Appleyard Lees

Managing Partner: Bobby Smithson  

Number of partners: 20

The firm 

Appleyard Lees is a leading intellectual property (IP) law firm, with approximately seventy patent and trademark attorneys and litigators. The firm offers a commercially intelligent approach to client service, incorporating flexibility and adaptability. Striving to be agile, the firm responds to specific client requirements in a way that suits them, tailoring their service accordingly.

Having global reach and local knowledge, they are experts in patents, trade marks, IP strategy, designs, copyright, contentious proceedings and disputes. With offices in UK innovation hotspots, Appleyard Lees is positioned to give clients expert strategic IP advice in the UK and across the globe.

Strong client relationships  

Appleyard Lees supports a broad range of IP owners and creators, including in-house teams, R&D specialists, owner-managers and branding professionals. Appleyard Lees helps clients protect and monetise their IP assets, and manage post-grant challenges should they arise. The firm has a collegiate ethos, rooted in fully understanding each client, to establish critical relationships of trust. Appleyard Lees is recognised for fostering and maintaining close-knit and longstanding client relationships, particularly with large multinational organisations.

The firm has a fantastic track record of working with some of the world’s most exciting innovators, largest companies and household names, with a number of clients belonging to elite groups including the Fortune 500, Fortune Global 2000, FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and Forbes Global 2000. Appleyard Lees’ clients operate across a diverse collection of industries, including chemicals, retail, consumer goods, electronics, software, bio and life sciences, pharmaceuticals, metals and heavy industry, higher education and hospitality, leisure and tourism.

Appleyard Lees is equally proud of the role they have played in the development of high-growth start-up businesses.

Highly specialised & commercial legal team 

Appleyard Lees is a market-leading firm, having assembled an impressive roster of dual-qualified patent, solicitor and trademark attorneys. Appleyard Lees has great credibility within the market as attorneys are able to assess and anticipate clients’ comprehensive needs across the full spectrum of IP matters, including prosecution, litigation and transactional work. The Appleyard Lees patent team comprises dedicated specialists with hybrid academic backgrounds, PhDs and industry experience. Attorneys’ specialisms cover a range of the latest technologies.

Appleyard Lees’ team of accomplished trade mark attorneys serves one of the most diverse client rosters in the market. The firm’s clients operate across a broad range of industries, including chemical, retail, consumer goods, electronics, software, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical, metals and heavy industry.

Driving & supporting innovation 

As a firm, Appleyard Lees is proud to drive innovation and to give back through the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund. The fund has been created to allow high-potential start-ups to grow commercially and allow their products and ideas to reach the market. Grants from the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund are awarded on a case-by-case basis to companies with winning ideas, a track record of innovation and a sound strategic approach.

Firm culture 

The firm recruits the very best professionals who have a passion for their individual areas of specialism. All of Appleyard Lees’ people are supported to develop in their roles with the objective of continuously improving client service.

Contacts: 

Electronics & software: Dick Waddington

Chemistry & pharmaceuticals: David Walsh

Life sciences & biotechnology: Barbara Fleck

Engineering & physics: Richard Bray

Litigation & trade marks: Robert Cumming