Press Release

Shoosmiths today announces that the firm has brought in a six-person intellectual property (IP) team, led by partners Dominic Farnsworth and Leigh Smith, who are set to add strength and depth to the firm’s market-leading IP capability, as well as add new high-profile clients in the technology, financial services and consumer brands sectors.

The team acts for some of the world’s most recognisable brands — including large US tech companies, financial services providers, entertainment properties, premium beverage brands and global marketing agencies — that will broaden and enhance Shoosmiths’ existing client base.

They join Shoosmiths’ London office from US firm Locke Lord and consist of the partner duo alongside Legal Director Ellen Hughes-Jones, trade mark attorneys Claudine Sheers and Neale Christy (South African qualified), and Cherice Laviniere, the team’s experienced senior paralegal.

At Locke Lord, Dominic was head of European IP and chair of the IP International Group. Prior to this, he spent over 20 years at Lewis Silkin, where he headed the IP Group and the cross-departmental Sports Business Group. He was the driver of several of the firm’s strategic expansions, including setting up the firm’s IP portfolio management offering.

Leigh brings specialised skills in brand protection strategies, exploitation and enforcement to Shoosmiths. His diverse practice includes global trade mark portfolio management, handling disputes before the registry and the English courts, and advising on licensing and endorsement agreements. Before joining Locke Lord, Leigh spent eight years at Clifford Chance and five years at McDermott Will and Emery.

The team focuses on brand management services for domestic and international clients, complemented by deep advisory experience in related areas, including advertising and marketing, brand partnership agreements, IP-rich commercial contracts and complex IP transactional support. They are widely recognised in leading legal rankings, including Chambers, the Legal 500 and World Trademark Review.

Head of Shoosmiths’ Commercial Group Robin Webb said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dominic and Leigh and the team to enrich our IP practice and the wider Commercial group by boosting bench strength and adding specialist expertise. Dominic has a strong track record of building top-tier IP practices, and Leigh has an impressive pedigree. I’m excited to work together to make a real impact on the market.”

Andy Brennan, head of the firm’s IP practice group, added, “We are delighted to welcome our new team members. Their arrival marks a transformative moment for our brands practice and follows the recent high-profile appointments of Graham Burnett-Hall from Marks & Clerk Law and Antony Craggs from Lewis Silkin, underscoring our commitment to expanding our footprint in the London IP market. With our already stellar reputation for international brand work, the addition of Dominic, Leigh and their team will significantly bolster our capabilities, allowing us to secure even more prestigious mandates.”

Commenting on the team’s appointment, Dominic said, “This is the right moment for us to be join Shoosmiths to help accelerate its IP presence. The firm is clearly on the ascendant, and I am genuinely excited that we will be contributing to some bold strategic moves in the market over the coming years. I was struck by the firm’s strong proven culture of cross-selling between practice areas, meaning we can confidently assure our clients that we have the capability and skill sets to support them across multiple areas of their businesses.”

Leigh added, “We are excited to join a firm with values that naturally align with our own and our clients’. Shoosmiths’ progressive approach, collaborative culture and focus on delivering innovative solutions offers us the ideal platform to grow our practice and better serve our clients’ existing and future legal needs.”

Shoosmiths’s Commercial Group is one of the UK’s leading commercial practices, particularly well known for supporting clients across the automotive, financial services, technology, and energy and infrastructure sectors. Its 30-strong IP practice provides a full suite of services across all IP rights. The team was also recognised as TMT Team of the Year at the 2023 Legal Business Awards.