Our background
Withers & Rogers has provided a comprehensive and international range of services in intellectual property matters since 1884. We have strong specialist groups in all important technical and legal disciplines and we offer a truly international intellectual property prosecution and advisory service.
Our client-focused, specialist services are designed to provide practical, professional help and advice for protecting valuable intellectual property.
By working in partnership with our clients we can understand and help achieve their business objectives. We have the privilege of representing many prestigious international brand-focused and innovative companies as well as leading academic institutions, most of whom have continued to use our services year after year. Client review meetings confirm the high quality of service we provide at costs of real worth.
Our recruitment and training programmes ensure our people are not only of the highest academic and professional standards, but can also determine strategic objectives based on markets, competitor strengths and weaknesses, and existing IP rights.
Our professionals have wide commercial and industrial experience and can engage with internal marketing, product, package design and research teams to help provide strategic IP solutions appropriate to business objectives. In all, we have around 115 partners, attorneys and staff across our four offices.
A brief chronology
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1884 |
Messrs Withers and Spooner founded a practice in Chancery Lane, London, under the name “J.S. Withers and Spooner”. Spooner left soon afterwards. Eventually the name of the firm was simplified to “Withers & Spooner”. |
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1935 |
J.S Withers was joined in the business by his nephew J.M. (Martin) Wilson, and later by W.C.(Bill) Blatchford. |
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1950 |
Martin Wilson and Bill Blatchford joined J.S. Withers in partnership. By this time J.S. Withers had been in practice for over 65 years. Martin Wilson developed the firm’s considerable overseas practice, particularly in the USA. |
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1973 |
Withers and Spooner merged with Heron Rogers, hence the name of the combined firm - Withers & Rogers. At that time it comprised approximately 25 people, with five partners, Martin Wilson, Bill Blatchford, Bryan Arthur, Peter Turner and Dennis Frost. |
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1975 |
The Leamington Spa office was established with the acquisition of Edgar Goddin & Co, and was headed up by the then junior partner David Bannerman. |
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1986 |
The first West Country presence was established by the purchase of M J Stephens & Co in Plymouth, headed by Ivor Harrison. |
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1989 |
The Bristol office commenced operation with a staff of four, headed by David Hartley who sadly died in 1991. |
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1997 |
The Birmingham office was established with the acquisition of three small firms, Shaw Bowker & Foulkes; George Fuery & Co; and Lewis W Goold & Co. The Shaw practice had a long history, and it is known that George Shaw represented the noted inventor Michael Faraday in the 1850s. The Plymouth office was amalgamated with the Bristol office in enlarged premises. |
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2005 |
On 1st April 2005, Withers & Rogers became Withers & Rogers LLP with a structure comprising Withers & Rogers Group LLP, Withers & Rogers LLP (the main operating business) and Withers & Rogers Renewals LLP. |
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2007 |
On the 5th October 2007, the Birmingham and Leamington Spa offices were merged to form the new Midlands office housed in purpose-built premises named after Nicholas Wilson, son of Martin Wilson and a partner in the firm who had sadly passed away in 2004 after a short illness. HH Judge Michael Fysh was guest of honour at the official opening of the new Midlands office. Karl Barnfather agreed to take on the lead partner role. |
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2009 |
On 1st September Withers & Rogers opened a new office in Sheffield. Two partners, Paul Foot and David McWilliams have taken principal responsibility for this development. |
"Covidien's Imaging Solutions business chooses to utilise Withers & Rogers' intellectual property services as they demonstrate a high level of competence with regard to our products and related technologies. Furthermore, they have a proven record of zealously advocating Covidien's legal position at the European Patent Office."
Kenneth D. Goetz, Vice President, Intellectual Property - Imaging Solutions, Covidien
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