Tommy McKenna is a London-based partner at Fieldfisher who specializes in intellectual property enforcement and litigation, with a particular emphasis on patent disputes. He regularly represents clients before the UK Courts, including the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court (IPEC), and has experience in proceedings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). His technical background informs his focus on technically complex sectors, and his practice encompasses the full spectrum of IP disputes in addition to related contractual matters.
Professional background: McKenna’s engineering background—having completed a degree in Electronic Engineering—underpins his approach to IP disputes in highly technical areas. While his practice frequently centers on patent litigation, he also handles disputes relating to copyright, designs, confidential information and trade secrets, and database rights. He also has experience in trademark matters and advising clients on contractual disputes involving technical subject matter.
Career history: His cases are often multi-jurisdictional and span a wide array of technologies and sectors, including media and technology, renewable energy, aerospace, medical devices, scientific instrumentation, household products, construction and financial services. He has spent time on secondment with MTV Networks Europe (a division of Viacom), helping him understand in-house counsel pressures and commercial priorities. McKenna has completed the University of Oxford Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice and is regularly listed in legal directories. He is an active member of professional IP groups, including AIPPI and AIPLA.
Notable roles: McKenna has acted on high-profile disputes across a broad technology landscape. Notable matters in Fieldfisher’s IP litigation practice include Blue Gentian v Tristar Products (patent infringement and invalidity action concerning self-extending garden hoses); Kingspan Insulation Ltd v Xtratherm Ltd (patent infringement and invalidity action concerning insulating building materials); Boeing v Ark Data Centres (contractual dispute regarding the provision of services at data centres); Wagner v Earlex (patent infringement and invalidity action relating to air caps used in spray painting systems); and Vestergaard Frandsen v Bestnet (confidential information dispute relating to insecticidal polyethylene mosquito nets). McKenna is widely recognised as a key contact for patent litigation matters within Fieldfisher’s IP enforcement team.
Tommy McKenna’s specialty lies in intellectual property enforcement and litigation with a core emphasis on patent disputes. He handles contentious IP work and advises on related non-contentious matters, including copyright, designs, and database rights, as well as trademark matters and contractual disputes involving technical subject matter. McKenna’s sector experience covers media and technology, renewable energy, aerospace, medical devices, scientific instrumentation, household products, construction and financial services, and his approach often involves cross-border, multi-jurisdictional proceedings before the UK courts and European IP bodies.
Degrees: BEng in Electronic Engineering. Institution not publicly listed in verified sources.
Institutions: Not publicly listed for the BEng degree; McKenna holds a University of Oxford Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice.
Legal training: University of Oxford, Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice.
Tommy McKenna specializes in intellectual property enforcement and litigation, with a particular focus on patent disputes.
He represents clients before the UK Courts, including the High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court (IPEC), as well as proceedings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO).
His experience spans sectors such as media and technology, renewable energy, aerospace, medical devices, scientific instrumentation, household products, construction, and financial services.
He has acted in high-profile disputes including Blue Gentian v Tristar Products, Kingspan Insulation Ltd v Xtratherm Ltd, Boeing v Ark Data Centres, Wagner v Earlex, and Vestergaard Frandsen v Bestnet.
He holds a BEng in Electronic Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice from the University of Oxford.
He has served as Chair of IPSoc, a society for junior IP practitioners, among other executive roles.
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