Litigating in IPEC: a hands-on course

While competition between the various IP professions in England and Wales remains brisk, it's good to see how they cooperate in both running patent litigation courses and in making them available to those who wish to take advantage of them. An example of this cooperation is "Intellectual Property Enterprise Court – Use your rights!" This is a Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) course which takes place first on Tuesday 9 June 2015 at the headquarters of CIPA, 95 Chancery Lane London WC2A 1DT and thereafter from Thursday 25 June to Saturday 27 June 2015 at Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire HP16 0BD. What's this course all about? The CIPA website explains:

With the growing popularity of the IPEC amongst SMEs, and its more EPO-like procedures, patent attorneys are starting to take the opportunity to offer competitive litigation services. The aim of this course is to provide experienced patent attorneys (3+ years PQE) with an understanding of the procedures of the court by running a patent case study from issue to trial.

This course, which was run successfully in 2011 and 2012, will give you the tools to conduct proceedings in IPEC, either alone or with a barrister – or at the very least give you the confidence to look after your client through the litigation process. This time, we also hope to provide direct experience of the IPEC in action by arranging for at least some attendees to act as marshals in the court after they complete the course.

The course starts with an introductory day at CIPA Hall followed by a residential “long weekend” (Thursday lunch time to mid-Saturday pm). This takes place at conveniently situated Missenden Abbey, in the Chiltern Hills. Much of the time will be spent in groups of four or five working on the case study, under the supervision of a tutor. There will also be plenary sessions dealing with procedural law, case management and practical aspects of running a case and preparing for trial. There is nothing like a “long weekend” course, with hands-on experience for delivering the required levels of competency and confidence to act.

Further details of the course, which is being run by Vicki Salmon (IP Asset) and Richard Davis (Hogarth Chambers), can be found here. The contributions of Vicki and Richard will be augmented by the contributions of others, drawn from the ranks of the nation's IP barristers, solicitors and patent attorney litigators.

While this course is designed for Fellows of the CIPA, a limited number of places are available for solicitors and barristers. The course is limited to 30 delegates, to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity for hands-on learning.  The cost of the course includes accommodation at Missenden Abbey together with meals. CPD: 16+ hours Cost: Members: £1,560 (£1,300+VAT), Non-Members: £1,920 (£1600+VAT)