Finance

New technologies, innovative financial products and services, established and new brands, innovative designs and processes all contribute to success in the competitive financial services sector.

As competition intensifies across the entire financial services industry, patents, copyrights, trade marks,trade secrets, confidential information and know-how and data rights are intrinsic to the continuing economic success of established multinationals and the growth of challenger brands alike.

Technological innovation, AI and improved processes are driving out cost and creating competitive advantage.   They call for heightened patent protection for new inventions and the protection of trade secrets and know-how.   In a world where there are minimal physical barriers to information transfer, securing interlocking multi-level registered rights at the earliest opportunity may be the only way to safeguard R&D, innovation investments and market position as well as security against attack by competitors.

HGF’s sector-leading finance team understands and provides a complete range of IP services to organisations operating in every area of the financial sector, working closely with clients to understand their business and optimise their overall IP strategy.

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Our finance specialists

We’ve built our business by recruiting and developing specialists, not generalists. When it comes to protecting your ideas and business, you want to know you’re working with the best – people who truly understand your sector and the potential of your IP.

HGF’s team has finance professionals from an array of academic backgrounds. Our team-based approach ensures our clients benefit from the very best strategic advice from people who understand not only the legal environment, but also the practical and theoretical side of their business.

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If you would like to discuss how HGF could help you, contact one of our finance specialists.

Latest news

PRESS RELEASE – HGF strengthens European presence with three new Partners in France and Germany

HGF is pleased to announce the arrival of three new partners, further strengthening its European presence. Two partners will be joining the firm’s fast-growing French practice, and one will join …

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G1/23: The Enlarged Board of Appeal shift EPO practice towards an “on-sale” bar.

Last week, the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) issued its Decision that both a product put on the market before the date of filing of a European patent application, …

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The EPO Board of Appeal comments on the scope of the morality exclusion from patentability

The recent decision, T1553/22 of the Board of Appeal required the Board to consider the scope of the exclusions from patentability under Article 53(a) EPC. The invention in this case …

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Agritech Thymes: A review of protection for gene edited plants

As we head into a new season, it’s a good time to revisit the current status of protection for Essentially Derived Varieties (EDVs) and plants derived from New Genomic Techniques …

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Avoiding Legal Pitfalls: The Notting Hill Bag Company's Costly Mistake

[2025] EWHC 1793 (IPEC) – Natasha Courtenay-Smith and Notting Hill Bag Company Limited v The Notting Hill Shopping Bag Company Limited, Nangialai Takanai, The Notting Hill Shopper Bag Ltd, Ehsanullah …

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Event - 12th September 2025

Wolters Kluwer Breakfast Panel on AI & IP at AIPPI

Sofie McPherson, Patent Director at HGF, will be moderating a special breakfast panel session hosted by Wolters Kluwer at the AIPPI World Congress in Yokohama on 15 September 2025. Session …

Event details

T1465/23 – No Narrowing by Description—EPO Board Terminates Inventive Step Analysis for Arbitrary Modifications Citing G1/24 and G1/19

“The potential patentability of a specific narrow embodiment…cannot render a claim allowable which, due to its breadth, encompasses a multitude of other, non-inventive embodiments” – r. 3.5. Background EP3113515 was …

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