Bird & Bird’s Trevor Cook spreads his wings

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

Bird & Bird’s Trevor Cook spreads his wings

Leading UK litigator Trevor Cook is ending his 39-year association with Bird & Bird and will join WilmerHale’s New York office as a partner on January 1 next year

Trevor Cook

Cook was most recently co-head of Bird & Bird’s international life sciences group and has written books including A User’s Guide to Patents and EU Intellectual Property Law. He is well known for his experience in handling disputes across different technologies and IP rights, as well as coordinating cross-border litigation.

Cook joined Bird & Bird in 1974. At WilmerHale, he is expected to focus on international IP litigation, and expand the firm’s US practice to Europe and Asia.

His move may be a sign that major law firms are seeking to make senior lateral hires in preparation for handling work before the planned Unified Patents Court in Europe, which is due to be set up in the next few years.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Nick Aries and Elizabeth Louca at Bird & Bird unpick the legal questions raised by a very public social media spat concerning the ‘Brooklyn Beckham’ trademark
Michael Conway, who joined Birketts after nearly two decades at an IP boutique, says he was intrigued by the challenge of joining a general practice firm
The private-equity-backed firm said hires from DLA Piper and Eversheds Sutherland will help it become the IP partner of choice for innovative businesses
The acquisition is expected to help Clorox bolster its position in the health and hygiene consumer products market
AIPPI, which has faced boycott threats over the 2027 World Congress, says it has a long-standing commitment to engagement and geographic rotation
The shortlist for our annual Americas Awards will be published next month, with potential winners in more than 90 categories set to be revealed
News of Nokia signing a licensing deal with a Chinese automaker and Linklaters appointing a new head of tech and IP were also among the top talking points
After five IP partners left the firm for White & Case, the IP market could yet see more laterals
The court plans to introduce a system for expert-led SEP mediation, intended to help parties come to an agreement within three sessions
Paul Chapman and Robert Lind, who are retiring from Marks & Clerk after 30-year careers, discuss workplace loyalty, client care, and why we should be optimistic but cautious about AI
Gift this article