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 2026

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

The model covers court-guided settlements, submissions-led determination of infringement and validity issues, and leeway for the court to determine a FRAND rate during negotiations
Tie up between Belgium-based firms will create an outfit with almost 30 UPC representatives, and a tier one-ranked patent disputes team
Blank Rome’s launch in West Palm Beach, marked by the arrival of two IP partners, comes in response to rising demands from technology clients
Abion says it has brought on board Matt Serlin as its first US hire to meet client demand for ‘full circle’ trademark and domain name services
News of Health Hoglund joining Sisvel and the Delhi High Court staying a $2.2 million decree in favour of Philips were also among the top talking points
The firm is continuing its aggressive IP hiring streak with the addition of partner Matthew Rizzolo
Pantech counsel Shogo Matsunaga speaks exclusively to Managing IP about how his team proved Google’s unwillingness, and ultimately secured a landmark SEP settlement
New partners, including the firm’s first female head of a department, are eyeing a deeper focus on client understanding
Chunguang Hu of China PAT explains why his ‘insider’ experience as a patent examiner benefits clients and why he wants to debunk the myth that IP has limited value in China
Essenese Obhan shares his expansion plans and vision of creating a ‘one-stop shop’ for clients after Indian firms Obhan & Associates and Mason & Associates joined forces
Gift this article