Intellectual property law firm sees unprecedented level of IP litigation

Appleyard Lees solicitors set to litigate three disputes virtually before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in June/July 2020

[Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge, UK] — Intellectual property law firm Appleyard Lees IP LLP (‘Appleyard Lees’) will litigate three high-stakes intellectual property disputes over a four-week period in June/July 2020. The trials raise novel questions of law and will see the introduction of multiple new working procedures as the courts gear up for remote working.

All trials will be heard before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. Proceedings will be virtual in accordance with restrictions and accommodations necessitated by COVID-19 disruption and distancing requirements. The parties and the courts have been grappling with novel procedural issues – including fully electronic bundles, and even whether the judge will wear wigs and gowns.

Cases are being managed by multidisciplinary teams of solicitors and trade mark attorneys with team leads based in Manchester (Bill Lister, Solicitor), Cambridge (Chris Hoole, Solicitor and Trade Mark Attorney), and Leeds (Robert Cumming, Solicitor, Trade Mark Attorney and Head of Litigation and Trade Marks at Appleyard Lees).

Mr. Cumming said, “Having three back-to-back trials in a four-week period is rare for any intellectual property firm. Fortunately, our litigation teams moved on from paper files several years ago and so are fully prepared for the new normal. The intellectual property profession is also recession proof to a degree – because businesses are looking five or ten years ahead. The natural increase in disputes during more challenging times is buoyed by the everyday protection side of branding and technology.”

Further, Mr. Cumming noted, “Managing concurrent trials and trying cases remotely are challenges that we relish. We are preparing ourselves and our clients for the logistical changes virtual hearings will bring – electronic documents and files, remote cross-examination, changes to procedure etc. – and we look forward to being among the first participants in this new virtual court system.”

About Appleyard Lees

Appleyard Lees is a leading intellectual property law firm with over fifty patent and trade mark attorneys and specialist IP solicitors. Who we are and what we do – but also, how we do it – makes us distinctive.

From our offices in Halifax, Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge and the Biohub at Alderly Edge, we litigate patent, design, trade mark and copyright before the courts and tribunals in the UK, Europe and beyond.