HGF is the fastest-growing IP firm in the North West.
We have the largest biotech team in Manchester, and our professionals' collective experience and expertise allows us to provide our clients with a winning combination of technical and commercially sound advice.
We also have a specialist trade mark team who provide practical advice on brand management and protection, an issue which is currently of paramount regional importance with the growth of Media City.
HGF Manchester is a full-service practice, with the full range of our trade mark and patents teams available alongside the IP solicitors of HGF Law. We have strong relationships within the local business community and are active members of Bionow, Chemicals North West and Pro Manchester.
Specialist Sectors
Our HGF Manchester office can help you with any queries pertaining to trade marks, law, engineering, electronics, chemistry, life sciences, bio sciences and pharmaceuticals, as well as putting you in touch with people across the company who specialise in your specific industry.
Looking for a specific skillset, speciality or individual?
Use our ‘People Finder’ to discover the wealth of talent and skills that make up the teams at HGF. Select a speciality or search for a team member by name, and use their ‘Contact Card’ to get in touch.
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Iain Armstrong Partner
Iain’s practice covers a wide range of biotechnological inventions, particularly specialising in inventions relating to the therapeutic application of biotechnology. He has experience in a number of technical fields, including wound healing, cancer therapies, vaccine development and stem cell technologies.
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Dr Christopher Benson Partner
Chris principally handles patent matters in the areas of electronics, computer software and physics. Chris has prosecuted and advised on patents relating to electronic circuits and systems, including computer processors and semiconductor devices, computer based inventions, such as graphics processing, computer algorithms and computer communications, consumer electronics such as navigation devices and home electronics, and also carbon nanotube-based inventions.
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Duncan Coutts Partner
Duncan joined the Manchester office of HGF as a Partner of HGF Services in January 2000. He is responsible for all aspects of formalities in HGF Manchester and provides formalities support to HGF’s Glasgow office.
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Lee Curtis Partner
Lee is a Partner and Trade Mark Attorney in HGF's specialist trade mark group, having joined the Firm in November 2009. Lee has over 20 years’ experience of trade mark and design protection both in the UK and overseas, and advises on all aspects of design and trade mark protection. In July 2017, Lee qualified by examination as an Irish Trade Mark Agent and thus is qualified to act before the Irish Patents Office on trade mark and design matters.
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Antony Gold Partner
Antony joined HGF Law as a Partner in May 2013. Antony was formerly a Partner in the Intellectual Property team at Eversheds, where he was also Head of Retail.
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Kieran Killough Partner
Kieran’s practice focuses on the fields of physics and mechanical engineering. In particular, Kieran deals with a wide variety of technologies including medical devices, subsea engineering for oil/gas infrastructure, particle accelerators, detectors, spectroscopy and microscopy.
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Janet Knowles Partner
Janet is a Solicitor and Registered Technology Transfer Professional and has over 30 years' experience of dealing with transactional IP in relation to all IP rights, but particularly in the science and technology fields. Janet is one of a limited number of UK IP licensing professionals recommended by the international guide IAM 1000 - Guide to the World's Patent Practitioners (2018) and as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property.
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Dr Bal Matharu Partner
Bal specialises in the pharmaceutical field and has considerable experience in securing patent rights, conducting IP due diligence evaluations and providing advice in relation to freedom to operate queries. Bal also has extensive experience of co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional patent litigation across Europe. Bal joined the Manchester HGF office in October 2015.
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Dr Andrew Wells Partner
Andrew’s patent practice is principally in the pharmaceutical and chemical fields. He has extensive experience in securing patent protection for pharmaceuticals and specialises in drafting and prosecuting patent applications covering new chemical entities, salts, polymorphs, formulations (including advanced drug delivery technologies), manufacturing processes, medical uses, and medical devices.
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Michelle Davies Legal Director
Michelle joined HGF Law as Legal Director in March 2017 and is a highly experienced solicitor and transactional IP specialist. Michelle provides strategic and transactional IP advice to clients in a wide range of sectors but has specific expertise within the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector having worked 11+ years with AstraZeneca and with a BSc in Pharmacology & Physiology.
