Simon is responsible for Davenport Lyons' Intellectual
Property & Brands practice and leads the firm’s
highly praised trade mark filing and prosecution team.
He is an acknowledged expert in all IP issues confronting “consumer-facing
brands”, with extensive experience acting
for leading international retail, fashion and FMCG brand
owners along with high profile music, film and entertainment
personalities.
In terms of qualification and specialist areas of
law, Simon is a barrister* focused on trade mark,
passing off, registered and unregistered design right,
copyright, domain name, confidential information/trade
secrets, image rights, anti-counterfeiting and sports
law advice.
Praised for his “tremendous brain power” and “creative
approach” in the 2007 edition of the UK Legal
500, Simon has led the firm’s IP team in
a wide variety of complex UK (including regular appearances
before the Court of Appeal), EU and worldwide brand
related litigation and commercial/corporate transactions.
Given his extensive experience as a brands lawyer,
his practice is focused on clients with high profile
or expanding brands operating in the following sectors:
- Fashion, including couture, made to measure, ready
to wear, urban and street labels.
- Retailers and etailers.
- Perfumes, cosmetics and fashion accessories.
- Traditional and new media (including leading book
and newspaper publishers).
- Music and film.
- Hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants.
- Homeware, interior design and lifestyle.
- Energy
- Sport, with a particular emphasis on football rights.
As a result of his sector focus, for major international
brands Simon has co-ordinated and advised on the creation
of complex anti-counterfeiting campaigns (including
take down strategies for look-alike/smell-alike products),
parallel importing/grey goods, international strategic
corporate acquisitions and investments, licensing transactions
(particularly in the field of diffusion and brand expansion),
IP disputes, consumer protection issues and world wide
trade mark and registered design portfolios.
He is a regular media commentator, having appeared
many times on Sky News, Sky Sports, Sky Sports News,
BBC1, BBC News 24, BBC Radio 1/2/Five Live/World
Service and provided frequent commentary for an equally
wide range of national and international newspapers
and on-line publishers. Simon also conceived and is the editor
of our annual market leading Counterfeiting Luxury:
Exposing the Myths Report.
Simon is a member of the Honourable Society of the
Middle Temple, a graduate of Cambridge University,
the firm’s INTA and ACG representative, sits on the
Walpole’s IP Committee and is a mentor-speaker
for the Prince’s Trust.
*Formally, Barrister (non-practising).
