HLK celebrates its 175th anniversary  

2025 sees intellectual property specialists Haseltine Lake Kempner (HLK) celebrate 175 years of helping the world’s innovators.

Since 1850, the firm has dealt exclusively with intellectual property (IP) protection and has a rich past in working with innovators and entrepreneurs across the globe. Now one of the longest-serving IP firms in the UK, its team of experts in IP law has forged a strong international reputation for top-quality advice across numerous technologies and industry sectors.

Over the last 175 years, its teams of patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, and, more recently, IP solicitors have experienced great changes, not only in how they and their clients work but also through the birth of new industry sectors, innovations, and brands that have changed the world and become part of everyday life. From its European bases in London, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, and Munich and its representative office in Guangzhou, China, the firm continues to work with some of the most exciting and forward-thinking businesses in the world.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, over the course of 2025, the firm’s people will undertake a range of charitable and community activities, including volunteering, fundraising challenges, charitable donations, supporting entrepreneurs in low-income countries, and more.

This pledge reflects the firm’s commitment to responsible business in 2025 and beyond. 

Graham Lambert, Chief Executive of HLK, said: “I’m privileged to lead this amazing business into its 175th anniversary year. As custodians of a precious legacy, we eagerly anticipate celebrating our history throughout 2025.

“Our clients consistently innovate, developing new ideas, inventions, and brands that enhance choice and economic security for all. To celebrate the profound, positive impact of intellectual property on our communities, we are challenging and empowering our people to make a difference in 175 meaningful ways. By contributing our time, talents, and resources, we intend to make it a memorable year of paying it forward.

“As well as giving back to society, we are also looking to the future. The next 12 months will be another year of evolution and progression for us all at HLK as we further develop our people and services, ensuring that we continue to anticipate and meet the needs of our clients as we embark on the next phase of our IP journey.”

HLK will also take a look back over the last 175 years to celebrate the creative genius and inventive drive of the visionaries and entrepreneurs, businesses, and brands its people have helped to protect since the firm was founded. Digging through its archives has revealed that the firm has worked with some clients for over 100 years.

Continuing its longstanding history of working with trailblazers, the firm’s clients nowadays include global corporations, start-up and scale-up businesses, and universities. According to research into patent filings over the last three years, the firm acts for 10 percent of the top 50 applicants at the European Patent Office.

History of the company

HLK’s origins can be traced back to 1850 after Dr George Haseltine and Mr William Robert Lake combined their respective patent agencies to form Haseltine, Lake, and Co., a partnership of consulting engineers and patent agents based in London.

Throughout its history, HLK has proved to be an innovative and proactive business while committing to long-term relationships with businesses and innovators in the UK and internationally. The firm opened a New York office in 1904, which was subsequently sold in 1942, and an office in Munich in 1978, ahead of the opening of the European Patent Office later that year.

Haseltine Lake’s merger with Kempner and Partners in 2019 created Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP, or HLK, as the IP powerhouse is often known today. How best to innovate and serve its clients was at the forefront of the merger.  By bringing together these two successful practices, each with some of the best IP practitioners within their fields, the combined firm was able to deepen its capability and resources. Since then, HLK has been able to provide its clients with a full suite of legal, patent, and trademark services, a rare combination of expertise under one roof in the UK and Europe.

Looking back at the history of the company, its people have always been committed to progress and played their part in shaping the intellectual property sector.

Both of its co-founders, Haseltine and Lake, were active campaigners for reform of the British patent system in the 1870s, a transformative era for the industry. Lake went on to become a founder member of the British Chartered Institute of Patent Agents when it was established in 1882.

More recently, Partner and Head of the Asia Group at HLK, Daniel Chew, served as President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys throughout 2023, the first Asian member of the institute to be elected to the role in its 140-year history.

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