Lewis Silkin acquires Ablett & Stebbing to create full-service IP Practice

LONDON – Lewis Silkin LLP has today announced the acquisition of the patent and trade mark attorney firm Ablett & Stebbing, bolstering the firm’s leading Brands and Intellectual Property practice.

The acquisition will see Ablett & Stebbing partners Graham Ablett, Paul Williams and Tom Gaunt joining Lewis Silkin as partners along with senior trade mark associate Helene Whelbourn and four other members of staff, with effect on 1^st July 2019.

Ablett & Stebbing, formed by Graham Ablett and Peter Stebbing in 1993, advises on patents, trade marks, designs and copyright, representing a wide range of organisations, including SMEs, universities and multinational corporations. The team has particular expertise in the fields of technology, engineering, life sciences and chemistry, advising on both offensive and defensive patent strategies.

The deal significantly enhances Lewis Silkin’s IP offering and creates a one-stop-shop capable of servicing all IP needs from creation through to protection, management and enforcement. The deal is believed to be amongst the first of its kind to involve a law firm acquiring an entire patent practice.

Giles Crown, divisional managing partner at Lewis Silkin, commented:

“As a firm, we are continually exploring ways to adapt and enhance our offering in line with the changing needs of our clients. We have seen a definite uptick in demand for specialist patent expertise and an extension of our services to incorporate patent capability was the logical next step for us as we continue to solidify our position as the go-to law firm for innovative and creative businesses.”

Dominic Farnsworth, partner at Lewis Silkin, commented:

“IP is an incredibly complex ecosystem and, understandably, clients want to maintain as much convenience as possible with their service providers to better manage that complexity. The addition of Ablett & Stebbing’s market-leading patent team is the final piece in the IP services jigsaw for Lewis Silkin, giving us the scale, agility and strategic expertise to manage the full range and lifecycle of a business’ intangible assets.”

Graham Ablett, co-founder and partner at Ablett & Stebbing, said:

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for us to be joining Lewis Silkin. Patents have never been higher on the agenda with, on the one hand, their value increasingly acknowledged by boards as an asset on the balance sheet to be managed and deployed strategically and, on the other hand, more firms owning patentable ideas and properties - particularly driven by technological advancement. We are excited to combine our experience and expertise with Lewis Silkin’s existing team to help clients seize the opportunities, and mitigate the threats, in this dynamic space.”

The acquisition sees the number of partners in Lewis Silkin’s Brands and IP team grow to 16.

For further information, please contact:

Tal Donahue, Etienne Bataillé or Hannah Simpson at Infinite Global

Tel: 020 7269 1430

Email: lewissilkin@infiniteglobal.com