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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.

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.

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 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.
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

Article
- 20 July 2022

MERCURY sues its former franchisee for Trade Mark Infringement

In 2020, MERCURY discovered that its former franchisee TengBin was continuing to use the MERCURY brand despite termination of its Franchise Agreement. MERCURY filed a lawsuit requiring TengBin to cease its infringing use and seeking compensation of RMB 250,000 (approx. USD 37,000).
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Article
- 20 July 2022

China: Filing Bad-Faith Trade Mark Applications Alone May Constitute Unfair competition

The judgment in this case classified the act of trade mark “grabbing” to constitute unfair competition against the right holder and appropriate remedies were imposed. This groundbreaking ruling may go some way to deterring trade mark snatching and cool the squatting phenomenon, while also encouraging more brand owners to actively defend their rights.
Read more
Photo: Heart shaped island
Article
- 09 June 2022

Pre-loved Island

Like it or loathe it - Love Island returned to the nation’s screens on Monday. The show attracts massive audiences, but this season is already making one or two headlines including the news that this year’s islanders will be clad in second-hand clothes from eBay.
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