Practice overview
Ian began his career as a barrister specialising in IP litigation in the legal department of The Body Shop Intl Plc. Before commencing independent practice at the bar in 2002, he worked as in-house counsel to a global domain name consultancy, and later as technical assistant to a leading firm of patent & trade mark attorneys, as well as undertaking a post-graduate degree in computer science, which he obtained with a distinction, having been awarded a scholarship by the European Physics & Science Research Council.
Ian’s practice covers all aspects of intellectual property, information technology, telecoms and media law, including the law of trade marks and passing off, copyright, designs, and patents, as well as related fields, such as franchising (including post-termination restrictive covenants), media and entertainment law (including defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, and data protection law). Ian has experience of acting for clients in mediation, as well as in arbitrations, and has also been instructed as an expert witness in the field of copyright law. In November 2014, Ian was identified by the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys Review as being one of the top 10 most frequently instructed counsel in hearings before the UK Intellectual Property Office.
In addition, to his dispute resolution practice, Ian is also frequently instructed to draft and provide advice in relation to commercial agreements, assignments and licences falling within his areas of specialisation, including copyright and trade mark licences and assignments, trade mark co-existence agreements, NDAs, TV format licensing agreements, software development agreements and licences, publishing agreements, and franchising agreements, among others.
He has represented a diverse range of clients, from individuals, including high profile performers and entertainers, as well as start-up businesses and SMEs, through to substantial global corporations. He also has experience acting both against, and defending, various police forces, local authorities, universities, and other public sector organisations, as well as trusts and charities.
Ian lectures regularly in the field of intellectual property law. He has lectured to the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO), the Institute of Professional Representatives before the EPO (epi) in Munich, and to the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA), as well as having been for many years a Visiting Lecturer both to the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, London (2001-2020), and to the Centre d’Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle (CEIPI), Strasbourg (2003-2017).
Areas of expertise
Directory recommendations
Ian is recommended for Intellectual Property in Legal 500 who note that:
- “Ian is an excellent barrister on both a technical and practical level.” (The Legal 500, 2022)
- “Meticulous attention to detail, with an advocacy style that is calm, measured and tenacious.” (Legal 500, 2020)
- “He is a meticulous researcher, a careful and elegant draftsman and a supportive addition to any team.” (The Legal 500, 2019)
Professional associations
- Chancery Bar Association
- Commercial Bar Association
- Intellectual Property Bar Association
- Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (Associate Member)
- Society of Computers & Law
Qualifications
- LL.B Law (Hons)
- MSc (IT) (Distinction)
- Visiting Lecturer both to the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute, London and to the Centre d’Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle (CEIPI), Strasbourg.
