Patent and trade mark attorney Lawrie has reported growth of 12% this year and is projecting total sales of around £3.5m in the next financial year.
Growth areas for the intellectual property (IP) firm have been in trade mark work, as well as in patent filings in the chemistry, life sciences, renewable energy and software sectors.
193,460 European patent applications were filed last year – an increase of 2.5% on the year before.
The Glasgow-based company is also seeing several Scottish clients, which had previously worked with London firms, moving their IP portfolios to Lawrie on home soil.
An increasing number of UK businesses are filing UK patents, benefitting from the UK Government’s tax relief scheme, Patent Box, while a growing number of UK patents are being accelerated to grant through the UKIPO’s Green Channel initiative.
As economic conditions remain challenging and businesses become more aware of the need to protect and enforce intellectual property, Lawrie has noted an increase in contentious work, acting for and against companies in patent and trade mark oppositions.
Lawrie has also invested in several new hires to support growth, including a new trainee patent attorney, taking the total headcount to 22.
Support functions have also seen the recruitment of two new graduates in records roles and three paralegals joining to support the patent and trade mark teams.
Director Donald Lawrie said: “We’ve had another year of growth at Lawrie, made possible by our knowledgeable and experienced team of experts working hard to do the best for our clients.
“I’m proud we have created a culture of conscientiousness and innovation, enabling us to bring fresh perspectives to our growing client base and, with some key clients wins in the offing, I’m excited to see what the next year brings.”
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