Well-rounded Shelston IP, with about 120 staff, enjoyed an active and successful year, increasing its market share at a time when even top-ranked firms were struggling. The firm's patent prosecution practice is in particular worth keeping an eye on as it acquired a series of clients from rival firms in the last year. Reckitt Benckiser transferred its entire pending patent portfolio from FB Rice. The team is also looking after all of the client's incoming design cases. Laitram transferred its patent portfolio to the outfit in February 2010, as did SBC Research in April 2010.
The group's trade mark contentious practice benefits from its strong prosecution practice. The firm boasts renowned names such as Disney Enterprises, alibaba.com, Johnson & Johnson and Chanel as clients. Additionally, Chris Bevitt and Michael Deacon took over the portfolio of the National Rugby League, which comprises approximately 400 trade marks in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France and Japan.
"They've been efficient, responsive and courteous, and their attorneys have shown a sufficient grasp of various areas of technology," says one IP manager. "I've never known them to miss a deadline, and I can't recall ever receiving poor advice from them. When deadlines are looming they put in extra hours as required." The client goes on: "Associate Michael Zammit is always willing to work hard and quickly when the pressure is on. Partner Paul Harrison is good with ideas, seeing angles or embodiments that we hadn't thought of."
Noted by one peer to be "up and coming" in the patent contentious space, the team is working for Novozymes, both as the exclusive agent for its patent portfolio as well as in Federal Court proceedings and oppositions over industrial enzymes.
"Stuart Smith has a reputation in the industry and is approachable," says a client who instructs the brand on patent drafting matters. "He is perfectly knowledgeable, very easy to work with and contributes a lot. These are ideas we never even thought of, so they are absolutely first-rate."
Showing its capabilities in copyright, the firm is acting for the copyright owner of jewellery designs in an infringement claim against a competitor for reproducing some of the work. The group is also helping a multinational industrial business against a rival for allegedly infringing the copyright in several of the client's technical drawings.
"Shelston is very flexible in meeting our administrative requirements and changes," says a client who turns to the group for application and examination procedures in the country. "The quality is high and everything is done in good time. I personally appreciate working with Caroline Bommer. She is highly competent and very fast and has a pleasant character for this tough business."