Fieldfisher strengthens IP practice with the hire of Victoria Bentley

European law firm Fieldfisher has announced the appointment of Victoria Bentley as a partner in its Intellectual Property practice, expanding the firm’s unparalleled expertise in software and emerging technology litigation. Bentley joins the firm from Shoosmiths on March 3, 2025, and will be based in the firm’s Birmingham and London offices.

With over 20 years of experience, Bentley is a distinguished intellectual property litigator specializing in disputes arising from software and emerging technologies. Having started her career in software development, she has a unique understanding of IP issues connected to technology and has supported businesses in disputes across all IP rights in a wide variety of industries, including energy, financial services, life sciences, telecommunications, and information technology. She has been involved in precedent-setting copyright and patent cases, including acting for a major US wireless communications company in one of the largest patent actions before the UK courts. Bentley is experienced in leading multi-jurisdictional disputes, working frequently with teams across Europe.

Bentley joins Fieldfisher’s market-leading contentious Intellectual Property practice, which includes six partners in the UK and over 80 lawyers globally. The team’s flagship cases include Getty Images v. Stability AI, the first litigation in the world to address the impact of copyright law on generative AI, and Sky v. Skykick, which changed the law on trademark bad faith in the UK and across Europe. Bentley’s appointment reflects the continued expansion of the practice, which welcomed a four-strong IP team to its Berlin office in the middle of last year and the return of Thierry van Innis as Of Counsel in Brussels in November 2024. 

Hastings Guise, Head of Intellectual Property at Fieldfisher, said: “Our team leads the market in IP litigation connected to new and emerging technologies. Victoria’s arrival adds significant additional depth to our expertise in this field, as well as building our broader patent capability.  Her arrival also marks a pivotal step in the growth of our practice across the UK. Her deep experience, particularly in emerging tech disputes, will be invaluable in further strengthening our capability to support the firm’s tech-rich clients.”

Bentley added: “As businesses increasingly rely on software, we anticipate a rise in international IP disputes, especially in emerging technologies like AI. Fieldfisher’s international platform will enable me to continue to handle multi-jurisdictional disputes effectively and develop our market-leading reputation in this area. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues from across the firm’s international network to support clients with a wide range of IP disputes and as clients increasingly grapple with IP challenges that arise out of new technology.”

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