Nicola O’Driscoll

Nicola is a trade mark solicitor at Harper James. Nicola qualified as a solicitor in 2019 at top-50 firm Blake Morgan. Nicola first joined Blake Morgan as a paralegal in 2014 and continued at the firm for nine years before joining Harper James in 2023.  

As a Solicitor within the trade mark team Nicola advises clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters, this involves: 

• Advising on disputes involving trade mark infringement, passing off and copyright infringement, including the preparation of cease and desist letters. 

• Preparing and advising on trade mark clearance reports covering both word only and device marks across various territories. 

• The filing and prosecution of trade mark applications in the UK and internationally through a network of local agents. 

• Advising clients on registry objections, third party oppositions and cancellation proceedings at the UK IPO and internationally. 

• Preparing evidence of acquired distinctiveness in support of UK trade mark applications that have been rejected as being descriptive and/or otherwise lacking in distinctive character. 

• Preparing and filing trade mark opposition notices, cancellation applications and defences at both the UK IPO and the EUIPO, as well as instructing oversees counsel in respect of international trade mark proceedings. 

I love getting to work with such a wide range of businesses and individuals - ascertaining what those clients require and how best I can assist with that. In particular, I enjoy getting to play a part in a new brand developing and establishing itself, or its new product. No two clients have the same requirements or objectives and appreciating that underpins my approach to working with clients.

Nicola studied law at City University graduating in 2012 before going on to achieve a Distinction on the LPC at the University of Law Guildford in 2014.