Hansel Henson

What Hansel Henson does

Hansel Henson is a London-based specialist law firm founded in 2009 by David Hansel and Tom Henson, with a sole focus on soft intellectual property and media law. The firm operates from 4th Floor, 37 Dean Street, London W1D 4PT, with a partner-led team of approximately 13 fee earners, paralegals, consultants and support staff across four partners (David Hansel, Tom Henson, Justine Flockhart, Sarah Wells). It is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and recognized in Legal 500 (Tier 3 London TMT Media Digital content & social; Tier 4 IP: trade marks, copyright and design; UK Leading Firm) and Chambers UK across IP, media & entertainment, gaming, social media and interactive content.

The firm delivers a unified suite of legal services through individual practice areas rather than a software platform: intellectual property rights advisory, trade mark filing/prosecution/portfolio management, IP disputes and litigation, commercial contract drafting (including software licensing and SaaS), digital content/media/entertainment work, data protection compliance (UK GDPR/DPA 2018), and corporate transactions including M&A and MBOs. Notable mandates include multi-year defence of Easy Live Auction and Easyfundraising against easyGroup trade mark claims (2023-2026), advisory on the sale of FGOL to Ubisoft and Third Kind Games to Virtuos, and seed-round advisory to Talewind (£2.5M), Flexa (£2.3M) and XPO App.

Revenue is generated entirely through billable-hour professional services priced on a quote-based, fee-estimate model tied to matter complexity, duration and staff seniority. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct client engagement, inter-firm referrals, and directory-driven inbound demand; the firm serves enterprises (high street fashion, global ISPs, online advertising networks, museum commercial arms, restaurant franchises, youth hostel chains, toy manufacturers, news publishers, film producers), gaming/entertainment companies, growth-stage start-ups, and other law firms seeking specialist IP opinions. The firm is privately held as a UK limited company (No. 8938624) with traditional partner ownership and no disclosed external investors.

Name

Hansel Henson

Legal name

Hansel Henson Limited

Website

https://hanselhenson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

London-based specialist law firm (founded 2009) providing soft intellectual property and media law services — trade marks, IP disputes, commercial contracts, and corporate advisory — to enterprises, gaming/media companies, start-ups, and other law firms across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Secret Protection & IP Strategy (BPAHAMAD)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Media law services
• Trade mark registration
• Commercial contract drafting
• IP dispute litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Billable hour legal services for intellectual property and media law matters including trade mark registration, IP disputes, commercial contract drafting, data protection, and corporate advisory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hansel Henson is a specialist firm of solicitors providing legal services exclusively in soft Intellectual Property and Media law. Its core offerings cover ownership, protection, registration, exploitation and enforcement of IP rights, including trade mark filing and portfolio management, IP disputes and litigation, commercial contract drafting, digital content and media/entertainment advisory, data protection compliance, and corporate transactions involving IP-rich assets.

Product overview

Hansel Henson is a specialist law firm offering a unified suite of legal services focused on soft intellectual property and media law. The core offering encompasses intellectual property rights advisory, trade mark registration and portfolio management, commercial contract drafting, IP disputes and litigation, digital content services, data protection, corporate transactions, and media and entertainment law. Services are delivered by specialist lawyers through individual practice areas rather than a modular software platform. Key service areas include trade mark work (handled by Justine Flockhart and Visha Patel), IP disputes (led by David Hansel), commercial contracts and technology (Sarah Wells and Tom Henson), and corporate/M&A matters (Bryan Rickman).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intellectual Property Rights Services Advisory and legal representation on intellectual property matters including trade marks, copyright, design rights, and trade secrets, for enterprises, start-ups and other law firms.
• Commercial Contract Drafting Drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements including software licensing, SaaS arrangements, and other commercial contracts for IP-rich businesses.
• Digital Content Services Legal services for digital media, online content, entertainment, and interactive media including video games and film.
• Trade Mark Registration Filing, prosecution, opposition, and maintenance of trade mark applications at the UKIPO and internationally.
• IP Disputes Litigation and dispute resolution for intellectual property infringement, passing off, and trade mark disputes in the High Court, IPEC, County Court and UKIPO.
• Data Protection Services Advisory on data protection compliance including UK GDPR, DPA 2018, and privacy matters.
• Corporate Services Corporate legal services including M&A, MBOs, share schemes, joint ventures, and IP aspects of business transactions.
• Media and Entertainment Law Specialist legal services for media, entertainment, gaming, sports, fashion, and broadcasting sectors.
• TV Format Rights Protection Legal protection for television format rights including copyright, trade marks, confidentiality, and contract advice for TV format owners and producers.
• IP Audit Services Identification and documentation of intellectual property owned and used by a company, identifying gaps and missed opportunities in IP protection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defended Easy Live Auction and Easyfundraising against easyGroup in multiple court cases through 2023-2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• UbisoftminorOthersHansel Henson acted as lead legal advisers to FGOL shareholders on sale to Ubisoft, a French-headquartered games giant.
• VirtuosminorOthersHansel Henson advised shareholders of Third Kind Games on sale to Virtuos, establishing Virtuos' presence in the UK.
• LIPSYNC Productions and LIPSYNC PostminorOthersHansel Henson acted for LIPSYNC on film Golda investment and post-production services agreements with Aidem Media.
• WY PartnersminorOthersWY Partners acted as corporate advisors alongside Hansel Henson on Inca Productions joining The Independents.
• Meta CorporateminorOthersMeta Corporate (Peter Counsell and Robbie Burn) acted as corporate advisors alongside Hansel Henson on Multithread Consultants MBO.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wiggin LLP: UK specialist firm focused on media, technology and IP. Highly comparable to Hansel Henson in niche focus, London base and entertainment/digital media client base, with broader content and data practices.
• Bristows LLP: London-based law firm with a long-standing specialism in IP, technology and life sciences. Closest comparable by positioning as a specialist IP/tech firm serving technology, media and life sciences clients with similar practitioner/scale profile.
• Powell Gilbert LLP: Boutique London IP litigation firm specialising in patent and complex IP disputes. Highly comparable specialist positioning in soft/hard IP litigation, particularly relevant overlap on the trade mark and copyright disputes Hansel Henson runs.
• Kilburn & Strode LLP: London-based IP boutique advising on patents, trade marks and designs for technology and consumer-facing clients. Closely comparable specialist positioning and similar practitioner-size structure to Hansel Henson.
• HGF Limited: Specialist IP firm with offices across the UK and Europe focused exclusively on intellectual property. Direct comparable as an IP-only practice serving similar clients with trade mark, design and patent attorney expertise.
• Mathys & Squire LLP: London IP specialist firm with strong trade mark and design practices serving UK and international brand owners. Comparable boutique IP positioning and similar client mix in retail, gaming and creative industries.

Broad incumbents

• Mishcon de Reya LLP: Major London law firm with strong IP, media and entertainment practices. Overlaps materially with Hansel Henson's media and brand-protection work, but operates at significantly greater scale and across broader practice areas.
• Bird & Bird: Large international law firm headquartered in London with a flagship IP and Technology & Communications practice. Direct competitor for media, gaming, and digital IP mandates, but offers multi-jurisdictional full-service coverage that Hansel Henson cannot match.
• RPC (Reynolds Porter Chamberlain): London-headquartered full-service firm with a market-leading IP, technology and media practice. Overlaps with Hansel Henson on media, gaming and tech IP mandates but competes from a much larger platform with insurance and corporate depth.
• Marks & Clerk LLP: Large IP-focused firm combining patent and trade mark attorney services with IP litigation. Overlaps with Hansel Henson on trade mark portfolio work (Visha Patel, CITMA-qualified) but covers patent prosecution, which Hansel Henson does not.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HANSELHENSON
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hansel-henson-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Hansel Henson