Venner Shipley LLP

Managing Partner: Sian Gill

Number of partners: 47

Other fee earners: 120

Chemical & Life Sciences: Allie Elend

Electronics: Jan Walaski

Mechanical Engineering: Alex Brown

Trade Marks: Clare Turnbull

Litigation & Licensing: Geoff Hussey

Firm Overview:

Venner Shipley is a leading European full-service intellectual property firm, providing an innovative, bespoke service through our team of expert European and UK patent, trade mark and design attorneys as well as IP solicitors.

We focus on solving problems, creating opportunities and offering different perspectives.Our clients value our straight-talking approach, practical advice, and the clarity we bring to help drive their decisions.

From clearance and filing strategies worldwide to drafting, filing, prosecution, and transactional work, we also specialise in both defensive and offensive contentious matters. Our expertise spans the full range of IPR, including patents, trade marks, designs, copyright with particular strength in opposition proceedings at the EPO and revocation proceedings at the UPC and other contentious work.

The combination with AA Thornton at the end of 2024 represented a significant expansion of our trade mark team, doubling its size, and brought together the expertise of both firms to better serve clients throughout Europe. It also reinforced our capacity to represent clients before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). With a combined headcount of over 230, including 45 partners, our firm now operates across six UK offices — in London, Cambridge, Guildford, Manchester, Tunbridge Wells, and Oxford — as well as EU offices in Munich and Madrid. We work with clients in diverse industries, from major international corporations and global brands to universities and SMEs. Together, we play a pivotal role in fostering innovation and growth. Our approach is truly flexible, always placing our clients' priorities at the heart of everything we do.

Specialist teams in life sciences, materials, software, and AI, as well as deep engineering expertise ranging from heavy mechanical to electronics, enable us to deliver creative and innovative solutions that help our clients achieve their commercial objectives. With 67 UPC representatives across all technology sectors and an expanded litigation team boasting both technical and legal expertise, we are uniquely positioned to handle UPC-related patent litigation, strategy, and enforcement across Europe.

Our licensing and litigation team excels in dispute resolution, offering the strategic and analytical advice that clients rely on to maximise the value of their intellectual property.