What do the different categories mean?
An attorney can practise in a number of different ways, or may not be actively practising at all but remain on IPReg's register.
Attorney in Private Practice - this is an attorney who works at an IPReg or SRA regulated law firm. An attorney in private practice may be able to help you with your legal query or matter.
Sole Trader - this is an attorney who practises law on their own. They will not be employed in a law firm or company. A Sole Trader attorney may be able to help you with your legal query or matter.
Attorney Solely Undertaking Corporate Work - this is an attorney that only works for their employer who will be some kind of business or in industry, for example a pharmaceutical company or a university. This type of attorney cannot be privately instructed by a member of the public.
Attorney Not in Active Practice - this is an attorney that remains regulated by IPReg but who is not currently practising as a patent attorney or trade mark attorney. They may be retired or on long term leave. This type of attorney cannot be privately instructed by a member of the public.
Registered entity - this is a firm of attorneys regulated by IPReg where all the directors, owners or managers of that firm are regulated by IPReg or the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Attorneys working in a registered entity may be able to help you with your legal query or matter.
Licensed entity - this is a firm of attorneys where there may be one or more directors, owners or managers who are not regulated attorneys or solicitors. Attorneys working in a licensed entity may be able to help you with your legal query or matter.
What does "Voluntary Removal" mean?
Here is a current list of registrants who have applied for voluntary removal from the registers. If an attorney has applied for voluntary removal, it means that they will be coming off the register and will no longer be practising as a regulated attorney. An attorney who applies to be removed from the register will remain on the register for 3 months and will then be removed by IPReg.
IPReg can keep an attorney on the register, and therefore keep them under IPReg's jurisdiction if IPReg considers it needs to investigate the conduct of that attorney following the receipt of a complaint. If you think that IPReg needs to be made aware of information about an attorney that is seeking Voluntary Removal, you should contact us without delay.
What does "Waiver in place" mean?
IPReg can grant a waiver of some of its rules or requirements to a firm or attorney. This means that the firm or attorney can continue to practise with authorisation without having to comply with that particular rule or requirement.
The most common types of waiver relates to professional indemnity insurance. To provide legal services (other than to an attorney's own employer), an attorney or firm must have in place a particular type of professional indemnity insurance that will protect clients if things go wrong. IPReg can grant a waiver of that requirement if the attorney or firm holds a different type of insurance that IPReg is satisifed will offer substantively the same level of protection to its clients as the usual type of insurance. You can read more about professional indemnity insurance and waivers (known as the PII sandbox) on our website here. If your attorney or firm has a professional indemnity insurance waiver in place, you can ask them to explain the differences between the insurance policy they hold and the insurance policy that is otherwise required.
IPReg will only grant a waiver in relation to professional indemnity insurance or any other rule or requirement where it is satisfied that there would be no significant risk to the firm's clients.
What does "Suspended" mean?
An attorney or firm can be suspended from the register for two main reasons. Firstly, they may not have paid their annual practising fee which is due on 1 January of each year. The other reason might be where they are currently under investigation for a disciplinary matter, or have been directed to be suspended from the register(s) by Case Examiners or a Disciplinary Tribunal.
An attorney or firm that is suspended from the register remains regulated by IPReg but they are not authorised to practise or to use the professional title "patent attorney", "patent agent", "registered trade mark attorney" or "registered trade mark agent" for the duration of their suspension.
Unless an attorney or firm has been suspended following a disciplinary hearing, we will not be able to tell you the reason for an attorney's suspension.
IPReg does not publish a register of individuals or firms that are no longer registered.
How freqently is the register updated?
The register is updated in real time. If an attorney's application for registration has been approved, as soon as the decision is made the register will be updated. As soon as an attorney is removed from the register, the register will be updated.
I cannot find my attorney on the register. Does this mean they are not regulated?
If you cannot find an attorney or firm on our register, first check that you have spelt their name correctly. There may be very rare circumstances in which an attorney or firm is regulated by IPReg but does not appear on the published register. You can contact us if you have a specific question or concern.
My attorney told me they are regulated by IPReg but they are not. What should I do?
It is a criminal offence for a person to use certain titles in the course of business if they are not regulated by IPReg. A person must not use the title "patent attorney" or "patent agent" if they are not on the register of patent attorneys. A person must not suggest they are a "registered trade mark attorney" or "registered trade mark agent" unless they are on the register of trade mark attorneys. If you are aware that someone who is not on either register held by IPReg is holding themselves out as a regulated attorney, or using one of the protected titles above, please contact us immediately.
A person may use certain other titles to describe themselves even if they are not on the IPReg register or on one of the registers held by other legal services regulators. For example, a person may call themselves a "Lawyer", "IP Lawyer", "Patent Lawyer", "Trade Mark Lawyer / Attorney / Agent" etc. These titles can be used by anyone even if they have no legal qualifications. You can check to see if a person is a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, here.
The other title you might see is "European Patent Attorney". This is a person who has gained the qualification offered by the European Patent Office. A European Patent Attorney is not authorised to do certain types of legal activities in the UK unless they are also regulated by IPReg.
Can you recommend a particular attorney or firm to help me?
IPReg cannot make a recommendation to you or endorse any particular attorney or firm.