Geoffrey Hobbs QC

Barrister
Date of call: 1977
QC: 1991
Email: clerks@oeclaw.co.uk

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is an advocate and advisor specialising in intellectual property law and related aspects of competition and commercial law. Winner of the IP/IT Silk of The Year 2012 Award at the Chambers Bar Awards, he is recommended as a Leading Silk by both Chambers UK (IP) and The Legal 500 (IP, Information Technology and Media, Entertainment & Sport).  He is authorised to sit as a Deputy Judge in the High Court of England & Wales (Chancery Division).  He is also the senior Appointed Person hearing Appeals from the UK Registrar of Trade Marks under s76 Trade Marks Act 1994.  He has acted as Arbitrator in both ICC and LCIA proceedings and is also an elected member of the SIAC Panel of Arbitrators.

Chambers UK

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is variously described as being "stunning" at, and a "world authority" on, trade mark law. He is commended for being "very good with clients" and for his "fantastic all-round knowledge." It is therefore unsurprising that he is instructed in the most prominent trade mark actions of the day, such as Interflora v Marks & Spencer and Hasbro v Nahrmittel. (2013)

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is an expert in IP and particularly trade mark disputes. He is known for his "bullish advocacy style that really gets results". Commentators say: "He always has such a clear understanding of the law, and even the judges seem to defer to him in their judgments, such is his depth of knowledge". (2012)

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is "absolutely first-class for trade mark work - he lives and breathes it and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of case law." "Totally attuned to what the trends are," he is "particularly good at predicting what will happen when things go to the ECJ." Hobbs impresses sources with his "imaginative thinking, deep analysis and compelling advocacy." He appeared for Marks & Spencer in the high-profile Google AdWords litigation. (2011).

"This notable commercial set features a number of IP talents, and is particularly well regarded in the soft IP space, thanks in no small part to the presence of Geoffrey Hobbs QC.  Hobbs 'is the cleverest man in the world for trade mark law, to call him encyclopaedic is unfair, because he knows more than most encyclopaedias,' according to enthusiastic commentators.  He is 'the silk you'd go to for trade mark advice if you had to bet your life on it,' say sources, who add that he 'relishes getting to grips with the really difficult technical points of trade mark law,' and displays 'compelling advocacy.'  Recent cases include acting for Dircet Line in its opposition to eSure's application to register a mouse on wheels in the Trade Mark Registry, Chancery Division and Court of Appeal." (2010)

L500

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is 'an oracle' for trade mark matters' and 'a top-notch UK silk for soft IP'. (2012)

Geoffrey Hobbs QC has 'the best gut feel for trade mark cases in the UK, bar none', 'he couple photographic recall of the case law with acute commercial sense'. (2011)

Geoffrey Hobbs QC is 'one of the best QC's around for trade mark work' and was recently instructed by Easyjet in Easygroup IP Licensing Limited v Easyjet Airline Company Limited. (2010)

Geoffrey Hobbs QC's advocacy is 'compelling' and is 'a pleasure to work with'. (2010)