What Openshaw and Co LLC does

Openshaw & Co. Ltd. is a UK & European patent and intellectual property attorney firm founded in 2004 by Paul Openshaw, a former European Patent Examiner who served on EPO Opposition Divisions. The firm is structured as an Employee-Owned Trust — described as the first and sole UK law firm with this ownership model — and operates from a headquarters in Farnham, Surrey, with a registered office in Worthing, West Sussex, employing 29 staff distributed across the UK in a remote-working model.

The firm provides a comprehensive IP service portfolio spanning patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, and trade secrets, augmented by IP consultancy for both businesses (strategy, audits, due diligence, freedom-to-operate analysis, litigation support, licensing, and technology transfer) and investors (IP due diligence on tech-rich targets). Technical depth is organised across nine sector verticals including defence and cybersecurity, aerospace and automotive, semiconductors, energy and environmental technology, electronics/software/telecoms, engineering, medtech and life sciences, and robotics. The business model is professional services: fees are earned via project-based engagements and retainer arrangements with corporates, SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs, individuals, universities/TTOs, and overseas attorneys seeking UKIPO and EPO representation.

Distribution is direct, consultative, and relationship-driven, with new business sourced primarily through client referrals, the firm's professional website, LinkedIn presence, industry association memberships (CIPA, CITMA, IPReg), and strategic partnerships such as the Ploughshare/Dstl defence commercialisation relationship and the SEPNet academic talent pipeline. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based rather than published. No revenue, funding, or M&A activity is publicly disclosed.

Name

Openshaw and Co LLC

Legal name

Openshaw & Co. Ltd.

Website

https://openshaw-and-co.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Openshaw & Co. is a UK & European patent and IP attorney firm, founded in 2004 and structured as an Employee-Owned Trust, serving corporates, SMEs, start-ups, and overseas attorneys across nine sector specialisms with patent prosecution and IP consultancy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC), IP Valuation, Damages & Royalty Analysis (BPAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Patent attorney services
• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution
• Trademark registration
• IP portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Farnham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional IP Services: Fees for patent drafting, prosecution, IP strategy, due diligence, portfolio management, and related intellectual property legal services. Typically project-based or retainer arrangements for ongoing client relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Openshaw and Co LLC is a UK & European Patent Attorney firm providing patent, trade mark, design, copyright, and trade secret protection services, together with dedicated IP consultancy for businesses and investors. The firm prosecutes patent applications before the UKIPO and EPO and advises clients across a broad range of technology sectors.

Product overview

Openshaw & Co. is a UK & European Patent Attorney firm offering a comprehensive suite of intellectual property services. The core service portfolio includes Patents, Trade Marks, Designs, Copyright, and Trade Secrets protection. The firm provides IP Consultancy services targeted at both Businesses (including IP strategy, audits, due diligence, portfolio management, FTO analysis, litigation support, licensing, and technology transfer) and Investors (IP due diligence and portfolio assessment). Additionally, the firm offers deep sector-specific expertise across nine industry verticals: Defence & Cybersecurity, Aerospace/Space/Automotive/Rail/Maritime, Semiconductors & Computing, Energy & Environmental Technology, Electronics/Software/AV/Telecommunications, Mechanical/Electrical/Chemical Engineering, Consumer Goods & Services, Medical Technology & Life Science, and Automation/Robotics. The firm is notable as an Employee-Owned Trust structure and celebrates 20 years of operation in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Prosecution
• Trade Mark Registration
• Design Registration
• Copyright Services

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ploughshare (Dstl commercialisation arm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted partner to Ploughshare, the commercialisation arm for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Supports their clients, partners and spin-out ventures with strategic IP advice and practical support. This partnership leverages Openshaw & Co.'s defence IP expertise to help commercialise government-developed technologies.
• Forest Conservation FundminorOthersPartnership with The Forest Conservation Fund supporting 'Forest Positive' initiatives. Helping protect 64 hectares of vulnerable rainforest within the Tanoe-Ehy Forest from deforestation through illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and development. The partnership supports local indigenous communities in forest protection activities.
• IP InclusiveminorOthersSignatory to the IP Inclusive EDI Charter, an award-winning network of Intellectual Property professionals working to make the IP community more equal, diverse, and inclusive.
• SEPNet (South East Physics Network)minorOthersSupporting the next generation of Patent Attorneys and Physicists from diverse backgrounds across 6 universities through SEPNet placement student programme.
• Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)minorOthersFirm logo displayed alongside CIPA, indicating membership and compliance with professional standards of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.
• IPReg (Intellectual Property Regulation Board)minorOthersOpenshaw & Co. Ltd is regulated by the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, as indicated by the IPReg logo displayed on the website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carpmaels & Ransford: Leading London-based patent attorney firm with deep prosecution expertise across pharma, biotech, chemistry, and engineering. Competes for premium multinational patent mandates in the UK and Europe.
• J A Kemp: Established UK patent and trade mark attorney firm with strong technical expertise in chemistry, life sciences, physics, and engineering. Direct competitor for sophisticated prosecution and oppositions at UKIPO and EPO.
• Mewburn Ellis: Long-established UK patent and trade mark attorney firm with similar technical breadth across software, hardware, engineering, and life sciences. Competes directly for UKIPO and EPO prosecution work and IP portfolio management mandates.
• Boult Wade Tennant: UK patent and trade mark attorney firm offering full-service IP including prosecution, oppositions, and IP strategy. Directly comparable in scope of services and target client segments (multinationals, SMEs, universities).
• Marks & Clerk: Largest UK-headquartered patent and trade mark attorney firm, offering UK and European patent prosecution, IP portfolio management, and IP consultancy across similar technical domains. Direct competitor for the same multinational and SME clients with materially greater headcount.
• Potter Clarkson: UK and European patent and trade mark attorney firm with sector expertise in life sciences, chemistry, engineering, and technology. Competes for the same IP prosecution and portfolio management mandates.
• Withers & Rogers: UK and European patent and trade mark attorney firm with strong engineering, technology, and design practice. Directly comparable in service scope and client mix (multinational corporates, SMEs, and universities).
• Mathys & Squire: Long-established UK patent attorney firm with strong prosecution and opposition practice. Direct peer competing for similar technical specialisms (software, engineering, life sciences) and client segments.
• HGF Limited: Major UK and European IP firm offering patents, trade marks, designs, and IP litigation. Direct peer in the same UKIPO/EPO prosecution market with significantly larger scale and multi-office European footprint.
• D Young & Co: London-based patent and trade mark attorney firm with full-service IP offering across prosecution, oppositions, and IP strategy. Direct competitor with comparable sector coverage including software, biotech, and engineering.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openshaw-and-co

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Openshaw and Co LLC