How I can help your business

• Develop and implement trade mark strategies aligned with your commercial objectives, business growth plans, investment objectives and international expansion.
• Lead complex cross-border disputes, oppositions, co-existence negotiations and worldwide settlement agreements delivering commercially driven solutions to brand conflicts.
• Protect and enhance brand value through sophisticated global enforcement, anti-counterfeiting, online enforcement and brand protection programmes.

Overview & Expertise

Noëlle Pearson is a Chartered UK Trade Mark Attorney with over a decade of experience advising clients on the strategic protection, enforcement and commercialisation of trade marks and brands across Scotland, the wider UK, and internationally. She is also a qualified South African Solicitor and Trade Mark Attorney (non-practising). 

Noëlle works with founders, high-growth businesses, established brands and multinational organisations, helping them use intellectual property as a strategic business asset. She is particularly experienced in supporting businesses through periods of growth, investment and international expansion, ensuring their brands are positioned to scale while remaining commercially protected. Her practice covers the full lifecycle of brand protection, including trade mark searching, filing and prosecution, oppositions, cancellations, infringement disputes, coexistence negotiations and worldwide settlement agreements. She has also advised on advertising issues, social media takedowns, domain name disputes, company name objections, copyright and unfair competition matters.

She has particular expertise in the Food & Drink and Fashion & Retail sectors, where brand value, reputation and consumer trust are often among a business's most valuable assets. Noëlle regularly advises clients on brand development, international expansion, enforcement and anti-counterfeiting strategies, and has specialist experience in the protection of geographically distinctive products, including Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs). Her experience in these sectors enables her to provide commercially focused advice tailored to the unique challenges faced by consumer brands operating in increasingly competitive global markets.

Prior to joining Marks & Clerk, Noëlle practised at a South African law firm, where she gained extensive experience in counterfeit goods, cross-border disputes and international trade mark portfolio management. Uniquely, Noëlle's background as both a solicitor and trade mark attorney enables her to provide holistic, commercially focused advice that extends beyond traditional basic brand protection. By combining legal dispute resolution expertise with specialist knowledge of trade marks, brands and intellectual property strategy she is able to deliver practical solutions tailored to her clients' commercial objectives. Her international and dual qualified background, coupled with a pragmatic and results-driven approach, allows her to help clients protect, develop, and maximise the value of their brands, while navigating legal and commercial challenges across multiple jurisdictions.

Whilst trade mark protection remains a core part of her practice, Noëlle is particularly recognised for helping businesses use intellectual property as a driver of growth. Unlike many trade mark attorneys whose practices focus primarily on registration and prosecution, she works closely with founders, high-growth businesses and multinational organisations to build valuable brands, navigate complex multi-jurisdictional disputes and implement international brand strategies that support investment, expansion and long-term commercial success.

Client Work & Case Experience

• Food & Drink – Trusted adviser to leading food and drink businesses, distilleries, producers and industry bodies on brand strategy, international trade mark protection and anti-counterfeiting initiatives. Recognised for specialist expertise in Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) and the protection of geographically distinctive products, with extensive experience safeguarding some of Scotland's most iconic food and drink brands. Representative experience includes advising leading global spirits producers, Scotch whisky distilleries, major UK food manufacturers, premium seafood producers, and industry associations on the protection, enforcement and commercialisation of geographical product rights.
• Fashion, Retail & Sport – Trusted adviser to fashion, retail and sports brands on building, protecting and scaling valuable brands in highly competitive international markets. Recognised for helping ambitious businesses leverage intellectual property as a driver of growth, investment and international expansion, while supporting sophisticated enforcement and anti-counterfeiting programmes. Representative experience includes advising a high-growth athleisure brand from startup to annual revenues exceeding £152 million, alongside global outdoor clothing companies, a leading British multinational retailer, historic British fashion houses, Scottish heritage brands and professional sports teams on brand strategy, international expansion and the commercialisation of intellectual property. Noëlle also advises sporting organisations on trade mark portfolio management, sponsorship-related brand issues and branding strategies ahead of major international competitions, including World Cups.
• Energy, Engineering & Industrial – Advises leading energy, engineering and industrial businesses on developing intellectual property strategies that support innovation, international growth and long-term commercial objectives. Representative experience includes advising subsea equipment and solutions providers, specialist engineering and technology companies serving the energy sector, emerging energy technology businesses and multinational industrial corporations with operations across multiple jurisdictions.