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Key contacts
Partner: Penny Gilbert
Partner: Pete Damerell
Quick facts
Partners

14

Other qualified practitioners

20

Total number of lawyers

34

Practitioners (worldwide)

35

Languages

English, Finnish, French, German, Cantonese and Mandarin

Network memberships

AIPPI, BIA, CIPA, EPLAW, GRUR, INTA, IPLA, LES, SCL, VPP

Key practice areas
Intellectual property
Trade mark
Patent
Patent disputes - law firms
Firm overview

Powell Gilbert is one of the most highly regarded European IP law firms, with unrivalled patent litigation experience and a blue-chip brands practice.  In addition to extensive patent litigation experience before the national courts, the firm has rapidly established itself as one of the leading firms for patent litigation before the Unified Patent Court.  PG also has unrivalled experience in advising clients on European IP strategy and coordinating European IP litigation. PG is frequently involved in devising European patent litigation strategies, acting as co-ordinating counsel and working alongside local teams to put those strategies into effect and ensure consistency of approach.  The firm has played a central role in cases before many courts, including in the UK, continental Europe and Scandinavia, the UPC, the United States (district court and ITC proceedings), Australia, China, Korea and Japan.

In UK litigation, the team routinely represents clients before the patent courts at all levels, including on appeal before the UK Supreme Court, where it has appeared in a number of precedent-setting cases in recent years.

In UPC litigation, PG’s success since the Court opened its doors in June 2023 was recognised when PG won JUVE Patent’s inaugural “UPC Firm of the Year” Award and MIP’s (UK) UPC Firm of the Year Award. PG is uniquely well placed to advise on the opportunities and risks which result from the addition of the UPC to the existing European patent litigation landscape. The PG team has been involved in UPC cases before a variety of Local, Regional, and Central Divisions and also the Court of Appeal – including appearing as advocates.

The firm includes some of Europe’s leading patent litigators. Almost all lawyers have technical backgrounds, including many with PhDs or master’s degrees in relevant scientific disciplines.  The firm also advises on complex technology contract disputes and provides IP portfolio assessments and FTO analyses.

The firm advises across the full spectrum of IP rights. Its experience in patent litigation ranges across all technical fields, from acting in the earliest biotechnology patent cases to involvement in the smartphone wars and leading cases on FRAND licensing disputes. It has appeared in many of Europe’s most technically and legally complex cases, including representing clients in referrals to the CJEU and the EFTA Court on SPCs. The firm also represents clients in EPO oppositions and other registry proceedings, including before the UK IPO.

Although focused on litigation, the firm is experienced in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.

Other offices
  • Powell Gilbert (Europe) LLP, Pembroke House,  28-32 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 EK84, Ireland, +353 (0)1 234 2410, info@powellgilbert.com, https://powellgilbert.com/
  • KÖNIGSALLEE 2B, 5th Floor DÜSSELDORF, 40212, Germany, +49 21181997330
Practice Areas & Sector Specialisations

Key IP Areas

Copyright, Copyright & related rights, Designs, Intellectual property, Intellectual property (contentious), Life sciences IP, Patent, Patent (contentious), Trade mark, Trade mark (contentious)

Key Sector Expertise

Artificial intelligence, Automotive, Aviation, Biotechnology, Chemical, Computer technology & services, Construction and materials, Consumer goods and services, Electrical, Electronics, Energy, Fashion & luxury goods, FMCG, Food and beverage, Furniture, Gaming, Healthcare, ICT & software, Industrials, Internet, Life sciences, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Medical device, Nanotechnology, Oil and gas, Optics & photonics, Pharmaceutical, Renewable energy, Retail, Robotics, Semiconductors, Technology hardware, Telecommunication, Transport

Address:
85 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1AE
United Kingdom
Tel:+442030408000 Fax: Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://www.powellgilbert.com
2026 Edition
Patent disputes - law firms
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Overview

IP litigation boutique Powell Gilbert has featured in some of the most legally and technically complex patent disputes in the English courts. It is also one of the most experienced UK firms for UPC litigation, with offices in Ireland and Düsseldorf. The firm is highly recommended for patent disputes, especially in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors.  The firm also has patent litigation experts for SEP and FRAND disputes.

Notable patent litigators: Zoë Butler, Penny Gilbert, Simon Ayrton, Peter Damerell, Bethan Hopewell, Siddharth Kusumakar, Joel Coles, Ari Laakkonen, Tim Whitfield, and Alex Wilson.

Testimonials

2026

"Powell Gilbert punch massively above their weight in FRAND litigation.  Pete Damerell is incredibly hard working, very clever and always gets right to the heart of the key issues in a case.  He is realistic, pragmatic and practical - he is also an extremely nice and fair person.  It's clear from working with the team that he is an excellent leader and very strong at motivating more junior team members."

"PG are an incredibly hard-working bunch who deliver unbelievable bang for the client's buck.  The team is small but incredibly expert and focused.  Pete Damerell is a stand-out litigator - super-smart, very diligent and always thinking about the issues in the case."

"Powell Gilbert’s legal team is exceptionally skilled, strategic, and reassuringly thorough. They handle complex IP issues with confidence and clarity, and their ability to distil technical and creative matters into strong legal arguments is outstanding. I always felt well‑advised and fully supported throughout the process."

"Their filing and administrative support is consistently precise, efficient, and well‑organised. They manage deadlines and documentation seamlessly, which removes a huge amount of stress. The team communicates clearly and keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes."

"Their advisory team offers thoughtful, pragmatic guidance that reflects a deep understanding of both legal and creative considerations. They take the time to understand my work and objectives, and their advice is always clear, commercially sensible, and easy to act on."

Alex Borthwick

"Alex combines sharp legal insight with a calm, reassuring manner that makes even complex IP issues feel manageable. He is exceptionally clear in his explanations, highly responsive, and consistently thoughtful in his strategic approach. His ability to balance technical precision with a genuinely supportive client experience stands out."

 

2025

"Fantastic team of practitioners who are exceptionally proficient in legal and scientific advocacy on patent matters. They work collaboratively with other counsels across jurisdictions. Greatly appreciate the quality of the client relationship that Powell Gilbert fosters."

"Commercially astute, embedded within our company tech, exceptionally responsive and very easy to work with."

"They provided advice tailored to the needs of the client in an approachable manner and are pragmatic and cost-effective compared to some of their peers."

"Responsive and pragmatic. Always one step ahead of the opponent."

"[Powell Gilbert] gives you the very best chance of winning because they have a better approach to instructing and using experts. Lots of experience even in mid and junior ranks."

"Very smart, excellent strategic [team] for litigation, especially large-scale multi-jurisdictional litigation. Excellent technical knowledge. Attention to detail is just as good. Coordinate extremely well as a team. And to a person, all super people to work with."

"They are highly competent but also a pleasure to work with. They are all really nice people outside of the courtroom."

"High dedication to details, outstanding technical expertise"

"Flexible team size, high performance and dedication."

Alex Wilson

"Alex Wilson is a real star. He is an excellent strategic advisor and knows how to assemble the right team to tackle any project.He is also a true gentleman."

"Alex Wilson is a first-class strategist and litigator, very culturally adept, fluent in multiple languages and works well with local counsel."

 

2024

"I have been working with Tom Oliver and Peter Damerell and they both are excellent professionals with a deep knowledge of IP law and a business-oriented attitude. I sure recommend them."

"Very good patent litigation firm – very skilled, strategic and friendly."

"In addition to their just simply being ahead of everyone else in the class, we prefer to work with PG on the basis of their diverse team and because they are fun and interesting people with a lot of character."

"Powell Gilbert are a pre-eminent patent litigation firm in the UK market. They appear in all of the biggest cases and when the stakes are highest. Their firm's ethos is perfect: they combine extraordinary hard work and aggressive litigation strategy with being incredibly lovely people."

"We know them very well and know they have the proper expertise. They are very expert and efficient with a deep knowledge of patent matters, very clear in their approach."

"Highly skilled, experienced, and pragmatic."

"Powell Gilbert has an excellent technical understanding and outstanding litigation skills in UK patent litigation matters. Powell Gilbert is responsive, has a very good strategic understanding and technical expertise. It also is experienced in participating in larger international teams."

"Powell Gilbert is one of the best patent litigation firms in London and has a depth of knowledge and expertise which is second to none."

Penny Gilbert

"She is just brilliant and always very friendly."

Siddharth Kusumakar

"He is likeable and very intelligent, yet he has patience with collaborators who may not move with the same intellectual pace."

"Very skilled and nice to work with."

Simon Ayrton

"Simon is one of the leading patent litigators in the UK. He combines deep subject-matter knowledge with a highly commercial and strategic approach. He has been consistently trusted by clients with the very largest patent litigation under way in London."

Peter Damerell

"He has excellent client skills and a highly analytical mind."

Zoe Butler

"Zoe is an exceptional IP lawyer and litigator who has a great scientific knowledge but also has great instincts as a litigator."

 

2023

"We appreciate that they provide a very responsive service with efficient, lean staffing."

"We appreciate their efficiency – they are precise but straight to the point."

"They are highly skilled and knowledgeable, both on the technology and the legal side of the litigation. We appreciate that they are highly communicative with client and offer reasonable rates. "

"We appreciate their responsiveness. They are user-friendly- they are able to communicate legal issues to non-specialist clients as well as gain respect of scientific clients with their ability to understand complex scientific concepts."

"They have great knowledge of patent IP and the specifics of UK law."

"The Powell Gilbert team are a joy to work with in what can be the extremely stressful process of litigation. They always worked collaboratively with the client and were always proactive in driving the litigation and in trying to find a way to promote settlement.

"They provided clear advice so that the client was able to make informed decisions throughout the litigation. Their choice of barristers for the case was extremely good and their preparation of the case for trial was so good the opposing client even congratulated them after the trial."

"We appreciate the high attention to detail, very honest feedback and outstanding legal expertise."

Linked Reviews
Patent

Patent case studies show the firm was involved in disputes in different technical fields, including consumer technology and biotechnology. Clients include AIM Sport Vision, ASUSTek Computer, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Tesla, BioNTech, Philip Morris International, Ocado Group, Sharp Corporation, Biogen, and Edwards Lifesciences.

In 2023, the firm opened an office in Dublin, Ireland, because of the Unified Patent Court. Senior associates Bryce Matthewson and Peter FitzPatrick, who are also qualified in Ireland, were promoted to partner in 2024. Tom Oliver, Tess Waldron, and Rajvinder Jagdev are practitioners to watch. Name partner Tim Powell left the firm in 2024.

In 2025, the firm hired patent litigation star Andreas Kramer and two of his colleagues, Hannes Obex and Andreas Ditler, from Vossius & Partner to establish its new Düsseldorf office. Obex is a lawyer, while Ditler is a patent attorney.

 

Trade mark

Case studies show Simon Ayrton and Joel Coles leading on most of the firm’s soft IP disputes. Clients include Lambretta, Pro Archery, Sculpd, and the Procter & Gamble Company.

16 results16 results
Clarification concerning jurisdictional reach and latest stats released by the court were also among the top talking points in recent weeks
Hefty legal teams assembled for a three-day hearing in what was the court’s first foray into SEPs since Unwired Planet v Huawei
Lobbies and interest groups are among the interveners in a major dispute over whether courts can set patent pool rates
A further decision on long-arm status, and a new hire for Pentarc in Germany from Taylor Wessing were also among top developments
The court ordering a complainant to rank its arguments in order of potential success and a win for Edwards Lifesciences were among the top developments in recent weeks
Developments included the first judgment from the Nordic Baltic division, an injunction covering the UK, and a new code of conduct
Powell Gilbert lawyers reveal how they navigated parallel EPO proceedings and collaborated with European peers to come out on top in the Nordic-Baltic Division’s first judgment
The complaint follows a declaratory ruling issued by the England and Wales High Court last month that said Samsung is entitled to an interim licence
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