Sarah Wright

Practice Areas

Sarah has built her leading IP practice advising companies on how to protect, monetise and enforce their brands and designs.

Sarah advises clients in the Technology, Media and Communications, Life Sciences & Healthcare, and Fashion and Retail sectors. She handles a broad range of IP work from devising trade mark filing strategies, conducting clearances searches and managing international portfolios, through to advising on all types of contentious matters before UKIPO, EUIPO and UK Courts.

In addition, Sarah has experience of non-contentious matters including drafting and negotiating all types of licensing and franchising arrangements and co-existence agreements. Having spent her formative years at a very large city firm, she is equally adept advising on the IP aspects of corporate acquisitions and disposals. Sarah also routinely advises agencies and brands on advertising issues including pre-clearance advice and assists clients with ASA complaints.

Alongside Sarah’s IP practice Sarah is also the co-founder of CMS equIP, the firm’s tech start-up programme which launched in 2016 and has become of the leading law firm programmes in the tech start-up arena in the UK, and which now has capability in multiple jurisdictions. Working with dynamic start-ups has honed Sarah’s ability to cut through detail and find pragmatic solutions for her clients, whatever their size.

Post-Brexit, Sarah continues to hold representation and audience rights before the EUIPO and the Court of Justice of the European Union. Sarah is English and Irish qualified, and she operates her EU trade mark and design practice from our Polish office.

Professional Memberships

INTA: Emerging Issues Committee

CITMA, Associate Member

PTMG, Associate Member

Work Highlights

ITV on their global trade mark portfolio including on new filings, oppositions and brand protection issues.

Microsoft on their UK and European trade mark filings and oppositions.

Fashion clients on various IP matters including their licensing, distribution or franchise arrangements.

Lipsy Limited on anti-counterfeiting strategies and dealing with trade mark and design infringement claims.

A significant UK media business on the identification, clearance and registration of a new entertainment brand for use across multiple platforms worldwide.

A technology start-up on how to protect their IP rights to put them in the best position to secure funding.

A UK bank, a life insurance provider and a worldwide pharma company on brand protection issues including clearance of new brand names and advertising issues.

A UK manufacturer on a High Court claim for UK and EU registered and unregistered design right infringement.

Clients from a wide range of industries on a range of brand protection issues including domain name disputes; takedown notices and the use of keywords.

Various clients on the IP aspects of corporate acquisitions and disposals.

Education