Lord Kitchin: life at the UK Supreme Court

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Lord Kitchin: life at the UK Supreme Court

Lord Kitchin

The only justice with an IP background tells Managing IP how legal teams should test their arguments, that he balances reasoning and personal experience, and why he’ll be completely excluded from an upcoming FRAND trial

“I think it is reason, but without losing your humanity,” says Lord Kitchin when asked about his approach to UK Supreme Court cases. “It must primarily be analytical, but obviously your experience and sensitivities as a person can be brought to bear.”

Sitting in his office at the court, Kitchin is talking through a range of topics, from the dos and don’ts at trial, to how the justices operate, to the “enormous fun” he has had as a judge and barrister.

For IP specialists, all eyes are on the Unwired Planet v Huawei trial, which will be heard in October. The FRAND dispute has generated a lot of attention – from as far afield as China – and the court’s decision could have a highly significant global impact on this field.

In our exclusive interview, Kitchin tells us why he won’t play any role in the case and that, even if he did, his views wouldn’t necessarily “carry the day,” despite his expertise.  

To find out why, and hear Kitchin’s views on other issues including international collaboration between judges and why the UK Supreme Court is an innovator, read the full interview tomorrow, August 7 on managingip.com.

The previous two interviews in this series – with Mr Justice Arnold and the late Mr Justice Carr – can be found here and here.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A new transatlantic firm under the name of Winston Taylor is expected to go live in May 2026, and is likely to have a significant impact on Europe’s IP market
Geoff Steward and Rebecca Newman of Addleshaw Goddard explain how they secured victory in a rare ‘genericide’ case and why the work went beyond the courtroom
Nancy Frandsen looks back on her career, from answering a paralegal advert to expanding RCCB’s ‘entrepreneurial’ IP practice as a partner
The tie-up could result in the firm’s German and France-based teams, which both have strong UPC expertise, becoming independent
News of a slowdown in the UK’s clean energy IP landscape and an EPO report on unitary patent uptake were also among the top talking points
Price hikes at ‘big law’ firms are pushing some clients toward boutiques that offer predictable fees, specialised expertise, and a model built around prioritising IP
The Australian side, in particular, can benefit by capitalising on its independent status to bring in more work from Western countries while still working with its former Chinese partner
Koen Bijvank of Brinkhof and Johannes Heselberger of Bardehle Pagenberg discuss the Amgen v Sanofi case and why it will be cited frequently
View the official winners of the 2025 Social Impact EMEA Awards
King & Wood Mallesons will break into two entities, 14 years after a merger between a Chinese and an Australian firm created the combined outfit
Gift this article