About

I advise on contentious and non-contentious issues relating primarily to intellectual property, advertising, EU and UK competition law, disputes relating to AI, and reputation management, including defamation and privacy.

My clients are from a wide range of industry sectors with a particular focus on fashion, technology, advertising & marketing and media & entertainment.

I have assisted clients in a number of reported cases, including before the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and EU courts.

Experience

Intellectual property

  • Advising on the intersection between intellectual property rights and the businesses of brands - this includes trade marks (covering comparative advertising and parallel importing), copyright, passing off and designs, licensing of IP rights, and the registration & management of IP rights
  • Acting for both rights holders and those who are accused of infringing the rights of others. Notable cases include Jack Wills v House of Fraser [2016] EWHC 626 (Ch), Walton International Ltd v Verweij Fashion BV [2018] EWHC 1608 (Ch), Travel Counsellors Ltd v Trailfinders Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 38, and Evans v John Lewis Plc & Anor [2023] EWHC 766 (IPEC)

Advertising & marketing

  • Advising brands, advertising agencies, media owners and publishers on the contractual relationships between advertising agencies and their clients, risks involved with particular campaigns, disputes between brands (including comparative advertising), regulatory investigations and clearance, including compliance with the CAP and BCAP Codes, and intellectual property considerations involved in advertising
  • Acting for John Lewis and adam&eveDDB in successfully defending a claim for copyright infringement in relation to a John Lewis Christmas ad

Competition & regulatory

  • Advising on compliance with competition law, dealing with investigations by regulatory authorities, and private litigation. I have also completed the King's College London Postgraduate Diplomat in EU Competition Law
  • Advising on investigations by the Serious Fraud Office, Competition & Markets Authority and various sector focused regulators such as the Advertising Standards Authority and Ofcom

Reputation management & privacy

  • Acting for individuals and companies whose reputations are threatened or harmed, and for publishers
  • Working on various important cases before the High Court and Supreme Court, including acting for a defendant in the Lachaux v AOL libel action that was the first case to reach the Court of Appeal (and subsequently the Supreme Court) following the introduction of the Defamation Act 2013

Testimonials

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"The [person] I work the most with [is] Oliver Fairhurst. I value the most their accessibility, practical advice presented in a clear and concise manner, and the value they provide."
Legal 500
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Awards

Shortlisted for Practitioner of the Year, Soft IP (Law Firms) at Managing IP EMEA Awards 2024

Services

Sectors