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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

Photo: Samantha Collins

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.
Photo: Alison Melling

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.
Photo: Katherine Lai

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.
Photo: Cynthia Houng

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, Head of Trademarks and Copyright (Canada) Canadian Trademark Agent, Barrister and Solicitor
Catherine (Cat) Lovrics is a Partner at Marks & Clerk Canada, where she is Head of the firm's Trademark and Copyright Groups
Photo: Kirsten Gilbert

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

Image: Football on grass
Article
- 13 October 2022

Marks for famous footballers’ names dribble bad faith refusal

In 2021, Global Trademark Services Limited (“GTS”), applied to register several marks including ones featuring the names HENRY and RONALDINHO. The Trade Marks Registry raised objections against each application on the basis that GTS had filed the applications in bad faith. GTS challenged these objections, but the Hearing Officer maintained the refusals of the HENRY and RONALDINHO device marks.
Read more
Article
- 21 September 2022

Design Law Treaty

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has recently announced plans to hold a diplomatic conference to negotiate a Design Law Treaty (DLT) with the aim of harmonising the global system for protecting industrial designs.
Read more
High Heel Shoes
Article
- 15 September 2022

China: Overseas visibility is a persuasive factor in the Manolo Blahnik TM case

The famous shoe brand Manolo Blahnik recently won a decisive case in China. The Supreme People's Court of China (SPC) ruled that the trade mark MANOLO & BLAHNIK + Chinese transliteration that was registered by a Chinese individual more than twenty years ago should be declared invalid.
Read more

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