The WTR 1000 focuses exclusively on trademark practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal trademark expertise
Silver - Individuals: prosecution and strategy
Many top brands turn to Mathys & Squire for strategic portfolio management and brand protection services. The practitioners at the outfit are known for having a specialised knowledge of trademarks, adopting a client-oriented approach and delivering high-quality results. 2022 was another successful year, with an almost 20% increase in filing work and over 200 new patrons utilising the group’s offering. Margaret Arnott and Gary Johnston jointly co-head the team and have built impressive reputations during their more than 25-year-long careers. “Margaret is practically a trademark encyclopaedia. She can answer any question that a client may have and knows how to get great results. Margaret is also very pragmatic and will always provide the full picture prior to assisting in the decision-making process.” “Gary is an experienced, commercial and pragmatic lawyer who is highly knowledgeable about IP.”
Gary Johnston has over 25 years’ experience as a trademark attorney advising clients in matters relating to the adoption, protection, enforcement and exploitation of brand names and designs, both in the United Kingdom and globally. He has been a partner at Mathys & Squire LLP since 2008.
Mr Johnston works closely with IP specialists and other professionals from around the world in order to provide his clients with global IP solutions. He has a wealth of experience, having acted for regional, national and multinational trademark owners in matters relating to the protection, management, maintenance and exploitation of their national and global trademark portfolios and associated IP rights.
Mr Johnston’s expertise covers the filing and prosecution of applications for national and international trademark and design registrations before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the EUIPO. In his role as partner, he oversees anti-counterfeiting activities on a global scale for well-known household brands and handles related contentious oppositions and appeals before the UKIPO and the EUIPO. He also has significant experience in dispute resolution.
Mr Johnston is a member of the Chartered Institute of Trademark Attorneys and INTA. He is recommended in the recent editions of The Legal 500 and Managing Intellectual Property’s IP STARS.
Mathys & Squire is an IP powerhouse, putting our specialist knowledge to work to strengthen and secure what most modern businesses today treat as one of their most valuable strategic assets. Our agile team of attorneys, scientists and strategists are steeped in experience, working with IP-rich and high-growth industries leveraging complex technologies and sophisticated commercial models.
About Mathys & Squire
Mathys & Squire uses a combination of expertise and creativity to become part of its clients’ success stories. The firm’s depth and range of technical knowledge from its 65 qualified attorneys, alongside its deep commercial understanding of brand protection, trademark and design portfolio management, ensures that clients’ wider business objectives are understood and positive results are consistently achieved.
With UK offices in London, Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford and York, and European offices in Munich, Luxembourg and Paris, as well as dedicated teams based in China, Japan and Belfast, Mathys & Squire is a truly global firm, working to ensure that clients have the necessary protection throughout the world.
Client focus
Mathys & Squire works with a range of organisations – from start-ups and SMEs to public sector bodies, universities and global entities – covering the full spectrum of industries and also works with some of the most established brands in each sector. The firm’s specialist trademark attorneys protect the rights of global brand owners in a diverse range of sectors, including automotive, consumer goods, sports, food and drink, clothing, pharmaceuticals and technology. Mathys & Squire’s team of experts share their clients’ ambition, passion and entrepreneurial spirit, going above and beyond what is expected when it comes to service delivery.
Trademark services
Mathys & Squire recognises that the effective management of trademark and design portfolios encompasses the delivery of a wide range of services, including:
- trademark portfolio management;
- trademark availability searches (including brand availability analysis for new products and services);
- the filing, prosecution and renewal of trademark applications (in the United Kingdom, the European Union and overseas);
- monitoring and watching services;
- oppositions, cancellation actions and contentious IP proceedings (including litigation);
- anti-counterfeiting and online brand protection and enforcement services;
- the preparation and recordal of trademark assignment documentation; and
- due diligence and IP audit evaluations.
Trademark team
Partners Margaret Arnott and Gary Johnson head up the Mathys & Squire trademark team, which works with a range of clients across a broad range of sectors.
The firm’s trademark attorneys are heavily involved in clients’ commercial strategies, focusing on brand management and licensing, as well as protection. Mathys & Squire boasts a complete and unparalleled service, offering clients services relating to the protection and defence of intellectual property, as well as its commercialisation and valuation. The critical importance of intellectual property as a business asset is recognised across the firm’s service areas and sector groups.
Accreditations
Being ISO 9001 accredited further demonstrates Mathys & Squire’s commitment to providing the highest level of client service, delivering consistent performance and continuously looking at ways to improve the offering to clients. Further, the ISO 14001 accreditation focuses on environmental management issues and recognises the commitment to improving the firm’s environmental performance by using resources efficiently, reducing waste and reducing its carbon footprint.
Mathys & Squire is passionate about creating and delivering innovative, high-quality, client-focused services and building close and longstanding relationships with clients in order to establish defensive and offensive IP portfolios that generate commercial value. The firm’s experts are proactive when working with clients and valued for their integrity, honesty and collegiate approach.