Powell Gilbert is top ranked (Gold) in ‘Litigation, United Kingdom’ in the IAM 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners 2016. 

Furthermore, Tim Powell, Penny Gilbert, Simon Ayrton, Zoë Butler, Alex Wilson and Ari Laakkonen are all ranked individuals in ‘Litigation, United Kingdom’.

“Always at the forefront of patent matters”, Powell Gilbert is “especially strong on the technology side, tactically minded and a pleasure to work with. It really has experience and depth of knowledge”. 

The firm now has one of the largest dedicated IP litigation teams in the country and expertise in an array of sectors – not least fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. It recently went up to bat for Huawei in an action concerning 3G and 4G technology; the matter encompassed six patents, plus knotty competition, licence and FRAND issues. In another highlight it represented Actavis in a spat with Warner-Lambert over blockbuster drug Lyrica, which is used to treat epilepsy, anxiety disorders and chronic pain conditions, the decision set a precedent in the second medical use field. 

Name partner Timothy Powell is “extremely strong in multi-jurisdictional litigation”.

 Fellow name partner Penny Gilbert “invariably does a fantastic job for clients”, she has been busy assisting Kymab on a patent infringement and revocation action relating to the production of human monoclonal antibodies in transgenic mice for therapeutic use. 

“Brilliant patent litigator” Simon Ayrton has a “top reputation in the IP world”, with abundant experience before the UK courts, the UKIPO and the EPO. 

Ari Laakkonen is at his best in electronics and telecommunications disputes – especially those concerning FRAND issues. 

Zoë Butler “readily springs to mind for referrals” says peers; her facility for coordinating complex cross-border matters that extend into North America and Japan proves particularly popular with electronics and software multinationals. 

Alex Wilson is fluent in German and French, having worked in both countries and is especially strong on pan-European litigation; his favoured technologies include e-cigarettes, cleantech, graphics processing and mobile phones.