Sir Hugh Laddie appointed to Chair in Intellectual Property Law at UCL

Sir Hugh Laddie, formerly the senior judge of the Patents Court, has been appointed to a newly created Chair in Intellectual Property Law in the UCL Faculty of Laws, with effect from 1 September 2006.

He will spearhead the development of intellectual property law courses across UCL.

This appointment forms part of UCL's strategy of expanding its activity in the field of intellectual property law, a subject of intense interest in legal practice today. The UCL Faculty of Laws sees this area as especially important in the fields of biomedicine, science and engineering and intends to build upon UCL's leading position in these fields. Sir Hugh's continuing consultancy with Rouse & Co International puts him in an ideal position to carry out the vision that led to the creation of this chair.

Sir Hugh Laddie said: "Intellectual Property Law reaches into most areas of science and business and has a major impact on much of the world we live in. It presents challenges and opportunities. It is a great privilege to be allowed to participate in the development of the teaching and analysis of this area of law within UCL. I feel that it is particularly fortunate that I will be able to do this while able to maintain my regular contact with the interests and concerns of users through my continuing association with Willoughby & Partners. This is an exciting move for me and I look forward to it with relish."

Professor Michael Bridge, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Laws, said: "Hugh's appointment is a tremendous coup for UCL. Apart from his eminence in intellectual property law, he has strong links with practice and industry, and the energy and vision to drive UCL forward in this hugely important and competitive area."

Notes for Editors

1. Sir Hugh Laddie will take up his position as Chair of intellectual property law at UCL on 1 September 2006. Sir Hugh will continue in his existing role as consultant to the specialist firm of intellectual property solicitors, Rouse & Co International, of which Willoughby & Partners is the UK legal arm.

2. For further information or photographs, please contact Dominique Fourniol in the UCL media relations office on 0207 679 9728.

About UCL

Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. In the government's most recent Research Assessment Exercise, 59 UCL departments achieved top ratings of 5* and 5, indicating research quality of international excellence.

UCL is the fourth-ranked UK university in the 2005 league table of the top 500 world universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. UCL alumni include Mahatma Gandhi (Laws 1889, Indian political and spiritual leader); Jonathan Dimbleby (Philosophy 1969, writer and television presenter); Junichiro Koizumi(Economics 1969, Prime Minister of Japan); Lord Woolf (Laws 1954 - former Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales); Alexander Graham Bell (Phonetics 1860s - inventor of the telephone); and members of the band Coldplay.

About Willoughby & Partners/Rouse Legal

Willoughby & Partners/Rouse Legal is an innovative firm of UK intellectual property lawyers. It won the Legal Business Boutique Firm of the Year 2004 Award and is one of the leading intellectual property rights specialists in the UK. It is associated with Rouse & Co. International, an international intellectual property consultancy which provides a full range of IP services from offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Willoughby & Partners' offices are in London and Oxford and the firm handles all aspects of intellectual property protection, exploitation and enforcement in the UK and Europe.