Tom advises established businesses, start-ups and individuals on all aspects of IP and media law.
Tom trained and qualified into the IP team of a City law firm. He joined Stevens & Bolton in 2007, since when he has spent time on secondment at a major UK broadcaster and in the IP litigation team of a leading German law firm.
The majority of Tom’s practice involves litigation and contentious matters. A qualified solicitor advocate he has been involved in several landmark IP cases, and helps clients bring and defend infringement actions and interim injunctions at all levels of the UK courts and internationally. He has particular expertise in brand protection; reputation management; protecting trade secrets and advising clients how to respond to data breaches.
Tom also helps clients protect, exploit and create value from their intellectual property; advising on IP strategy, licensing, joint ventures, acquisitions and disposals of all sizes.
Recent highlights include advising:
- A Premier League football club in all brand-protection matters, including an ongoing online monitoring/takedown programme and several claims for trade mark infringement
- A global name consumer electronics company in a series of trade mark infringement disputes concerning the legality of modified parallel imports brought into the UK from mainland Europe
- A large Italian chocolate manufacturer in successfully obtaining a pan-European injunction, based on several EU trade marks, against a company headquartered in Switzerland
- A global sports personality on the protection and exploitation of image rights
- A listed food manufacturing company in a High Court claim for breach of confidence, concerning confidential information in secret recipes and food processing techniques
- A household-name chain of coffee shops on a series of online brand protection and reputation management issues, including numerous domain name complaints
Tom is recognised as a leading practitioner in World Trademark Review and Media Law International; as well as a UK patent and trade mark “Star” by Managing Intellectual Property magazine.
He writes for many legal and industry publications, including PLC, Legal Week, Managing IP Techradar and Music Week, as well as being quoted several times in the national press and appearing on Channel 4. He is an Associate Member of CIPA and CITMA; and a member of INTA, AIPPI, Union-IP and iTechLaw.