Business Legal Services
Intellectual Property Strategy
Service overview: IP strategy solicitors
Intellectual property (IP) is a business asset and you need a comprehensive plan to protect it and maximise its value. Defining and developing an IP strategy for your company may consist of identifying the best form of protection, plus leverage to exploit your IP assets. Our IP strategy solicitors can holistically review your portfolio and provide legal advice on the best forms of protection and exploitation across various international jurisdictions. Patents aren’t always the best protection strategy for all your IP: you’ll need to consider other methods like trade marks, trade secrets, registered designs or utility models.
Experts in intellectual property
Our team can assist you across all areas of intellectual property strategy, including:
What we do: Intellectual property strategy solicitors
Protecting your intellectual property is one of the most important aspects of your business. Your patents, trade marks and copyright material should all be properly protected to avoid future complications and maximise your company value.
If you’re new to the world of intellectual property rights, you might not have the information you need, or may have been misinformed about intellectual property protection. This can make the process needlessly expensive and leave your most important assets in a vulnerable state.
Our intellectual property solicitors and other IP specialists can offer you a unique intellectual property strategy for your business, in advance of any protection, to help avoid this and control the overall cost. We’ll look at which rights are most valuable, appropriate and cost-effective for your business objectives, for your business internationally and the potential costs right from the start of the process, so you’re clear on the range of intellectual property rights you should have in place up front.
Each form of intellectual property right serves a different purpose. Our intellectual property strategy solicitors are experts in many different indicators, including:
- Patents
- Utility models
- Design protection
- Copyright
- Databases
- Open source software
- Trade marks
- Trade secrets
As part of our strategic advice, we conduct prior art searches to help define the specific novelty in your intellectual property and address any ‘freedom to operate’ issues.
We’ll explain in simple terms how intellectual property protection will serve your business interests and your commercial objectives.
Existing IP portfolio reviews and audits
If you already have intellectual property rights, we’ll audit your existing rights (including terms of intellectual property related agreements) and advise on improvements, savings and ongoing management.
If your business is an SME, you may be eligible for funding from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for an IP audit. You will need to apply for funding through one of the IPO’s IP audit partners (Enterprise Europe Network, Scottish Enterprise or the Welsh Government). If you are eligible, the IPO will contribute £2,600 for your IP audit, meaning you would only pay £400. Our IP strategy lawyers can help you with this.
International IP strategy advice
Our intellectual property strategy solicitors will assess the best jurisdiction for filing your intellectual property and plan a strategy to anticipate your company’s growth internationally. We’ll estimate the cost of that strategy up front so you’re clear on the costs and what’s required.
Who we help
We work with all types of businesses that have IP, from start-ups to large corporations – whether they’re just in the development stages of IP, or they have existing IP portfolios to manage and protect.
Some of the sectors our IP strategy lawyers specialise in include:
- High-growth technology companies
- Research organisations
- Innovative major retail brands
- Investors
Whether you need help to identify your IP, establishing IP ownership, enforcing your rights or making money from your IP, we can help.
You don’t have to have a patentable invention either – we work with many companies that need other IP protection such as trade marks, design rights, copyright protection and even image rights.
Finding the right legal partner
Why work with Harper James
Choose a legal partner you can trust: we’ll help protect your goals, your business and your people so you can move forward with confidence and focus on growing your business.
Affordable, transparent and predictable pricing
Clear itemised invoices, subscription plans with up to 50% discount, and fixed fee products help you plan and manage legal spend – with no nasty surprises.
Proven track record and measurable results
We’ve supported over 8,000 businesses since 2014, with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60+ from monthly client surveys.
Straight-talking, responsive advice
We’re here to make things easier, not add complexity. That means fast response times, practical expert legal advice delivered in plain English, and dedicated client service and account management support.
Risk and compliance assured
We’re an SRA regulated firm, but more importantly, we build quality, data, and compliance best practice into everything we do.
Appointing a legal partner is a big decision. That’s why we’re open about our values, culture and model, so you can see what makes us tick. And because a productive partnership starts with understanding, we always begin with a conversation – listening to your goals, pressures and plans, then tailoring our support to fit.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Why choose Harper James as your intellectual property strategy solicitors?
Some of our IP strategy solicitors and specialists have actually been listed amongst the world’s top intellectual property strategists. Our IP strategists have worked in top 100 firms as well as in-house, advising clients in many countries and jurisdictions.
Top ranked SME focused firm
"Harper James is a one-stop shop for anything legal. It has excellent breadth, with experience on a large number of deals and multiple departments for different legal areas."
Chambers and Partners 2026
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £239 per month, with £159 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 33% discount on our Standard Rates.
