Powell Gilbert, the new intellectual property (IP) boutique set up by a group of ex-Bristows partners, opens its doors for business for the first time today (6 March).
The new firm, which has premises in the former Patent Office on Chancery Lane, has been set up by five former partners from the London firm. Tim Powell, Penny Gilbert, Simon Ayrton, Zoë Butler and Alex Wilson resigned en masse from Bristows at the end of last year.
Five former Bristows associates have also joined the firm, which will concentrate on contentious and non-contentious IP, including litigation and dispute resolution.
Powell said in a statement: “It’s been rather a long time before we were allowed to open our doors. We are looking forward to creating an entirely new kind of law firm offering focused service to many fascinating new and old clients.”
Gilbert added: “During 2007, Powell Gilbert is already scheduled to act in a number of significant, high-profile cases before the UK patents court and in an appeal to the House of Lords. We’re off to a tremendous start.”
The group’s decision last year to split from Bristows – which left the specialist London firm with just 20 partners – was met with surprise by the IP community.
One IP partner at a rival firm commented: “One of the big issues facing IP lawyers is conflicts. I imagine that this is one of the reasons this group chose to leave [Bristows]. It will be interesting to see the upshot of the move because you need a lot of lawyers to do complex litigation cases.”
