Christopher Hall

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Call: 2010

Chris is well-established in all aspects of intellectual property.  His technical background gives him a particular edge in IT and technology actions, and he has a wealth of experience in patent, trade mark, copyright, design, and confidential information disputes. His clients range from blue chip companies and household brands to SMEs and individuals, spanning an exceptionally wide range of industries.

After graduating with a 1st in physics from Imperial College, Chris worked as an IT project manager at a major telecommunications company before turning to law, where he continues to impress.

As sole counsel, Chris has an established trial practice and regularly appears in substantive applications, interim hearings and CCMCs, as well as in appeals to the High Court (and to the Appointed Person) from the intellectual property office.

Chris is a popular junior, frequently instructed in major and multi-national litigation.  He acts for Dr Reddy’s in the near-billion-pound fallout from the pregabalin litigation, for Lufthansa in respect of aircraft power supply technology, and for Dexcom in respect of glucose monitoring devices.  In recent years he has appeared for Sky in several trade mark disputes, for Zebra in respect of bar-code reading devices, for Philips in respect of GPS fitness devices, on behalf of Apple in FRAND litigation, and against Facebook.

In 2019 Chris was appointed as an ‘expert’ adjudicator in Nominet’s ‘.uk’ domain name dispute resolution service.

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Recent & Notable Cases

Heraeus Noblelight Ltd v First Light Lamps Ltd [2023] EWHC 1950 (Pat)

This patent infringement / validity action concerned a manufacturing method for sealing electrodes into the ends of high performance quartz glass arc lamps. The key issues of general interest discussed in the...

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories & others v Warner-Lambert Company LLC [2023] EWCA Civ 73

In the latest instalment in the fallout from the pregabalin litigation, Warner-Lambert had sought to amend its case on the damages inquiry to introduce an attempt to reduce the damages payable upon their cross-undertakin...

Lappet Manufacturing Company v London Textile Industries [2022] EWHC 2158 (Ch)

In this short judgment on costs and consequentials, Adam Johnson J considered the guideline hourly rates for solicitors in specialist intellectual property proceedings, observing the need for a “clear and compelling just...

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Limited & others v Warner-Lambert Company LLC [2022] EWHC 1856 (Ch)

This interim decision was concerned with the appropriate terms of a ‘confidentiality ring’ for the purposes of disclosure of documents containing confidential information in the course of litigation.  The particular ques...

Lappet Manufacturing Company v London Textile Industries [2022] EWHC 1412 (Ch)

The principal issue concerned the applicability to a claim for trade mark infringement of the prohibition in paragraph 2.1 of Practice Direction 7A against issuing low-value claims in the High Court: “Proceedings (whethe...

Novartis AG v (1) Teva UK, (2) Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK), and others [2022] EWHC 959 (Ch)

Novartis is the owner of a patent application covering the use of the pharmaceutical ‘fingolimod’ (which Novartis sells under the brand name ‘Gilenya’) for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis.  With the end of...

Hand Held Products, Inc. v Zebra Technologies Europe Limited & ors [2022] EWHC 640 (Ch)

This patent infringement / invalidity action concerns bar code scanning and imaging technology. The claimants are part of the Honeywell group of companies; the defendants part of the Zebra group. The claimants sued Zebra...

Lufthansa Technik AG v Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems & others [2022] EWCA Civ 20

The appeal concerned Lufthansa’s patent for an aircraft passenger in-seat power supply system.  The three defendants Astronics, Panasonic and Safran, were responsible for manufacturing such systems, supplying them, and i...

Claire Stone v Alexandra Wenman [2021] EWHC 2546 (IPEC)

Christopher Hall represented the defendant in this trade mark and passing off dispute between two spiritual and holistic therapists, both of whom were using the name ‘Archangel Alchemy’ in respect of training and coachin...

Abbott Laboratories Limited v Dexcom Incorporated [2021] EWHC 2246 (Pat)

This was an application for expedition of patent revocation proceedings to address concerns about the German ‘injunction gap’. Abbott and Dexcom supply glucose monitoring devices, and each party claimed patent infring...

Dr Reddy’s & Ranbaxy & ors v Warner-Lambert [2021] EWHC 2182 (Ch)

This is the inquiry into damages arising out of the pregabalin litigation. In what is the largest such inquiry in the history of the Patents Court, several generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the NHS, each seek com...

Facebook Ireland Limited v Voxer IP LLC [2021] EWHC 1377 (Pat)

In Facebook’s first visit to the UK Patents Court, it sought revocation of a telecommunications messaging patent owned by Voxer.  The counterclaim raised infringement by the doctrine of equivalents, in response to which...

Globefill v Poundland (16 October 2020; unreported)

In these High Court proceedings Chris appeared as sole counsel on behalf of Poundland resisting an application for an interim injunction brought in respect of the Claimant’s rights surrounding its ‘crystul skull vodka’ p...

Sky Limited v Sky Insurance [2020] EWHC 1627 (Ch) (unreported)

Chris acts for Sky in a variety of disputes in the High Court, in IPEC, and in the Registry.  In this High Court action for trade mark infringement and passing off dispute, Sky Insurance attacked the validity of Sky Limi...

Foundation for the protection of the traditional cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi v Babel Sajt [2020] EWHC 2858 (Ch)

In this appeal from the Intellectual Property Office, the High Court considered for the first time the function of a collective trade mark, the ways in which the use of a third party sign may give rise to a likelihood of...

Lufthansa Technik AG v Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems & others [2020] EWHC 1968 (Pat)

Lufthansa was the owner of a patent for an aircraft passenger in-seat power supply system.  Astronics manufactured such systems, Safran installed them into airline seats, and Panasonic supplied in-flight entertainment sy...

Asia Standard Management Services Limited v Standard International Management LLC [2020] EWHC 28 (Ch)

Christopher Hall represented the Respondent in this High Court appeal from a trade mark opposition decision.  The Hearing Officer had decided that the trade mark application was not materially different to an earlier app...

Multi-Access Limited v Guanghzhou Wong Lo Kat Great Health Business Development Co Ltd [2019] EWHC 3357 (Ch)

Christopher Hall acted for the appellant in this appeal from the Trade Marks Registry to the High Court concerning revocation for lack of genuine use. The Judgment considers in detail the correct approach to interpretati...

Shua Limited v Camp & Furnace (aka Bongo’s Bingo) [2019 – High Court, unreported]

Chris successfully resisted an application for an interim injunction concerning the bitterly disputed row over the name of the novel and exceptionally popular ‘Bongo’s Bingo’ phenomenon.

Garmin (Europe) Ltd v Koninklijke Philips N.V. [2019] EWHC 107 (Ch)

Claim for infringement of an early patent covering GPS fitness trackers. Philips argued that the patent had been ‘art-changing’ in 1998 (cf Schlumberger), raising hotly contested issues as to the identity of the skilled...

Clearswift Ltd v Glasswall (IP) Ltd [2018] EWHC 2442 (Pat)

Brian Nicholson and Christopher Hall represented the Claimant in this patent revocation action, in the field of anti-malware software technology. [2018] EWHC 2442 (Pat)...

Apple Retail UK Ltd v Qualcomm (UK) Ltd [2018] EWHC 1188 (Pat)

Brian Nicholson and Christopher Hall act for the claimant in the global litigation between Apple and Qualcomm.  The dispute raises several issues including FRAND licensing, patent exhaustion, and competition law.  In thi...

Alliance Surgical Plc v Byrne & Ors [2018] EWHC B9 (Ch)

Chris acted as sole counsel in this seven day High Court trial, successfully representing the defendants.  The first defendant was the claimant’s former CEO, whom the claimant sued (together with his new company and a th...

Appearances before the Appointed Person and the Trade Marks Registry

Chris regularly appears as sole counsel in opposition and cancellation actions in the trade marks registry and before the Appointed Person. QVIDCO / QVID (O/0182/23) – Opposition under section 5(2)(b) HYPERDOT (O/0...

"Christopher is one of the leading juniors at the IP Bar; he is a great all-rounder and an excellent advocate who can hold his own against more senior barristers."
Chambers and Partners
“Christopher Hall is highly recommended for design right, copyright and trade mark infringement claims. He is praised for his work in mechanical and electronic patent litigation and frequently assists in the IPEC, Patents Court and appellate courts. He counts multinational giants and household names among the clients he has advised and represented.”
Chambers and Partners
"An exceptional advocate and incredibly user-friendly."
Chambers and Partners
“An excellent and highly persuasive advocate, who brings a huge amount of positivity to any matter while being able to find creative solutions to the most difficult of legal issues.”
Legal 500
"Chris Hall is really pragmatic and creative. He finds claims and arguments where other barristers would not. He thinks outside the box and comes up with solutions that are needed."
Legal 500
"Christopher Hall is excellent with clients and our go-to for any thorny or unusual problems. His advice is always clear and commercially focused."
Legal 500
"A brilliant and commercial barrister with strong common sense. He is good on his feet and liked by judges."
Chambers and Partners