Ian Gill


Partner

Ian Gill is a Partner and a UK Chartered Patent and Trade Mark Attorney in our Trade Mark team who are highly ranked by Legal 500 and a number of IP directories, obtaining particular recognition for the strength of client support and service they provide. Ian’s practice covers the full range of IP rights and issues.

Ian Gill is a star, a good businessman, and strategy head. He is always calm, clear, and appropriately guiding.
Legal 500 2023 Client Testimonial

“He combines his in-depth knowledge of trade mark law with outstanding business acumen.”

Legal 500 2023

"For over a decade Ian Gill is our very reliable and trusted trademark attorney in the UK. His passion about trademark law, paired with his analytical skills, his professional excellence and his ability to step into his client's shoes, set a new benchmark within Merck's global network of trademark agents."

General Counsel Trademarks, Merck Group

"Ian Gill has demonstrated solid commercial acumen and has a practical, pragmatic approach, which differentiates him from most other practitioners I’ve come across in this sector. Most practitioners will execute what has been asked for without necessarily running their own commercial rule over what they think makes sense for the business. I know with Ian that if he has doubts commercially he’ll express them."

Legal 500

"What sets Ian Gill apart from other professionals I have met is his unique combination of being very approachable and having an extensive knowledge of all areas we seek advice on, and the ability to explain often complex matters in a way we can then understand from our perspective in the commercial world."

Legal 500

 

Practice Areas
  • Copyright
  • Design Rights
  • Patents
  • Trade Mark
  • IP Due Diligence & Freedom to Operate
  • IP Strategy & Audits
  • IP Transactions, Ownership & Licensing
  • Anti-Counterfeiting
Industries of Focus
  • Agriculture
  • IT & Communications
  • Mechanical Devices
  • Retail
Core Responsibilities
  • Ian’s technical expertise includes contentious and non-contentious issues, spanning the full spectrum of intellectual property law, including trademarks, registered designs, patents and copyright
  • He handles trademark prosecution and enforcement, including related issues such as intellectual property portfolio management and domain name dispute resolution proceedings
  • He coordinates the worldwide IP portfolios of a number of major companies
  • He represents the patent and trade mark interests of a broad range of SMEs and private individuals
Professional Memberships
  • Chartered Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
  • Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA)
  • International Trade Mark Association (INTA)
  • International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
  • Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG)
Career
  • Ian joined AA Thornton after graduating in 1994
  • Ian became a partner in 2001
Qualifications
  • B Eng Aeronautical Engineering, Bristol University
  • MSc Intellectual Property Law, Queen Mary College, University of London
  • UK chartered patent attorney
  • UK Chartered Trade Mark attorney
Awards / Accolades
  • Recommended in Legal 500 UK
  • Recommended in WTR 1000 World’s Leading Trade Mark Professionals