Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy

Rachel advises on all aspects of trade mark and design protection and enforcement, including global filing strategies, clearance searching and transactions involving intellectual property for the UK, EU, Madrid Protocol and overseas.  Rachel specialises in trade mark disputes such as infringements, oppositions, cancellation actions, company and domain name disputes and dispute resolution.  Rachel has worked with clients in a broad range of different fields, including pharmaceuticals, finance and fashion, as well as assisting NGOs in a number of sectors on a pro bono basis.

Rachel also has considerable experience in advising on IP and regulatory issues involving parallel trade in the EU, particularly in the context of the life sciences sector, and the interplay between trade mark and regulatory naming clearance.

Rachel is actively involved in the Chartered Institute for Trade Mark Attorneys ("CITMA"). She is currently the CITMA President and was the Chair of the Law & Practice Committee for many years, so has regular interaction with government officials at the UK IPO, EUIPO and WIPO, amongst others.

• Co-ordinating a global trade mark dispute for a leading cosmetics and skin care company involving over 90 separate actions in 62 countries.

• Advising L'Oréal and The Body Shop on brand protection and enforcement matters in relation to their well-known brands.

• Successfully acting as advocate for clients, including British American Tobacco, in various disputes before the High Court, the Appointed Persons and the UK IPO involving trade mark matters and advising in relation to corresponding enforcement.

• Managing global IP matters on behalf of a well known UK-based global fashion retailer, including design and trade mark registration and enforcement. 

• Advising a number of international companies in relation to parallel import issues.

• Listed as a 'Rising Star' in Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars (2018)
• Listed as a 'Star lawyer' in the Acritas Stars report. (2018)

• Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) - Member
• Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) - Member and 2nd Vice President & Treasurer
• CITMA Law & Practice Committee - Chair
• Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG) - Member
• International Trademark Association (INTA) - Member