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Intellectual Property (IP) Protection

We know how valuable your IP assets are to you. Our commercially minded IP specialist lawyers will protect and maximise the value of your innovation by delivering expert advice, cost effectively.

Throughout your product’s entire life cycle, from application and commercialisation to exploitation and enforcement, we’ll go the extra mile to secure your technology, commercial interests and intellectual property rights.

Meet the team

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Our services and expertise

With global experience and a nationwide presence, our IP lawyers offer a complete end-to-end IP service with a ‘one team’ approach. Amongst our team, we boast UK and international patent, design and trademark attorneys, together with highly regarded solicitors involved in ground-breaking and law-making work. From advice about initial protection to commercialisation and proactive enforcement strategy, our team will have your back.

Rather than operating in a vacuum, we prefer to work alongside our clients to identify and maximise opportunities while minimising risk. We support clients to manage and grow their IP portfolio, ensuring this valuable asset is protected and developed to its full potential.

Our technology expertise

We advise on key areas including:

  • IP audits and IP mapping
  • IP protection and enforcement
  • IP licensing and exploitation of copyrights, patents, designs and trade marks
  • IP infringement dispute resolution
  • Commercialisation including collaboration agreements, co-existence agreements, licensing, sale and transfer of IP, university spin-outs and IP management and prosecution strategies
  • Non-disclosure agreements (including IP)
  • Patents, utility models and industrial designs

Our team has market-leading expertise in a number of sectors:

  • MedTech, BioTech, healthcare and life sciences: We frequently assist our clients with strategic IP projects in this space
  • Blockchain and IP strategy: We provide strategic advice to a wide range of sophisticated clients operating in the Blockchain eco-system, from wallet service providers, custodians and crypto traders to crypto asset investors and NFT businesses
  • Software, SaaS and cloud services: We have a wealth of experience advising innovative, technology-focused, service providers that offer disruptive solutions to established industry methods and practices (such as SaaS and other Cloud Service solutions)
  • International software copyright protection: We have significant international software copyright experience (both contentious and non-contentious).

Brand protection services

We provide a comprehensive range of trade mark, design and copyright related services, both in the UK and internationally.

Through our established global network of IP lawyers, we provide brand protection services including:

  • Trade marks, design and copyright protection and advice
  • Trade mark portfolio management and maintenance
  • Brand strategy
  • Trade mark watching services
  • Trade mark searching
  • Trade mark licensing advice and support
  • Customs notices
  • United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Trade Mark Registry proceedings
  • Corporate, banking and M&A related specialist trade mark services (such as records of securities and due diligence).

Close cooperation and collaboration between our brand protection specialists and the wider HCR IP team provides clients with a seamless experience throughout the trade mark registration process and post registration trade mark lifecycle.

Our brand and reputation specialists can also safeguard your public image, advising on defamation, malicious falsehoods, misuse of image rights and false advertising claims. We help you navigate the UK Advertising Codes and provide anti-counterfeiting strategies, both here and abroad.

A member of the Intellectual Property team talking to a client on the phone and smiling

Our clients

We provide commercial IP advice to clients across a range of sectors from retail, educational and software companies to global pharmaceutical giants, restaurants and distilleries. We often work with technology-based businesses – including those operating in IT, cyber, blockchain, crypto assets, NFTs, FinTech, AgriTech, advanced manufacturing sectors – as well as the digital, e-commerce and online economy.

IT and SaaS providers, entrepreneurial start-ups, inventors and multinational clients are among those who particularly value the depth of our expertise and connections.

We support clients in auditing, maintaining and monitoring their IP rights and commercialising their IP assets. We regularly provide training to increase awareness and education of the importance and value of IP and review their IP protection to ensure it is watertight by anticipating any future disputes.

Bringing and defending IP claims

Our IP team has a strong track record of successfully bringing and defending IP claims. By acting quickly and effectively, we challenge any infringement of your IP rights and minimise damage to your business.

We negotiate hard on your behalf to achieve a swift resolution, taking the case to court if needed to demonstrate the strength of your IP assets. With decades of cross-sector experience, we help you to reach the outcome that is right for you, making sure your IP assets are safe and secure, and taking appropriate steps against infringers.

With our technology expertise and history of successful IP settlements, we’re well-placed to protect your ground-breaking inventions, bring innovative brands to market and protect your commercial advantage, whether you are in the UK or overseas.

Our clients regularly benefit from our advice on:

  • Domain name disputes, cyber-squatting and copycat websites
  • Data protection enforcements
  • Crypto and NFT asset recovery
  • Bringing and defending patent, trade mark, passing off, design, and copyright infringements and claims
  • Confidentiality breaches and trade secrets
  • Trade mark opposition and revocation proceedings
  • Licencing and franchising disputes, as well as claims relating to ownership of IP rights
  • FRAND disputes.

Services from our Commercial team

Recognition of our work

Chambers and Partners 2024

Chambers and Partners 2024
Fintech Awards Wales 2023 – Best Advisory of the Year

Fintech Awards Wales 2023 – Best Advisory of the Year
Investors in People

Investors in People

Legal 500 – Firms to watch 2023

Legal 500 – Firms to watch 2023
Recommended for Quality

Recommended for Quality

Times Best Law Firm

Times Best Law Firm

Legal updates and thought leadership

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Hear what our clients say about us

The team quickly and effectively: 1) Identified the level of my experience with IP legalities 2) Understood the particular applications of the technology under development and therefore potential associated commercial risks 3) Communicated the situation and options clearly, demonstrating deep prior relevant experience of similar experiences.

Legal 500 2024 – Intellectual Property

HCR are always prepared to go the extra mile to deliver a project on time and to budget. The most unique feature about HCR has to be the people. everyone in the organisation is highly motivated, experienced and has a robust understanding of our needs as a business. HCR has such a breadth of expertise to support in any situation. They are able to bring together the right team to support our needs. We have never found HCR to be wanting in any transaction.

Legal 500 2024 – Corporate and Commercial

Thank you for your highly flexible approach – fitting with our timeline can’t have been easy, especially considering you delivered such high-quality advice

Chris Paton MD of Quirk Solutions, and a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines

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