Potter Clarkson is ranked Tier 1 for patent prosecution and Tier 2 for trade mark prosecution in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars 2019.
Ten of our partners were also recognised as IP stars with a further four senior associates recognised as rising stars.
The 2019 survey stated:
"Potter Clarkson is renowned for biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent work in the patent office, but it also covers other technical fields such as chemistry, mechanics and computer technology. In 2019, biotech patent attorney Stephen Smith took over from chemistry specialist Colin Baker as managing partner.
"The firm has made significant progress in its European expansion with new offices in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden. The Copenhagen office is headed by Benjamin Hoffmann, who joined as partner in August 2018, while newly promoted partner Simon Curtis is in charge of the Stockholm office. The firm also hired a partner recently in Stockholm. The firm also strengthened the UK practice in 2018 by hiring several attorneys and acquiring London-based trade mark firm Wildbore & Gibbons.
"There are several recommended European patent attorneys in the firm; they include EPO proceedings guru Richard Bassett, Jason Teng, Caroline Marshall, Charlotte Crowhurst, Saiful Khan, Craig Brownlie, Robert Pugh, Philip Thomas and Stephanie Pilkington. The newly promoted partners to watch are Tony Proctor, a 2017 rising star, and electronics/software specialist Daniel Hudson, a 2018 rising star. Some of the firm's patent attorneys also hold litigation qualification.
"In 2018, the firm strengthened its trade marks practice in the UK by acquiring the London-based IP firm Wildbore & Gibbons. The acquisition increased the number of IP stars and trade mark practitioners in the firm. The firm now has five trade mark partners: Stephen Kinsey, Janella Barr, Sarah Talland, Sanjay Kapur and John Peacock.
"The firm's dispute resolution and commercial team, established in 2016, has handled interesting disputes, some of which were resolved amicably with desired outcomes. The notable senior lawyers in the practice are Mark Snelgrove, Nick McDonald, Richard Roberts, and Oliver Laing, who was promoted to partner in 2018. Snelgrove, who joined in 2017, specialises in commercial IP.
"The partners are supported by a team of junior trade mark attorneys and IP lawyers. Lucy Mills, Holly Mitchell and Harrison Lee are notable associates to watch. Mitchell is a lawyer, who also deals with commercial IP work, while Lee and Mills are trade mark attorneys.
"This year's patent attorney rising stars are Stockholm-based Chris Cadman, Sara Holland, Louise Robinson and Richard Wells.
"The firm welcomed Fiona Stevens and Peter Finnie as partners in December 2019. Finnie, who specialises in IT and telecoms patent work, is also recommended for IP commercialisation advice."
