Brandsmiths

Overview

Brandsmiths is a UK-based specialist law firm focused on intellectual property, media & entertainment, sports law and related commercial work. The firm operates from offices in London (Old Pump House, Hooper Street) and Manchester, and acts for consumer brands, sports clubs, fashion businesses and technology clients on trade mark clearance and prosecution, IP litigation, domain disputes, commercial agreements and novel crypto/asset recovery matters. Brandsmiths combines solicitors, trade mark attorney expertise and specialist teams in crypto and blockchain tracing (including a partnership with blockchain tracing providers) and highlights landmark litigation work such as securing a proprietary injunction over crypto assets. The firm is authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No: 620298) and cites Adam Morallee as Founding Partner.

Headquarters: London, Old Pump House 19 Hooper Street
Offices: 2

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Commercial Contracts
Sports Law
Media & Entertainment
Data Protection & Privacy
Corporate & M&A
Fashion Law
Technology & Digital

Geographic Focus: UK-focused with offices in London and Manchester. The firm handles cross-border trade mark filings, clearance searches and disputes (mentions work involving additional territories such as the US and EU) and pursues international enforcement and domain-dispute procedures when necessary.

Training Contract

Academic Requirements: Vacation scheme requirements: a final year Law student or a recent Law graduate with a passion for intellectual property, litigation, commercial, sports or trade marks.

Mentorship

Every employee is assigned a mentor on joining. Vacation scheme students are shadowing a trainee and assigned to a mentor; the firm encourages regular mentor meetings to support development.

Programmes & Schemes

Vacation Scheme

A paid, two-week summer internship aimed at final year law students and recent law graduates. Students spend two weeks in either the London or Manchester office, carry out real fee-earning work across different practice areas, shadow a trainee and are assigned a mentor. The programme has led to some participants securing full-time paralegal roles.

Duration: 2 weeks

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Work Experience

Short work experience placements offered in limited numbers during Jan–May and Oct–Nov. Placements are a maximum of four days and are based in either the London or Manchester office; applicants apply via an online form.

Duration: Up to 4 days

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Notable Matters

First UK proprietary injunction over crypto assets

Brandsmiths secured the UK's first proprietary injunction over cryptocurrency, establishing a precedent for freezing and recovering cryptoassets. The matter demonstrates the firm's capability in combining litigation, investigations and blockchain tracing partnerships to trace, freeze and recover funds and to work with exchanges and custodial providers.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Acting as general counsel to Missguided

Brandsmiths has acted in an in‑house / general counsel capacity for Missguided, providing ongoing commercial, IP and brand protection support to the fashion business.

Commercial Contracts

Work for Everton Football Club (ongoing advisory/testimonial relationship)

The firm acts for Everton (testimonial content and client commentary are published on the firm site), advising on football and sport-related matters including image rights, commercial agreements and brand protection.

Sports Law

Secondment/acting work for Manchester United (transfer window advice)

Brandsmiths lawyers have undertaken secondments and acted on matters for Manchester United, with team members describing secondment experience supporting transfer-window and sports-contract related legal work.

Sports Law

Domain name and UDRP/Nominet disputes and clearances

The firm conducts domain name enforcement and dispute resolution (UDRP, Nominet DRS, EurlD ADR, URS complaints) and provides pre-action correspondence, registrar engagement and litigation where required to recover or transfer abusive domain registrations.

Intellectual Property

What Brandsmiths Looks For

Key Competencies

Commercial awareness
Interest in intellectual property and brand protection
Teamwork and collaboration
Client-facing communication skills
Enthusiasm for sports, fashion or media sectors
Practical, hands-on approach and willingness to learn

Evidence Signals

Final-year law study or recent law graduate status (for vacation scheme)
Previous work experience or paralegal placements in IP, media, fashion or sports law
Demonstrable interest in brands, trademarks or digital/crypto issues
Attendance at relevant events or completion of sector-focused internships

Benefits & Wellbeing

Hybrid flexible working (office + remote)
Mentorship for every employee
Paid 2-week Vacation Scheme for final year law students
Work experience placements (up to 4 days)
Professional development and training opportunities
Opportunities for secondments and client-facing experience
Regular internal events and external workshops (Brandsmiths+)

Wellbeing

Mentorship and professional development are emphasised; the firm runs events and workshops to support engagement and career progression.

Awards & Recognition

Ranked Tier 2 (North West) for Intellectual Property
Ranked Tier 2 (North West) for Media & Entertainment
Ranked Tier 2 (North West) for Sport
Ranked Tier 3 (London) for Intellectual Property: trade marks, copyright and design
Ranked Tier 4 for trade mark attorney practice (PATMA)
Ranked in regional Commercial Litigation and Sport practice tiers

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Women's Sport Collective x Brandsmiths events
Brandsmiths+ panel events and workshops (including sessions focusing on diversity and development)

Innovation

Brandsmiths invests in technology and specialist partnerships to support its crypto and investigations practice, using blockchain-tracing solutions to assist in tracing and recovering cryptoassets. The firm also operates 'Search-a-brand', an online tool to assist in researching and selecting brand names and trade mark availability.

Partnerships with blockchain tracing providers (for cryptoasset tracing and recovery)
Search-a-brand (searchabrand.com) brand research tool

Quick Application Angles

Demonstrate specific interest in brand protection and trade marks — reference the firm's Search-a-brand tool or recent trade mark/clearance content in your application.
If you have crypto/tech experience, highlight it (the firm secured the UK's first proprietary injunction over crypto assets and works with blockchain tracing partners).
For sports or fashion-focused roles, cite relevant sector experience or secondment exposure (the firm acts for clubs such as Everton and has undertaken work for Manchester United and fashion clients such as Missguided).
Emphasise client-facing experience and readiness for fee-earning work — the vacation scheme involves real client tasks and shadowing a trainee, so practical experience and commerciality are valuable.
Mention willingness to work in a hybrid model and to engage in internal events/Brandsmiths+ panels to show cultural fit and commitment to professional development.