruct in High Court litigation involving allegations of IP infringement concerning live sports data, and a defence and counterclaim involving competition law infringements.
  • Acting for a major player in the cryptocurrency sector in passing off proceedings relating to Bitcoin brought by a high profile litigant.
  • Providing ongoing advice to one of the world's largest brewers on the IP and regulatory aspects of product launches and campaigns.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Ciara Cullen
RPC
Partner. An IP and technology litigation specialist, Ciara is dual qualified in England & Wales and the Republic of Ireland and has acted in several international disputes. Having acted in several disputes before the English and Irish Courts, the UK IPO, the ICC and CIETAC, Ciara's practice also has a significant international element and sees her advising clients on multi-jurisdictional disputes across the full range of IP rights including trade marks / passing off, copyright, patents, design rights, breach of confidential information and IP licence disputes. On the non-contentious side, Ciara supports clients on brand protection and counterfeit issues, IP projects and licensing, sponsorship/endorsement arrangements, franchising and commercial contracts.  She also provides specialist advice on IP and technology acquisitions and disposals. Clients range from luxury goods, retail and food to FMCG, technology, media, life sciences, insurance and financial services. Ciara has been published in several leading journals including Managing IP, e-Commerce Law and Policy, SCL, LexisNexis and ILO and regularly speaks at client and industry conferences. Ciara is a member of the editorial team that produces the annual TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.
Ben Mark
RPC
Ben is a Partner in RPC's Intellectual Property and Technology group and advises on all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement, with a focus on trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs and confidential information.  Ben works with clients across a wide range of industries, including food and drink, media, retail, online/e-commerce, financial services and insurance.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

David Cran, Jeremy Drew

Other key lawyers

Ciara Cullen, Ben Mark, Sarah Mountain

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