Carl is dual qualified as a Solicitor and a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, with over 25 years’ experience of advising on, protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights. He specialises in all areas of intellectual property law, including trade marks, copyright, designs, patents and confidential information. He deals with both contentious and non-contentious IP matters. He also advises on and has significant experience of drafting, negotiating and resolving disputes concerning a wide range of commercial contracts, including R&D, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements.
Of particular note, over many years Carl has managed the worldwide trade mark portfolios of numerous brand owners, clearing, filing, prosecuting, licensing, assigning, renewing, defending and enforcing thousands of trade marks across the globe. Enforcement work has included conducting opposition, revocation and invalidity proceedings before the UKIPO, the Appointed Person, the EUIPO, the EU Boards of Appeal and conducting and defending registered trade mark infringement and passing off proceedings before the English Courts. Further, in 2023 Carl successfully acted for Shazam Productions Limited (the owner of IP rights relating to the scripts of the famous “Only Fools and Horses” TV comedy series) in a copyright infringement and passing off case against those involved in the “Only Fools (Cushty) Dining Experience”. It was the first case in this country to decide that a fictional character is a separate copyright work to the literary work in which the character is recorded. The case won a Managing IP “Impact Case of the Year” Award. In addition, for more than 20 years Carl has advised The Roald Dahl Story Company in connection with the exploitation of, licensing to and merchandising by third parties of various copyright and other IP rights created by or relating to the children’s author Roald Dahl. This has included drafting and negotiating various commercial contracts and also assisting in preventing unlawful exploitation of the said IP rights by taking enforcement action against infringers. In 2000, Carl worked in Australia for a leading law firm and was heavily involved in both contentious and non-contentious IP issues relating the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and also the naming rights to Stadium Australia.
Carl is listed in the World Trademark Review 1000 publication as a leading trade mark practitioner and also in the IP Stars publication. These two publications are dedicated to identifying the world’s leading trade mark and IP legal services providers. Carl is also listed as a Band 1 IP practitioner in Chambers & Partners directory and in Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, which identifies lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Outside of work, Carl is an active sportsman, and is learning to play the guitar. He also loves reading, travelling, good food and a gin & tonic on Friday evenings.
Legal notice – Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP
