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DESIGN CHAMBERS
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & INTERNET BARRISTERS

Richard Hodgson       Michael Stephens      Owen Keane      Elizabeth Green     Stefan Liban

24 Arterberry Road,  Wimbledon,  London,  SW20 8AH,  United Kingdom
Tel:  + 44 (0) 20 7353 0747      Fax:  + 44 (0) 20 8947 3869       General e-mail



Richard Hodgson, B.Sc(Eng) 1980 (Inner Temple) - click name for direct e-mail.   Please see our e-mail attachment policy

Richard Hodgson was educated at Westminster School, took a diploma in Higher French studies at the British Institute in Paris (then run jointly by the Sorbonne and University of London), and then studied electrical and electronic engineering at King's College London.  He is the immediate past organiser of the Old Westminster Lawyers.

Since his call to the Bar in 1980, he has specialised in all aspects of:  Intellectual Property - including copyright, designs, passing off, patents and trade marks;   Internet Law - including e-business, data protection issues, web site design contracts and disputes, and domain name rights and disputes;   and Media Law - including privacy, libel, e-libel, and trans-border libel, as well as other issues questions relating to trans-border matters, especially within the European Union.  He accepts direct professional access.

Richard, like the other members of Design Chambers, is very much willing to hold conferences and continuing professional development (CPD) courses away from Chambers at the convenience of the client or professional client.

If and when the legal professional rules are changed to allow ordinary members of the public resident in Britain to seek advice directly from the bar, Richard will consider on a case by case basis whether to accept such instructions.

Richard Hodgson is willing to assist with international litigation support, however large or small the required help may be.

His first instructions after pupillage were on behalf of a French client who believed he had been defamed in Graham Greene's then just published "J'accuse".  Richard has since maintained professional links with France, including appearing in 1987 on behalf of the French State at a two week arbitration in Geneva concerning the blowing-up of the "Rainbow Warrior" and being sent to Singapore by a Paris Law firm to provide litigation support in a matter arising out of the failure of Pan Electric.  He has also given assistance in Singapore on certain intellectual property rights, including a very large floating structure that was being constructed there.  Other countries where he has given advice include the USA and Switzerland.

Richard was first junior counsel in Charlesworth v Relay Roads & others [2000] RPC 300;  [1999] 4 All.E.R 397, a nine day High Court patent action which was followed by several major applications relating to re-opening the case after judgment.

 

CPD - Continuing Professional Development courses

Richard Hodgson has a wide experience of giving well-received CPD courses, approved by the Law Society and Bar Council, to solicitors and barristers.  These are at the client's offices or other suitable venue.  He specialises in relatively intensive and interactive but traditional (not PowerPoint based!) courses, which, interestingly, seem increasingly to be required.  Richard positively encourages being stopped in mid-sentence to be asked a question, consider a point - or even field brickbats.  

For up to eight delegates, his typical fee for a standard course (not per delegate) is in the range of £250 for a three hour course, £335 for a four hour course, and £500 for a full-day six hour course.  VAT, reasonable travel and subsistence expenses have to be added.  Travel time is not charged.  Fees for courses tailored to a client's specific needs are also keenly priced.  Discounts are available if more than six hours are booked for a CPD year.  Full course notes (almost verbatim if required) are available to each delegate.

Courses can be given during weekday evenings.  For a slightly increased fee, they can also be given at weekends.

Details of the standard CPD courses given by Richard Hodgson, including ones on data protection, patents, trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs and media law, can be found here.  Many of the standard continuing professional development courses were first given by Richard through BLS of Manchester (BLS was fully bought out by BPP in 2003).

All courses are continually updated.

Richard and/or other members of Design Chambers are willing to consider the preparation of special CPD courses tailored to specific clients' requirements.   Weekend and evening courses can be arranged.  These "bespoke" courses, usually given in a relatively traditional manner, cover much ground in the hope of offering good value for the fee involved.  Very full notes (almost verbatim) can be arranged for each delegate.  Richard encourages questions and points raised in mid-sentence during his CPD courses!

 

 

Richard's interests include a History of Technology - he is a Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust lecturer and has given lectures on both sides of the Atlantic - and, despite being the only member of his family not to have worked in some journalistic capacity, current affairs.  He is a member of the Garrick Club.