Our TEAM
Mark Hiddleston
Director – Chartered Trade Mark Attorney / Trade Mark Litigator
mark.hiddleston@hiddlestons.com
Mark is a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, UK Trade Mark Litigator, UK Solicitor (non-practising), Irish qualified solicitor and Irish Trade Mark Agent.
Mark founded Hiddleston Trade Marks with the intention of providing a high quality responsive practice with a difference. He has a passion for trade marks and has over 25 years in the field.
Prior to founding Hiddleston Trade Marks, Mark was a partner and Head of Trade Marks at the UK-based firm of trade mark and patent attorneys, Elkington and Fife LLP, for 10 years and prior to that was the Managing Director of the trade marks group of the London office.
Although highly successful in his field, Mark realised that the world of trade mark was changing and he wanted to found a firm that would change with that world to meet the needs of his clients in the modern world. He has substantial experience in relation to the clearance and prosecution of UK and European Union trade mark applications, international registrations under the Madrid Protocol and national applications world-wide, the negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements in relation to trade marks, and the handling of oppositions and cancellation actions before the UK and EU Intellectual Property Offices and disputes world-wide.
During his lengthy career, Mark has handled trade mark matters and large-scale trade mark portfolios for clients operating in a diverse range of fields, including the beverage, tobacco, food, confectionery, film and TV, entertainment, pharmaceutical, financial, automobile, engineering, publishing and software and hardware industries. He is a member of the INTA Public Information Committee and a member of the Council for the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (“ITMA”), Chairman of ITMA’s Formal Publications Working Group and a former member of the Institute’s Education and Training Committee.
He also has an expanding practice in relation to domain name disputes, including the filing of domain name dispute resolution proceedings at WIPO.
From 2002-2005, he helped to set up and run the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys’ first Advanced Level Court for students sitting the then ITMA Finals Level Examination. He has been an Examiner for the Institute’s UK Trade Mark Law and Practice paper and a Lecturer on the Institute’s Warwick University Residential Lecture course.
He is a regular lecturer, having given lectures on behalf of CPA (Computer Patent Annuities), AIPLA (The American Intellectual Property Law Association), INTA (The International Trade Mark Association), ITMA (The UK Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys) and IPIC (The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada). He has contributed articles to Trade Mark World and IP Review.
Mark is a Senior Editor and contributor to the United Kingdom Trade Mark Handbook, the leading authority on trade mark practice in the UK.
Debra Hiddleston
Chartered Trade Mark Attorney
debra.hiddleston@hiddlestons.com
Debra has substantial experience in the field of trade marks and designs and is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, European Trade Mark Attorney, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
Debra has gained extensive experience of trade mark law during her time of working both in-house and in private practice.
Debra has substantial experience in trade mark clearance and prosecution, via the UK and European Union trade mark application systems and the Madrid Protocol international application system.
She also has extensive experience in the registration of designs, both via the UK system, and the Registered Community Design (RCD) system.
In addition to clearance and prosecution, Debra has experience of handling oppositions and cancellation actions both in the UK and abroad.
Debra enjoys providing a bespoke service to individual clients, advising upon the best way forward in terms of protection, cost etc. and enjoys the challenge of gaining protection for difficult marks.
Debra has an Honours Degree in Music and English Literature.
Mike Northern
Trade Mark Consultant
mike.northern@hiddlestons.com
Mike became a consultant with us in February 2022. Mike started out as a Principal Trading Standards Officer in Kent before qualifying as a UK solicitor in 1996. He has previously worked for two large established City law firms, Reed Smith and Dechert advising in relation to anti-piracy and counterfeiting issues. His former clients include fashion designers and merchandisers.
He prides himself upon offering an accessible and professional legal service,
He handles prosecution, opposition and dispute work for our firm.
James Setchell
Trade Mark Consultant
James.setchell@ hiddlestons.com
James Setchell joined our firm as a Consultant in 2024. He is a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and Trade mark Litigator with over 25 years' experience in the field. He has extensive experience in handling the clearance, prosecution, maintenance and enforcement of trade marks, designs and related copyright issues globally for clients operating in a diverse range of sectors including manufacturers of food and drinks, music and entertainment, confectionery, business advisory, financial and sports goods sectors. He has previous experience as Trade Mark Manager in house for Diageo for its whisky portfolio brands including JOHNNIE WALKER and BUSHMILLS and extensive management of client matters in private practice.
Over the years, James has also been actively involved in various committees within The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) and is currently the Chair of its Formal Publications Working Group, as well as Senior Editor of the UK Trade Mark Handbook, the leading authority on trade mark practice in the UK.
Head-shot photo by Natasha Sutton
David Brodsky
Trade Mark Agent
david.brodsky@hiddlestons.com
David is a qualified Irish Trade Mark Agent in our office in Madeira, Portugal. He handles all aspects of European Union trade mark work before the EUIPO, including the filing of EUTM Applications, Oppositions, Revocation Actions and Applications for Invalidity, and the recordal of proprietorship changes. Through a varied and stellar career, David has worked, inter alia, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and Guinness Peat Aviation.
He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese and has a working knowledge of Italian, German, and Catalan.
Qualifications
Legal:
Registered Irish Trade Mark Agent
European Trade Mark and Design Attorney
Certificate in Trade Mark Law 2016, Law Society of Ireland
Advanced Course on Trade Marks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications, WIPO Academy 2016.
General Course on Intellectual Property WIPO Academy, 2016.
Academic
Ph.D (Economics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Master of Science (Air Transport Engineering), Cranfield Institute of Technology, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Master of Arts (Mathematics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Master of Arts (Economics), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Bachelor of Arts, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Publications
He is a contributor to the European Union Trade Mark Handbook.
EUTM seniority post-reform and post-Peek & Cloppenburg - Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, July 2020
General damages and an account of profits ‒ an Irish innovation? - Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, August 2018
Laura Coupland
Paralegal / Accounts & Office Manager
laura.coupland@hiddlestons.com
Laura is a paralegal handling prosecution matters for UK and European Union trade mark applications and registrations and national applications world-wide. Laura is also our Office and Accounts Manager and handles any enquiries from clients on invoicing issues.
Cindy Kruger
Filing Clerk and Paralegal
Cindy.kruger@hiddlestons.com
Cindy joined our firm as a Consultant in 2024.
She acts as a filing clerk and provides paralegal services.
Amanda Whittle
Records Manager
amanda.whittle@hiddlestons.com
Amanda has over 30 years’ experience in relation to trade mark records management. Amanda previously worked for 10 years at the London office of the multi-national law firm, Clifford Chance LLP. She has substantial experience in relation to trade mark formalities and renewals.
Su Campbell
Secretarial Support
Su.campbell@hidlestons.com
Su provides secretarial assistance and support services.