

Who are WP Thompson
Our Profile
The firm is a specialist IP prosecution and litigation firm. Established in 1873, we are proud of our heritage. We are a full-service European IP firm, with our primary offices in London, the financial and legal centre of Europe, Liverpool, in the commercial and industrial heartland of the UK, and Cardiff, the capital of Wales and near the home of the UKIPO. We have also established an expanding regional presence serving the Home Counties and the North West of England.
With a strong direct client base in Europe and a wide range of expertise in our team, we offer the highest standard of advice and assistance to our clients. Our collaborative approach means that we work closely with our clients, getting to know their businesses and technologies so we can advise them from a position of knowledge and experience.
We also have a substantial number of clients overseas, and a commensurate network of professional relationships in every functioning IP jurisdiction worldwide. We believe that our experience in meeting the day to day needs of our domestic clients provides the best possible background for understanding the issues faced by our overseas clients. This means we are able to advise on European prosecution and enforcement issues with a strong appreciation of their commercial priorities.
Our expertise covers an extensive range of technologies, from electronic engineering and mechanical sciences, through to chemistry and biotechnology, and our team includes specialists in trade mark prosecution and enforcement. Litigation specialists also form an integral part of our team of professionals, meaning our advice is based upon a balanced foundation of commercial, technological and legal awareness.
Honours & Testimonials
What do we do?
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What's happening in IP
See all news14.11.2023
Artificial Intelligence
The site of Alan Turing's pioneering codebreaking achievements during World War II recently hosted another momentous gathering—the 2023 Bletchley Park AI Summit.
Held on November 1-2, 2023, and convened by the UK government, the summit brought together government representatives and industry leaders from major AI powers to address the opportunities and risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence.
Full story07.11.2023
Artificial Intelligence
We at WP Thompson are proud to recognise the contributions of our Dr Julian Potter and Ranveer Riyat in the authorship of a new book titled "Artificial Intelligence and Patents: An International Perspective on Patenting AI-Related Inventions."
Full story06.11.2023
Summary of Facts and Decision
In a recent decision J5/23, the Legal Board of Appeal rejected a request by the applicant to record a transfer of the application from Gyrus ACMI Inc. to Olympus Medical Systems Corporation on the European Patent Register. The applicant relied on the use of an e-signature to sign an assignment document and, when rejected by the EPO, tried to rely on a previous publication by the EPO that e-signatures would be accepted for the purposes of assignment documents.
The relevant legal provision to be applied is Article 72 EPC, which states that for a valid assignment of a European patent application, the request must be made in writing and signed by all parties to the contract. The key question in this decision was the definition of the word “signature” and what the role of electronic signatures play in this Article.
Full story20.10.2023
We are delighted to celebrate our ranking as a leading Intellectual Property firm in Chambers 2024 rankings. This year’s ranking marks the twelfth consecutive year in which WP Thompson has been recognised as leading Intellectual Property firm by Chambers.
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