Intellectual Property Solicitors

Humphreys & Co. are intellectual property solicitors advising businesses on trade marks, patents, copyright, designs, licensing, registration and IP litigation in the UK and internationally. We act in infringement disputes, High Court and IPEC claims, trade mark registration matters, licensing arrangements and confidential information cases.

Intellectual Property Rights include:

- patents, utility models, rights to inventions, copyright and related rights, trade marks and business names and domain names, rights in get-up and trade dress, rights to goodwill and to sue for passing off or unfair competition, rights in designs, database rights, rights in confidential information (including know-how and trade secrets (including trade secrets as defined by the EU Trade Secrets Directive EU 2016/943)) and all other intellectual property rights,

- in each case whether registered or unregistered and including all applications for (and rights to apply for and be granted), and renewals or extensions of, and rights to claim priority from, such rights and all similar or equivalent rights or forms of protection which subsist or will subsist now or in the future in any part of the world.

• Patents, trademarks, copyright, designs & trade secrets in their national, EU and international contexts.
• Trademarks principally indicate the origin of goods or services. They can be protected in the UK through either passing off or registration. The choices for registration are a UK or a Community trade mark or international registration.
• A registered trademark may afford protection against use of the same or a similar sign for the same, similar or dissimilar goods or services.
• Patents confer monopoly rights in inventions. The invention must be new, inventive, capable of industrial application and not excluded.
• Patents must be licensed in accordance with the Block Exemption on Technology Transfer Agreements. They may be subject to compulsory licences and Crown use.
• Copyright subsists in works not ideas. Related rights include moral rights and rights in performances.
• Copyright is infringed by taking a substantial part of the claimant's work. Additional damages are available for flagrant infringements.
• Database right subsists in electronic and paper databases if a substantial investment is made in obtaining the contents.
• Designs are protected in UK law by registered and unregistered design rights. Community designs co-exist with UK designs laws.
• Trade secrets may be protected by a civil law action for breach of confidence. The information must be confidential, imparted in circumstances importing a duty of confidence and the defendant must make unauthorised use of the information.
• Intellectual property rights are generally litigated in the High Court & the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. A general pre-action protocol sets out the steps that parties should follow when considering litigation.
• Expert evidence can be the key to success in intellectual property cases.

Legal 500 2026 leading firm recommended:

Recommended for its ‘fierce dedication and tireless work ethic’, the specialist team at Humphreys & Co. fields particularly strong expertise in IP litigation and trade mark prosecution.

The practice is helmed by longstanding IP expert Robert Humphreys, working alongside the ’very knowledgeable’ Tristan Morse and Ruth Annand.

Chambers Guide 2026 leading firm recommended:

Their expertise in intellectual property, combined with their extensive network, enables them to manage our cases with strength and precision.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SPECIALISTS