Policy

Procedure

Complaints Submission Form

Response Submission Form

Reply Submission Form

Basic Guide to DRS

Timetable

Decisions

Experts

Bachelor of laws degree, 1985, University of Nottingham (1st class Honours)

PROFESSIONAL

Date of Admission as a Solicitor of the High Court in England: 1988

Partner at Herbert Smith, Solicitors: 1994

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS/MEMBERSHIPS

Solicitor Advocate with rights of audience in all civil proceedings. Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents. Member of the National Computing Centre Legal Group

GENERAL

Nick Gardner is a partner in the Intellectual Property and Technology Group at Herbert Smith. He had a number of years experience in the electronics and computing industries before becoming a solicitor. His practice covers all areas of law (both contentious and non contentious) in the information technology and related fields (typically in areas such as computer hardware and software, electronics and telecommunications, Internet and the "new media"). This work involves the application of the law of patents, copyright, and trademarks as well as general contractual and commercial legal advice. He has been involved in many of the leading cases in this area - for example he advised Amstrad plc on the technical aspects of its litigation against Seagate Technology which resulted in one of the largest ever damages awards in this area of some £55 million plus interest. He has particular expertise in Internet related disputes and has dealt with a large number of domain name disputes. He acted for and appeared on behalf of the well-known department store, Harrods, in the first Internet domain name case to reach the English courts, where Harrods successfully gained control of the "harrods.com" domain name.