Powell Gilbert LLP

IP (General): Simon Ayrton

IP (Patents): Pete Damerell

Life Sciences: Penny Gilbert, Bethan Hopewell

IT/Electronics: Zoë Butler, Ari Laakkonen

Regulatory: Tim Whitfield

ADR: Alex Wilson

Number of partners: 15

Number of lawyers: 34

Languages: English, Finnish, French, German, Cantonese, Mandarin

Firm Overview:

Powell Gilbert is one of the most innovative and highly regarded IP teams in Europe, with unrivalled patent litigation experience and a blue-chip brands practice.

With 15 partners, the firm includes some of Europe’s leading IP litigators and rising stars. Most of the partners are solicitor advocates, all are dual-qualified in the UK and Ireland and registered as UPC representatives. A number are qualified mediators.

With comprehensive expertise in litigation and strategic counselling across all IP fields, the firm advises on patents spanning all areas of technology, as well as providing insightful advice on all aspects of trade marks, copyright, design rights, passing off, confidential information and related areas. The firm also advises on complex technology contract disputes, representing clients in litigation and in arbitration, and provides IP portfolio assessments and FTO analyses.

In UK litigation, the firm routinely represents clients before the IP courts at all levels, including on appeal before the UK Supreme Court, where it has appeared in a number of precedent-setting cases in recent years. It also has a wealth of experience in developing and co-ordinating multi-national patent litigation strategies, including representing clients across various divisions of the UPC since its inception in 2023.

Main Areas of Practice:

The firm advises across the full spectrum of IP rights. Its experience in patent litigation ranges across all technical fields, from biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to smartphones and wearable tech, including acting in leading cases on FRAND licensing disputes. It has appeared in many of the most technically and legally complex cases in the UK and has represented clients in referrals to the CJEU and EFTA Court on SPCs. The firm also represents clients in the UK IPEC as well as in EPO oppositions and other registry proceedings, including before the UK IPO.

In the UPC, the team has been involved in a number of significant cases – including appearing as advocates - before a variety of Local, Regional, and Central Divisions and the Court of Appeal. Powell Gilbert is assisting clients in the preparation of offensive and defensive strategies, in technical areas such as medtech, robotics, electronics and SEPs. This includes the preparation of pleadings and evidence, as well as assembling the most effective teams of local counsel for the technologies in issue and the UPC division of choice.

The firm’s flourishing brands practice acts for some of the world’s most sophisticated businesses and has a track record of devising and delivering creative solutions to meet clients’ commercial objectives.

The firm is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, particularly in relation to patent and technology licences.

International Work:

A distinguishing feature of Powell Gilbert is the expertise of its lawyers in successfully guiding clients through multinational litigation. The firm is frequently involved in devising European patent litigation strategies, acting as co-ordinating counsel and working alongside local teams to put those strategies into effect and ensure consistency of approach. The firm has played a central role in cases before many overseas courts, including in continental Europe and Scandinavia, the UPC, the United States (district court and ITC proceedings), Australia, China, Korea and Japan.