Meet our Team: Dan Byrne

As part of our ‘Meet our Team’ series, we ask Dan Byrne, a Partner and Barrister in our London office, about his route into intellectual property, the next big thing on the horizon in the IP litigation world, and hear more about his hobbies outside of work.

How did you get into working in IP litigation?

I did my undergraduate in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and when I was looking for alternatives to academia or industry someone mentioned patent attorneys as benefitting from technical transferable skills, so that led me in the direction of IP. I did a masters in Biotechnological Law and Ethics and then slid into a conversion course and the vocational training to be a barrister. I did my pupillage at Hogarth Chambers and then spent the next 20 years in law firms of one sort or another (including in Paris) drawn to the disputes side of things.

What areas do you currently specialise in in your role?

As with all members of the Litigation and Licensing team, I work across all areas of IP, including copyright and designs in addition to patents and trade marks. My biological sciences background lends itself well to pharma cases and we increasingly do more of those.

What do you enjoy most about working in IP?

Working in IP brings endless variety in terms of subject matter, strategies and client objectives. A firm environment allows for direct client contact, the support of a team and the ability to workshop ideas to achieve the best outcomes (teamwork!).

What recent successes/achievements have you had?

I was pleased to achieve a win in our recent patent case (patent valid and infringed) for our client No Climb Products in relation to a patent drafted by our very own Nikesh Patel. The recent case for our client Aristo Pharma (in which we await judgment in September) has also been an achievement in terms of it being an important question of the availability of SPCs for prodrugs.

What’s the best thing about working at Venner Shipley?

Venner Shipley is so full of super qualified and imaginative people it is always a pleasure to be able to work across departments and to collaborate on achieving the best outcomes for clients.

What do you think is on the horizon in the IP litigation world?

The axe I have been grinding is the proliferation of perfume dupes since that is contrary to the Court of Appeal/CJEU case of L’Oreal v Bellure. In other words, it is a trade mark infringement to say something smells like a famous trade marked perfume. I don’t mind if the law is wrong and needs changing, but that case has to be heard! I also await the advent of website blocking orders for patent infringement, which must be around the corner (they currently exist for copyright, trade marks and illegality).

What do you do outside of work? 

Following on from the project choir I joined last year (where everyone was so generous in helping to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK) I joined the related community chorus and have done a number of concerts in the last year, including Christmas ones in the cathedral and others in theatres. I was appointed section lead of the tenors and we arrange our own extra rehearsals to try and beat the baritones/basses.

Tell us a little more about you.

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