< Back to latest news & events

Knowledge Hub

Coronavirus update – HGF offices

July 2020

The situation across the world is changing rapidly and as a result we have put in place measures to ensure that we are able to continue to provide the high-quality services to our clients whilst also protecting our staff, other stakeholders and suppliers.

This page provides information on any HGF office closures that may happen as a result of Coronavirus safety measures in Europe and the UK.

Updated 2nd July 2020

Aberdeen – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Amsterdam – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Basel – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Bern – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Birmingham – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Dublin – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Edinburgh – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Glasgow – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Heidelberg – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Leeds – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

London – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Manchester – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Munich – Neumarkter Str – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Munich – Uhlandstr. – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Newcastle – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Nottingham – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Oxford – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

Salzburg – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Sheffield – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

The Hague – Fully operational – Office open with majority of staff working remotely

Westport – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

York – Fully operational – Office closed with all staff working remotely

If you need any urgent assistance, please call us on +44(0) 113 233 0100.

Latest updates

Empowered, Not Replaced: The Risks and Rewards of Using AI Tools in Patent Prosecution

With the rapid rise of AI and extreme hype around generative AI tools in the workplace, patent firms around the world have had to seriously consider to what extent they …

Read article

EU Agrees on NGT Plant Regulation: What It Means for Patents and Licensing

The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement for plants developed using New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) – below we summarise the main points and set out the requirements …

Read article

When Retail Branding Meets Politics

(Inter IKEA Systems v Algemeen Vlaams Belang (Case C‑298/23) In November 2022, the Flemish political party Vlaams Belang presented its “IKEA-PLAN – Immigratie Kan Echt Anders” (“Immigration Really Can Be Different”). …

Read article

Office Closed Dates December 2025 / January 2026

HGF Office Closed Dates December 2025 / January 2026   UK Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December 2025 CLOSED Thursday 1 January 2026* CLOSED * Friday 2 January 2026 – …

Read article

Often Copied, Never Equaled: When Do Everyday Items Become Subject of Copyright?

The  borderline between ‘pure’ works of art and mere utilitarian objects” –  Can iconic, yet everyday products be protected under copyright? The above question was posed by Advocate General in …

Read article

T 0883/23: Dosage claims and their entitlement to priority when only the clinical trial protocol was disclosed in the priority application

In a recently issued decision by the EPO’s Board of Appeal (BoA), the BoA held that claims directed to a combination of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at particular doses were …

Read article

The end of the Brexit overhang for trade marks: review, refile and revoke.

On the 31st December 2025, five years will have passed since the end of the Brexit transitional period on 31st December 2020. Why is this relevant? For UK cloned trade …

Read article
Event - 14th January 2026

Seminar on The aftermath of G1/24 - has anything changed?

HGF is hosting a The aftermath of G1/24 – has anything changed? Which will be followed by networking, apero, and snacks. The Seminar will be held on Wednesday, 14th January …

Event details