Experience
Lee has nearly 30 years’ experience of the trade mark and design law in the UK and overseas having qualified as a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney in 1996.
He advises and manages the design and trade mark portfolios of some of the leading brands in the United Kingdom and across the globe.
Lee also has extensive experience of filing and prosecuting trade mark applications, oppositions, revocation and invalidity actions before the European Union Intellectual Property Office, World Intellectual Property Organisation and across the globe.
Lee has extensive experience of the enforcement and preservation of design and trade mark rights. This includes the conduct of hearings before the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office and appeals to the Appointed Person, enforcement of trade mark rights through trading standards provisions and online. He has also successfully prosecuted numerous domain actions under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) before WIPO and through the Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) of Nominet.
In August 2010, Lee obtained a Trade Mark and Design Litigators Certificate giving him the right to conduct litigation in the Chancery Division of the High Court and Intellectual Property Enterprise Court in relation to trade mark, design and passing off matters.
Lee has been widely quoted and has spoken on IP matters in the press and on radio and TV, notably in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, The Times, The Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4 and BBC1.
Qualifications
Trade Mark Attorney
Chartered (UK)
BSC
BSc (Hons) Economics
Recognition
WTR1000 2019, 2020 and 2021
"Lee is one of the most knowledgeable trademark specialists in Europe, both on issues relating to the UK as well as EU IP rights and trademarks in particular. He has a wealth of knowledge on practical aspects of IP practice and an in-depth understanding of clients’ business needs.” (WTR1000 2021)
Lee is also ranked under the WTR1000 listing as a 'Gold Individual' under United Kingdom for "prosecution and strategy".
View recognition online
MP IP Stars (Trade Marks) 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020
“always provides practical solutions to issues" (MIP IP Stars 2017)
"Curtis gives “quick, no-nonsense advice which is tailored to the client’s business activities and needs”. Another client appreciates Curtis’s “transparency about costs”. (MIP IP Stars 2018)
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Legal500 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020
“experienced, practical and solution-oriented" (Legal 500, 2017)
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World Trademark Review Global Leader: Private Practice 2021
Entered the World Trademark Review Global Leaders listing for the first time in 2021
View recognition online
Publications
Fashionably IP - podcast exploring hot topics in the world of fashion and intellectual property
View publication online
Does a design have to be disclosed first in the EU to benefit from Community Unregistered Design Right?
View publication online
Video recording of four person panel I took part in at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia on 31st January 2019 on Artificial Intelligence: Intellectual Property Considerations.
View publication online
Conferences: 2022
December 1st 2022
HGF's IP in Retail Conference London 2022
Speaker
Event details
April 30th 2022
INTA 2022 Annual Meeting Live+
Attended
Event details
March 31st 2022
HGF Complete webinar: trade mark opposition and invalidity proceedings
Speaker
Event details
Conferences: 2021
April 20th 2021
Intellectual Property Owners Association Spring Summit
Speaker
Event details
April 20th 2021
IPOwners Spring Summit 2021
Speaker
Event details
Conferences: 2020
December 31st 2020
HGF Complete: Brexit Webinars
Speaker
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December 1st 2020
HGF IP in Retail online training events
Speaker
Event details
November 4th 2020
WIPO Conversation on Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Third Session
Speaker
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September 3rd 2020
HGF webinar: The rise of AI. What happens when you take the human out of trade mark law?
Speaker
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March 3rd 2020
IP in Healthcare Conference 2020
Speaker
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Conferences: 2019
December 3rd 2019
IP in Retail Conference Amsterdam 2019
Speaker
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October 17th 2019
Artificial Intelligence: Challenges for Intellectual Property Law - Brussels
Speaker
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September 24th 2019
IP in Retail Conference 2019 - London & Leeds
Speaker
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March 14th 2019
“Can robots invent and create? A dialogue between Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property” - Alicante
Speaker
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January 31st 2019
USPTO - Artificial Intelligence: Intellectual Property Policy Considerations - Virginia
Speaker
Event details
CSR
Past member of the Public Relations (PR) Committee of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA). Member of the organising panel for CITMA conferences.
Past Examiner (trade mark paper) for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.
Past contributor CITMA European Trade Mark Handbook.
Finance 
Food & drink 
Healthcare 
Retail 
