Gordon Harris

Head of Intellectual Property and of the firm's Far East operations. I have day-to-day responsibility for managing one of the largest and most successful IP teams in the UK. As an IP litigator I also manage a full workload of patent and trade mark litigation. Find out about our top tier ranking.

Tel: +44 (0)121 629 1499

Email: gordon_harris@wragge.com

Best brains in ...

Engineering and high-tech patent litigation. National expert on patent entitlement cases. Trade mark and comparative advertisement litigation, handled by the two leading cases in the UK in this area.

Highlight of your career so far?

In terms of client work, the best jobs I have done so far are my two excursions into the European Court of Justice (ECJ), first in the now famous case of Veng v Volvo in 1988 and more recently in a case between two mobile telephone companies - currently on its way to the ECJ for resolution. In terms of Wragge & Co, the highlight would have to be masterminding the merger with Needham & Grant that led to the opening of our offices in Waterhouse Square and the start of our march on the City.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Cinpres v Melea - the longest running dispute in the English Patents Court - started with proceedings dating back to 1991 and still not resolved 16 years later. A difficult and, at times, highly personal battle between the industry leaders in gas injection moulding. With multi-jurisdictional patent litigation, anti-trust suits, admissions of perjury, two defamation actions, an asset protection scheme akin to something from a Bond movie, life was definitely never boring!

What about outside the UK?

Establishing our offices in Hong Kong and Guangzhou is my most recent strategic contribution to the firm's progress. I spend 10% of my working time out of the UK these days.

What's your definition of going the extra mile ……. And when have you done it?

Working in the Far East on a regular basis means that I have to meet clients' needs despite a seven-hour time difference. I pride myself on the fact that most of my clients never realise that I am in Hong Kong or China, even if it means I am sat in an office 40 floors up in Hong Kong at 2am in the morning in order to join a conference call.

Best example of a creative legal solution?

Too many to identify! Finding the basis to re-open the seemingly closed Cinpres case in order to admit new evidence and take the matter forward again was my cleverest move. Other tactics I prefer to keep to myself - you never know when I will want to use them again!

When have you ever given a client a real competitive edge?

There is no replacement for actually going to your client's offices to understand how they work and what drives them. In our field you have to understand every aspect of the business - from the creation of the widget on the shop floor to the management strategy that determines where that widget will be sold in five years' time. Given the chance I could turn my hand to carpet manufacture, conservatory roofing, plastic injection molding or floor board laying.

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

I am client partner for Oxfam, a pro bono client of Wragge & Co. I regularly play guitar in a band to raise money for various charities.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

'Gordon Harris leads an "impressively strong" team.' - Legal 500, 2007. Because it's the award-winning team that I have built since 1995 that I'm the most proud of!