Skip to content

Serving clients ranging from global conglomerates to technology-rich start-ups, Bristows has the largest patent litigation practice in the UK and the greatest number of highest-ranked practitioners.

“Bristows is the complete package.”  

LEGAL 500 2025​  

Consistently ranked in the top tier in all major directories, the team combines first-rate technical expertise covering every major scientific and engineering discipline with an unrivalled depth and breadth of litigation experience. Our focus is mainly on litigation in the UK Patents Courts and the UPC but we also have decades of experience providing support to clients in worldwide patent disputes helping them to achieve their commercial goals. We have developed unique software solutions to assist our clients store, access and present vast amounts of data. 

With over 40 team members doing exclusively patent litigation work, the team includes 14 partners and 16 qualified associates, most of whom have a technical background at degree-level, often at PhD level. Such numbers permit focus on some of the most refined and sophisticated areas of patent law, creating a team brimming with specialist legal and technical expertise. Our success rate in UK litigation is unparalleled – currently exceeding 75% in trials in the English Patents Court. There is good reason that we are described as the “go-to firm for clients wishing to litigate at the UK patent courts” (JUVE 2024).    

Our strengths are reflected in the team’s recognition, ranking top in every major legal directory. The number of individuals listed as leaders in their field is the greatest of any firm in the UK. Many have also gained international recognition at the highest level, an indication that the team’s role in handling patent disputes has no borders.  

Our expertise in patent disputes is complemented by our frequent collaboration with our colleagues in allied departments specialising closely-related disciplines such as life-sciences regulatory and competition law. Experience has taught us that innovative solutions often emerge from inter-disciplinary collaboration.   

Around half of the team’s work relates to international litigation, in both coordination and support roles. In the evolving European patent litigation landscape, clients seeking the very best choose Bristows as part of a bench of top-rated firms. Having 13 patent litigation partners and several of the team’s associates qualified as UPC representatives, Bristows is actively participating in UPC proceedings both on our own and in collaboration with lawyers from other countries. 

In the UK, the level of technical detail inherent in High Court patent litigation plays to the team’s strengths, whatever the subject matter. Complex pharmaceutical, biotechnology and SEP/FRAND cases are a key part of the department’s workload, reflecting their prevalence in the court lists, but no technology is unfamiliar. We have increasingly been instructed in licensing disputes, both in the courts and in arbitration proceedings, where we can combine our technical expertise and litigation experience to great effect.     

Whilst highly successful in high stakes litigation and arbitration (the latter often in conjunction with colleagues in the commercial & technology disputes team), the value of early and effective dispute resolution through alternative means is well recognised. The team is adept at mediation and settlement negotiations and has considerable experience of some of the rarer forms of ADR, including expert determination, offering comparatively inexpensive and binding solutions where appropriate. 

What others say

“The Bristows team is very impressive at all levels, from junior associates through to partners. The team combines a fantastic technical ability with real commercial nous. They drive litigation efficiently and effectively for the benefit of their clients. They compare very favourably to other teams in the sector, representing all round quality.” 

Legal 500 2025

“The Bristows patents team combine outstanding technical ability with an impressive knowledge and understanding of the law, borne of a huge amount of experience in patent litigation. Everyone I have worked with, from partners to associate level, has impressed me with their comprehensive knowledge of the cases we have been involved in, both at the technical level and the legal and strategic aspects. They are also extremely hard working and run a well-organised and highly efficient operation.”

 

Legal 500 2025

“Bristows is the complete package. The team is always a joy to work with; everyone knows their role and does their bit to the highest standard. Excellent lawyers with strong technical knowledge and understanding.” 

Legal 500 2025

“My experience is of Bristows’ patent litigators, who are excellent. As a team, they are particularly good at a deep understanding of the relevant technology and applying that knowledge to tactical advantage in litigation.” 

Legal 500 2025

“With an ever-impressive client list, wide range of expertise across all industries and a high number of recommended partners, Bristows remains a go-to firm for clients wishing to litigate at the UK patent courts.” 

​JUVE 2024​

“Working with Bristows is always a superb experience thanks to its deep bench of talent who are extremely responsive, supportive, pragmatic and business-oriented.” 

​IAM Patent 1000 2024​

“Justified reputation as one of, if not the, leading firms for IP life sciences. Excellent reputation in the UK and beyond – widely respected throughout Europe for coordinating multi-jurisdictional disputes.” 

​Legal 500 2023​

“Maintaining one of the broadest patent benches, Bristows LLP is praised as ‘one of the top UK-based patent litigation firms with a full-service capacity.” 

​Legal 500 2023​

“Bristows remains a force to be reckoned with in Europe.”

JUVE Patent UK 2023​ 

“Bristows is known for its deep bench of high-calibre litigators with supreme expertise in contentious patent, trade mark, designs and copyright matters. The team is particularly sought after for biosimilars and telecommunications litigation, and is frequently instructed for standard-essential patent-related disputes.” 

​Chambers and Partners 2023

Recent rankings and awards

Patent Litigation - Gold

Intellectual Property: Patents (contentious and non-contentious) - Tier 1

Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation (UK) - Band 1

Intellectual Property - Band 1

Intellectual Property: Law Firms with Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys (Spotlight)

Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation - Band 1

Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation - Band 1

Patent Litigation - Tier 1

Impact Case - Fingolimod litigations

Patent Disputes - Tier 1

European Cross-border Patent Litigation Team of the Year

UK Impact Case of the Year (x2)

Best Firm for Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property - Band 1

IP: Patent Litigation - Band 1

IP: Law Firms with Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys - Band 1

IT and Telecoms - Tier 1

Life Sciences and Healthcare - Tier 1

Technology, Media and Telecoms - Tier 2

Key contacts

Dominic Adair
Partner – Patent litigation

An in-depth scientific education and love of technology underpin Dominic’s focus as…

Gregory Bacon
Partner – Patent litigation

Greg is an experienced IP lawyer with a particular focus on patent…

James Boon
Partner – Patent litigation

James specialises in patent litigation with a particular focus on high tech…

Andrew Bowler
Partner – Patent litigation

Andy Bowler is an IP litigator with 25 years’ experience. He is…

Robert Burrows
Partner – Patent litigation

Rob is joint head of patent litigation. He has a PhD in…

Adrian Chew's headshot
Adrian Chew
Partner – Patent litigation

Adrian has over a decade of experience assisting multi-national pharmaceutical clients with…

Liz Cohen
Liz Cohen
Partner – Patent litigation

Liz is a highly experienced and well-regarded IP specialist with a focus…

Brian Cordery
Partner – Patent litigation

Brian specialises in intellectual property dispute resolution with a focus on patent…

Charlie French
Partner – Patent litigation

Charlie is an experienced IP litigator, focusing predominantly on patent disputes in…

Naomi Hazenberg
Partner – Patent litigation

Naomi specialises in patent litigation matters with particular focus on cases involving…

Myles Jelf
Partner – Patent litigation

Myles specialises in patent litigation primarily in the tech sector where his…

Rachel Mumby
Partner – Patent litigation

Rachel is an experienced patent litigator who enjoys working with clients on…

Claire Phipps-Jones headshot
Claire Phipps-Jones
Partner – Patent litigation

Claire’s primary practice involves all things patent litigation in the life sciences…

Richard Pinckney
Partner – Patent litigation

Richard is an intellectual property lawyer specialising in patent and technology litigation.…