Patents allow owners of products, goods and services to ultimately decide how their product gets used whilst under patent protection, protecting it from being commercially used, distributed or imported without their consent. Our patent attorneys are here to ensure that companies have the support they need to protect their inventions with a tailor-made patent and, once the product has been commercialised and made available to the public, that cases of copyright infringement, misuse and breaches of agreements are prevented.

With a background in a wide variety of sectors, our multidisciplinary lawyers are able to work closely with the wider team to provide comprehensive, sector-specific advice to clients. In order to offer advice on the patentability of products and to provide effective strategies, our team of patent solicitors work with you to understand your needs, assess relevant issues and offer innovative solutions.

Clients of our Patent Law Firm

Helping to protect, commercialise and enforce intellectual property rights, our patent lawyers offer quick and effective patent law services to a range of design, manufacturing and corporate clients from various industries, including:

  • Engineering
  • Electronic and IT
  • Biotech and life sciences
  • Retail and manufacturing
  • Food and drink businesses
  • Financial institutions.

Patent Law Services

Renowned for their attentiveness to detail and complex understanding of the ever-changing regulations which are inseparable from patent law, our lawyers are on-hand to support your immediate needs and guide you through all stages of patent protection. Our team are dedicated to offering a myriad of proactive patent law services including:

  • Helping clients to buy, sell, licence or commercialise patents
  • Negotiating licence agreements for the exploitation of patent protected products 
  • Advising on patent validity and ownership/entitlement issues
  • Representing patentees in validity and infringement proceedings
  • Providing guidance on patentees’ freedom to operate
  • Helping clients enforce patent rights if copyright infringement issues occur, or the product has been used without permission
  • Dealing with claims relating to the use and misuse of confidential information
  • Advising on breaches of non-disclosure agreements
  • Acting as an advocate for clients in entitlement proceedings.

Whether you’re looking for representation in dispute resolution cases, or support navigating the complex regulations of patent law, discover how our team of unrivalled lawyers can help you. With an in-depth understanding of a multitude of patent needs, get in touch with our patent attorneys and browse our professional staff to find out more about how we can help you today.

Patents provide a legal right for the protection of inventions. Obtaining grant of a patent can allow you to control use of your invention, and prevent misuse by third parties. It is also important to register details of any assignment, as an assignee, or security agreement, as a lender, relating to third party patent rights before relevant Intellectual Property Offices to maintain control over such rights.

For businesses across a range of industries, especially those developing technical innovations, patents are the cornerstone of their registered intellectual property protection.

Once you've obtained your patent – a process which usually involves significant investment of time and resources – you'll likely want to think about exploiting the patent to reap the rewards of your investment, whether through licensing, attracting finance enhanced by your patent rights or taking advantage of tax credits available for patented inventions, as well as enforcing and protecting your patent to stay ahead of the competition.

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Take it from us

Patents are a mechanism for protecting for new products and processes, and not just for groundbreaking inventions - they can protect incremental improvements too. They often work hand in hand with confidential information and know-how. It's about knowing what to disclose, to benefit from getting patent protection, and what to keep secret (and how).

As patented inventions must be both "new" and "non-obvious", keeping them secret before filing is key – so you'll have to start thinking about patent protection before launching your invention on the world, as well as checking if any prior disclosures by you or third parties may invalidate your claim to a future patent. But where to start?

Our practitioners based in the UK and US are on hand to deal with many issues arising from patents – including non-disclosure agreements, research and development and collaboration agreements, licences of background and foreground technology, joint ownership and assignment agreements – as well as advising when your patent may have been infringed or confidential information misused. Our US team is also adept at guiding you through the patent prosecution process.

Your patents team

Many of our international practitioners working in patent prosecution have technical backgrounds across a diverse range of specialisms. Our patent attorneys are supported by lawyers, paralegals and strategists to help protect, manage, exploit or defend your hard-earned inventions.

Whether it’s about commercialising your patents through licensing, navigating the tricky waters of infringement cases or technical collaborations, understanding inventors' ownership or compensation rights, or just making sure your patent rights are rock solid, our team’s eye for detail and understanding of the ever-changing legal landscape will guide you through all stages of patent protection.

In need of a patents lawyer? Look no further.
At Womble Bond Dickinson we have an exceptional team of talented lawyers and business professionals who can offer guidance and find the solutions right for your business. We have both broad and niche expertise across all our UK and US offices.
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The proof's in our experience

  • Representing Geofabrics in its historic High Court and Court of Appeal patent win, covering infringement, validity and quantum
  • NCR Corporation on its acquisition of intellectual property assets for open banking from Spoke Technologies Limited
  • The University of the West of England on maximising income from the university's intellectual property, involving complex patented technologies.
Testimonials

"We are delighted with the court's decision, which vindicates the protection of our intellectual property and encourages innovation. It has been a pleasure working with the WBD team." 

Gordon Donald, Managing Director at Geofabrics

“Detailed knowledge and extensive experience on a full range of intellectual property issues. WBD can also call on the considerable IP resources of its USA offices.” 

Legal 500 2024