Maxwell specialises in all areas of intellectual property law including patents, trade marks, copyright, confidential information and designs. He has particular experience in patent disputes involving telecommunications, electronics and mechanical devices (drawing on his technical background in physics), and in trade mark disputes where he has appeared in a number of cases at appellate level.
Maxwell has appeared in proceedings before the High Court (including the Patents Court and general Chancery Division), Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He regularly acts as sole counsel in the IPEC and the UKIPO.
Maxwell holds a BA in physics from Wadham College, Oxford University, and an MSc in physics from University College London.
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Experience
Patents & SPCs
- Tesla v InterDigital & Avanci [2025] EWCA Civ 193 & [2024] EWHC 1815 (Ch) – jurisdiction challenge concerning the issue of whether FRAND principles apply to platform/pool licensing of SEPs in the automotive field.
- Cloud Cycle v Verifi [2024] EWHC 233 (IPEC) – interim injunction in patent action concerning concrete mixing.
- Lenovo v InterDigital (2024) – dispute concerning FRAND terms of licence to 2G – 5G patent portfolio.
- Philips v Oppo (2023) – patent infringement and validity action concerning voice coding.
- InterDigital v Oppo (2022 – 2023) – patent infringement and validity action concerning 3G, 4G and 5G telecommunications technology.
- Prysmian v Sterlite (2021 – 2023) – patent infringement and validity action concerning fibre optic cables.
- Jones v Irmac Roads [2022] EWHC 495 (IPEC) – entitlement dispute concerning a patent for an infra-red road asphalt heater .
- InterDigital v Lenovo [2021] EWHC 2152 (Pat) – patent infringement and validity action concerning 4G telecommunications technology.
- Promptu Systems v Sky [2021] EWHC 2021 (Pat) – patent infringement and validity action concerning voice control technology for cable television systems.
- Add2 v dSPACE [2021] EWHC 1630 (Pat) – patent infringement and validity action concerning interface circuits for hardware-in-the-loop simulation.
- Coloplast v Salts [2021] EWHC 3 (Pat) – patent infringement and validity action concerning ostomy devices.
- Nissen v Horizont [2019] EWHC 3522 (IPEC) – patent revocation action concerning electronic road signs.
- Vestel v Access Advance [2019] EWHC 2766 (Ch) – jurisdiction challenge in FRAND dispute concerning patents essential to video compression standard.
- Conversant Wireless Licensing v Huawei Technologies [2018] EWHC 2549 (Ch) – application for an anti-suit injunction in a patent infringement action concerning mobile telecommunications.
Trade marks & brands
- Thom Browne v adidas [2024] EWHC 2990 (Ch) – trade mark infringement and invalidity/revocation action in the fashion field. This is the first decision of the English courts to consider the requirements for registrability in the context of position marks.
- easyGroup v Beauty Perfectionists [2024] EWHC 1441 (Ch) – trade mark infringement and revocation action concerning cosmetics.
- Lifestyle Equities v Amazon [2024] UKSC 8, [2022] EWCA Civ 552 & [2021] EWHC 118 (Ch) – leading Supreme Court decision on the concept of “targeting” and the application of trade mark law to the marketing and sale of goods on the internet.
- VetPlus v Viovet [2024] EWHC 777 (Ch) – trade mark infringement action concerning comparative advertising in the field of petfood supplements.
- Prysmian Cables and Systems v M/S Apple International [2023] EWHC 2176 (IPEC) – trade mark infringement and passing off action in the field of cable components.
- Sazerac v Liverpool Gin Distillery [2021] EWCA Civ 1207 & [2020] EWHC 2424 (Ch) – trade mark infringement action concerning bourbon whiskey.
- Argos Limited v Argos Systems Inc [2018] EWCA Civ 2211 & [2017] EWHC 231 (Ch) – trade mark infringement action concerning online advertising and the concept of targeting.
- The London Taxi Corporation v Frazer-Nash Research [2017] EWCA Civ 1729 – appeal in a trade mark infringement and passing off action concerning the shape of London taxis.
- R (British American Tobacco and others) v Secretary of State for Health [2016] EWHC 1169 (Admin) – judicial review concerning the lawfulness of legislation introducing standardised packaging of tobacco products.
Trade secrets & confidentiality
- Playtech v Games Global & Realtime [2024] EWHC 3264 (Ch) – jurisdiction challenge in a claim for breach of confidence/misuse of trade secrets in the online gambling field.
- Nasdaq v Finage (2023) – claim for breach of confidence concerning real-time financial market data.
Copyright & databases
- Reformation v Cruiseco [2018] EWHC 2761 (Ch) – damages inquiry in an action for copyright infringement.
- England and Wales Cricket Board v Tixdaq [2016] EWHC 575 (Ch) – copyright infringement action concerning clips of cricket matches and the fair dealing defence.
- Ifejika v Ifejika [2017] EWHC 3604 (Ch) – strike out application in action for copyright infringement.
Design rights
- PulseOn v Garmin [2019] EWCA Civ 138 & [2018] EWHC 47 (Ch) – action for infringement of registered Community designs concerning devices incorporating wrist heart rate monitoring technology.
- Education & awards
- BA, Physics, Wadham College, Oxford
- MSc, Physics, University College London
- Graduate Diploma in Law, BBP College
- Bar Professional Training Course, BPP College
Contact Maxwell Keay's clerks
Whilst barristers have a designated practice management team, all the clerks have the capacity and knowledge to assist in cases involving all counsel.