Guy Burkill KC

Practice Areas

All intellectual property. Guy is particularly active in technology-oriented patent cases involving telecoms, computer hardware and software, and electronics. He also enjoys a more diverse practice in copyright, trade secrets (misuse by ex-employees), and other IP.

He engages effectively with expert witnesses, and relishes the challenges of understanding, analysing and explaining complex technology. His expertise is supported by a strong technical foundation (a first in engineering and an instinctive feel for how things work), coupled with extensive legal knowledge (as a co-editor of Terrell, the patent practitioners’ textbook).

Principal Cases

Major telecoms cases involving multiple aspects of 2G/3G/4G mobile phone technology include Qualcomm v Nokia, HTC v Apple, HTC v Nokia, Samsung v Apple, and Optis v Apple.

He has also acted for many leading multinational companies in the engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, aviation, and other industries. Other memorable cases include Dyson v Hoover; Hoechst Celanese v BP (commodity chemical manufacture: account of profits); Lubrizol v Exxon (oil additives); Glaxo v Dowelhurst (trade marks: parallel imports); Schlumberger v EMGS (non-obvious marriage of separate skills).

Career

Winchester College; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge - MA Degree, 1st Class Hons in Engineering (Electrical Option); called to Bar 1981; KC 2002.

Professional Memberships

IP Bar Association; Chancery Bar Association.

Publications

Co-editor of 'Terrell on the Law of Patents' - 15th edition (2000), 16th edition (2006), 17th edition (2011).

Personal

Leisure interests include opera, the violin (performing regularly with London Phoenix orchestra, Regents Opera, and other symphonic/operatic groups), battling with HS2, trying to mend things.