Charles Russell Speechlys further expands Intellectual Property offering with new Partner hire in London

Charles Russell Speechlys today announces the arrival of Robert Lundie Smith who joins as a Partner in the Intellectual Property team in London. Robert joins the Firm from EIP, where he spent the last 13 years and most recently was head of UK patent disputes.

Robert is an expert in patent litigation, with extensive experience and significant success in leading highly complex patent infringement and validity disputes, often as part of wider, multi-national litigation strategies. With a background as a general IP litigator, his role is varied and encompasses a wide range of IP matters and contentious trademark work.

He brings a wealth of experience in hard IP and patent disputes, which complements the Firm’s established reputation in soft IP and brand protection and adds a new dimension to the team’s offering. Robert works closely with major corporates and has strong connections with leading attorneys and litigation funders in the UK, Europe, and the US which will broaden the Firm’s reach and expand its global IP offering.

Alongside his law degree, Robert holds an MSci in Chemistry and a PhD in Chemistry/Chemical Physics, and prior to entering the legal profession, he was a research fellow at the University of Lund in Sweden. His technical depth and scientific insight bring a unique dimension to his legal practice, particularly in high-tech and standards-related work.

Stewart Hey, Partner and Divisional Managing Partner of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution division, comments:

Roberts’ strengths in hard IP and patent disputes add an exciting new string to our bow and will significantly enhance the services we offer to clients. His appointment supports our strategic ambition to expand our global IP offering following recent hires into our Milan team, and we are very pleased to welcome him into our fast-growing dispute resolution team.

Mary Bagnall, Partner and Head of Intellectual Property, comments:

It has been an exciting few months for the Intellectual Property team. We recently welcomed Dewdney Drew as Head of Brand Protection, and the arrival of Robert today is another fantastic boost to our IP group. Robert’s substantial experience in intellectual property litigation, particularly complex patent and technology disputes, coupled with his technical depth and scientific and commercial insight, broadens the team's expertise and strengthens our full-service offering for clients both here in the UK and internationally.

Robert Lundie, Partner, adds:

Everyone at Charles Russell Speechlys has been incredibly welcoming and I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to lead the creation and development of the patent litigation practice at the Firm.  The next few years will be a very interesting time for patent litigation, and I look forward to collaborating with the wider dispute resolution team on related IP matters across multiple geographies and key financial centres.

Robert’s arrival follows the recent appointment of Annapaola Negri-Clementi and her team in Milan which added Corporate, Fintech, IP and Art Law service lines to the Firm’s multidisciplinary private capital offering in Italy. Dewdney William Drew also recently joined the London office as Head of Brand Protection in the Intellectual Property team.