Intellectual Property

Waterfront Solicitors is a leading firm of specialist intellectual property lawyers based in London.

We are an intellectual property focused law firm with clients ranging from large multinational companies through to SMEs, start-ups and individual inventors.

Our team of IP solicitors have years of experience helping clients protect, manage, exploit, enforce and defend their intellectual property rights. Our experience covers the entire spectrum of intellectual property law and practice, specifically:

• Anti-counterfeiting – preventing your competitors from imitating your brands, products and designs;
• Copyright and database rights – advising across a range of areas, including disputes and litigation, commercial transactions, general clearance and advisory work, intellectual property rights audits and chain of title research;
• Design rights – helping you to protect your creative investment and negotiate the complex legal maze of multiple overlapping design laws affecting the UK;
• Know how, trade secrets and confidential information – through commercial agreements and litigation measures we can help you protect and exploit these valuable assets;
• Patent litigation – from multi-million-pound patent claims in the High Court to more modest, but vital patent claims in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, our team has the skills and experience to manage all forms of patent litigation;
• Trade marks and brands – we can advise you across the whole spectrum of trade mark rights and related rights (such as passing off), including clearance searches, protection and registrability issues, co-ordination and management of trademark filings, branding and franchise agreements, disputes and litigation; and
• Domain name law – we have successfully acted both for those bringing and defending domain name proceedings.

Why Waterfront?

Our IP team has been recognised  in prestigious legal directories, the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, for a number of years.  Our approach is to combine expert advice with “a pragmatic approach and provide clients with valuable advice succinctly and efficiently”. The Joint Heads of Intellectual Property and Dispute Resolution are Matthew Harris and Piers Strickland.  Matthew is described as “having an outstanding knowledge of IP law who focuses very much on the commercial concerns of his clients”, but as “extremely personable and engaging”.  Piers “is a robust and tenacious partner to have on your side, he is also a pleasure to work with”.

We are aware that IP lawyers are often accused of being too formal, abrasive, aggressive, slow or simply just too painful to deal with. At Waterfront, our intellectual property solicitors aim to strike the right balance between being driven and tough when protecting your interests and demonstrating strong interpersonal skills. We always strive to provide the highest levels of customer service but we want you to be relaxed and comfortable in our company.

Unlike other law firms, our partners are heavily engaged on the matters they supervise. The cost-effectiveness of such an approach is made possible by Waterfront’s highly competitive pricing structures. The result is that our clients benefit from the maximum amount of expertise and experience being directed to the matter in hand, right from the first meeting all the way through to the conclusion or settlement of your case.

Waterfront also has a talented and personable team of associates who are well able to run suitable matters themselves, particularly when such matters require close control of costs. At the outset of every matter, we will discuss your requirements and identify which member of our team is best placed to provide the specialist intellectual property advice you require, ensuring that our offering is tailored to your specific needs.