Fashion & Retail

Exceptional legal talent

Global IP expertise for the fashion and retail sectors

In the fast-changing and complex worlds of fashion and retail, the opportunities and challenges are many. Brand is everything. Wherever you are in the world and whatever the size of your business, we’ll use our exceptional legal talent and sector expertise to protect and enforce your IP rights and help you enter new markets.

International expertise

With a well-connected global team, we’ll work with you to secure crucial intellectual property rights and advise on IP strategies that take account of the international markets you and your customers operate in.
As a multinational firm we’re used to managing large international portfolios of rights. We work with local counsel in trade mark opposition proceedings globally. We’ll help you enter new markets working to overcome issues with potential rights holders and infringers.

Specialists

for the result you need

Samantha Collins

Partner Registered and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney (UK)

Samantha is a Partner and Chartered and Registered Trade Mark Attorney (UK) in our Oxford office. Samantha is also head of our national fashion and retail team, and works with both large established retailers and growing, dynamic fashion brands to develop their trade mark protection and enforcement strategies.

Alison Melling

Partner Registered and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney (UK)

She represents a variety of clients in sectors as diverse as retail, ingredients and bankingy and advises on the full spectrum of trade mark matters, including availability and infringement, applications and opposition proceedings.

Clémence Touillier

Head of Trademarks and Designs Department French Trademark and Design Attorney, EUIPO Professional Representative

Clémence began her career in 1995 and has since practiced in various IP firms and within a large chemical group.
Clémence has great knowledge and experience in the cosmetics, personal care, spirits, fashion and bank areas.

Katherine Lai

Partner Solicitor (Hong Kong)

Katherine has in-depth dispute resolution experience representing blue-chip multinational companies and globally renowned brand owners in their China anti-counterfeiting campaigns, Customs Office actions, domain-name disputes, copyright and/or trade mark infringement and anti-unfair competition claims before the China courts.

Cynthia Houng

Partner

Cynthia specialises in trade mark law and her practice incorporates clearance, prosecution, opposition and cancellation actions, enforcement, and due diligence.

Catherine Lovrics

Partner Canadian Trademark Agent, Barrister and Solicitor

Catherine (Cat) Lovrics is a Partner at Marks & Clerk Canada, Head of the firm’s Copyright and Digital Groups, and a senior member of the Trademarks Group.

Kirsten Gilbert

Partner Solicitor (UK)

Kirsten is a Partner and an intellectual property lawyer at Marks & Clerk Law who specialises in litigation, alternative dispute resolution and brand strategy. Kirsten advises in a broad range of sectors including food & drink, financial services, pharmaceuticals, fashion and creative industries.

Legal and technical experts

Our team are experts in tackling counterfeiters and we have especially strong expertise in new technologies such as wearables, smart fabrics, technical footwear and 3D printing.

We’ll help you stay ahead of the technological curve. And develop global IP strategies that are aligned with your business objectives and ensure your brands (and the investment and goodwill inherent in them), are protected.

Integrated team

Our team includes patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, commercial lawyers and IP litigators. This combined expertise and experience means that we can provide every type of intellectual property service you need. We’ll design our service around you, finding exactly the right people to meet your needs. We’re used to working collaboratively across different disciplines to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

Clients

At Marks & Clerk we work for some of the world’s most successful fashion, retail and consumer goods companies. From renowned and historical heritage brands to dynamic, digital-first brands geared towards young, international markets.

Latest Insights

News

- 11 May 2022

Marks & Clerk recognised in Managing IP's 2022 edition of IP Stars

Marks & Clerk is delighted to have 21 practitioners named 'IP Stars' by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) in their annual acknowledgement of leading IP specialists.

News

- 29 April 2022

M&C Meets: Alan Ritchie

This week, we sit down with Alan Ritchie, our UK Marketing Manager, to learn what it's like to manage a team of busy marketers and BD professionals across the country.

Insight

- 07 April 2022

To be (amended) or not to be (amended)…what is the answer?

Two recently issued and differing decisions have muddled what used to be a routine, albeit peculiar, part of European patent prosecution. Having successfully prosecuted your claims before the EPO, should you adhere to an examiner’s request to amend your description or not? That is, all of a sudden, a tricky question!