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Calum Smyth

He/himPartner
Calum is an excellent partner who is great at managing his team and also completely on top of the details. A pleasure to work with.
— Legal 500
London
About

Calum Smyth is an intellectual property lawyer, focusing primarily on contentious technology matters, in particular patent litigation and copyright and software disputes. Calum has broad experience of domestic and international litigation and mediation and regularly provides strategic advice to clients on how to build and enforce strong intellectual property rights, and how to navigate third party IP risks.

Areas of FocusIntellectual PropertyPatent LitigationTechnologyTelecomsFintechLife Sciences

EXPERIENCE

  • Bringing significant patent infringement and entitlement proceedings in the Patents Court in respect of DNA vaccine technology and managing the case through to trial, including a number of substantial and heavily contested interim hearings (Hill v Touchlight).*
  • Advising in respect of potential patent infringement proceedings in respect of digital identity technology, developing enforcement strategy.*
  • Representing a major manufacturer of protective clothing and equipment in a UK patent infringement dispute.*
  • Advising a leading manufacturer of ophthalmology equipment on third party patent risks (infringement and validity) and UK enforcement of a number of its own portfolio.*
  • Advising a leading manufacturer of crop protection products in respect of third-party patent risks and specifically in relation to secondary or contributory patent infringement.*
  • Advising a major international retailer on the contributory patent infringement risks of own brand coffee capsules.*
  • Advising an international agritech company on plant variety rights, validity, infringement and approach to enforcement in the English courts.*
  • Advising a producer of computer games consoles on a patent infringement dispute.*
  • Advising an insurance platform provider on a copyright software dispute in the UK and Canada.*
  • Advising a blockchain technology founder in respect of a significant intellectual property and contract dispute and bringing proceedings in the UK High Court (Mondelli v Quant Networks).*

*Denotes experience from previous firm.

Education
  • Bristol University, Diploma in Intellectual Property
  • Nottingham Law School, Postgraduate Diploma in Law and LPC
  • University of Bath, BEng (Hons) in Aeronautical Engineering with French

Publications and media

Seminars

  • “Copyright infringement and AI”, AIPPI, Yokohama 2025
  • “UK Doctrine of Equivalence”, AIPPI, Istanbul 2023
  • “Patent infringement acts abroad”, GRUR annual meeting, Mannheim 2023
  • “Open source in IP”, AIPPI, San Francisco 2022
  • “NFTs: why people are wrong”, AIPPI UK webinar March 2022

Prior Experience

From 2020 to 2026, Calum was a partner at a London-based international law firm and co-led its technology practice. In 2012 Calum was appointed the Global Head of Intellectual Property at British multinational universal bank having already spent a number of years as a Director of IP at a global consumer goods company. Before moving in-house, Calum was a contentious IP solicitor in private practice in London and worked on a number of high-profile intellectual property cases in electronics, SEP/telecoms and life sciences.

Additional News

Calum is often praised by clients for his commerciality and practical advice, skills that were honed during his years practising in-house, both as a senior Director of IP at a global consumer goods company and then as the Global Head of Intellectual Property at a major British multinational bank.

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Law Society of England and Wales
  • AIPPI UK – Council member

My latest insights

News
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DLA Piper bolsters IP and Technology ranks with seasoned patent litigator Calum Smyth

2 February 2026

Connect

Phone

+44 (0)20 7153 7656
(Work, London)
+44 7471 119 581
(Mobile)
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