Elaine O'Hare

Managing Associate

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Elaine O'Hare

Elaine is recognised as one of the UK’s leading brand protection lawyers. She is head of Brand Protection and co-chairs the firm’s luxury and fashion group.  

Elaine studied law at the universities of Exeter and Aix-en-Provence and in 2011 obtained the widely-respected Post-Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice from the University of Oxford.

She advises businesses and individuals on all facets of intellectual property law and has extensive experience of litigating complex IP disputes in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. Clients also seek her advice on strategies for protecting and monetising their brands and other IP. Much of Elaine’s work is international and she regularly works with leading IP firms around the world.

In 2020 Elaine was shortlisted for the “Rising Stars – Private Practice” award at the British Legal Awards and is recognised as a “Rising Star” in The Legal 500 and IP Stars as well as being individually recognised for trade mark prosecution and strategy by World Trademark Review.

Elaine’s comments on IP issues are often featured in press and media articles and she has appeared in publications including The Times, The FT, The Guardian, BBC News, The Independent, Reuters, Drapers, FashionCapital.com, Tech Radar, Boutique Magazine, Menswear and Womenswear Buyer Magazines, The Retail Gazette and the New York State Bar Association’s IP newsletter.

She is an active member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), the International Trademark Association (INTA) and MARQUES.

Highlights of Elaine’s work include:

  • Acting for luxury footwear brand Naked Wolfe in a series of UK court proceedings for infringement of registered design rights
  • Representing a major French retailer in UK design right infringement proceedings involving a range of furniture
  • Advising a global insurance company on its worldwide rebrand, and coordinating the corresponding trade mark filings in multiple jurisdictions
  • Advising fashion brands, including Mae Cassidy London, Merah Vodianova and Olivia Brown Jewellery, on trade mark and brand protection issues
  • Running online brand protection programmes for numerous clients, including a multi-national pharmaceutical company, Premier League football team and international watch company
  • Advising fashion brand Rick Owens on parallel trade issues arising from Brexit
  • Acting for the world famous Casino de Monte Carlo in UK trade mark infringement actions
  • Representing a listed food manufacturing company in a High Court claim for breach of confidence, concerning confidential information in secret recipes and food processing techniques
  • Obtaining an interim injunction on behalf of a fast-growing UK technology business to prevent the unauthorised use of trade secrets by an ex-employee and shareholder
  • Advising several high profile sports personalities on agency and endorsement contracts and brand protection issues

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