Stephen Welfare
Partner
Dispute Resolution | Intellectual Property
About Stephen
Stephen is a partner in our Dispute Resolution team. He is an experienced commercial litigator with a particular specialism in contentious intellectual property cases (copyright/trademarks and passing off/design law). He is the IP lawyer to the National Association of Jewellers and regularly contributes legal updates and news to the UK jewellery industry.
Stephen is also an experienced general commercial litigator and his work has included media and sports law issues, defamation and confidentiality breaches, disciplinary appeals and tribunals, contract disputes, licensing matters, Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise investigations. He also has expertise in estate agency law and business transfer agents fees recovery actions.
Stephen studied at the College of Law, Guildford and trained as a solicitor at Royds. He qualified in 1993 and became a partner at Royds and now RWK Goodman in 1999.
Specialisms
- Copyright disputes
- Estate Agency law
- Trade mark disputes and passing off actions
- Design law issues
- Breaches of confidentiality and trade secrets
He is responsible for the operation of the “Copywatch” IP Protection Scheme with the National Association of Jewellers and the British Travelgoods and Accessories Association.
With a wealth of experience dealing with intellectual property disputes, Stephen writes articles for the jewellery and luxury goods press (such as Retail Jeweller, Professional Jeweller, Jewellery in Focus and Fashions Extras) and has commented on topical issues on TV and radio.
Memberships
- Intellectual Property Lawyers Association
“Thank you once again for a fantastic service and a great outcome.”
"Stephen is an expert litigator who is in tune with his clients’ objectives. He gets results often without the need to go to court through out-of-court settlements. He has the ability to bring together the right team with the right skills for each case on its individual merits, so as to bring the matter to a successful conclusion."
"Stephen Welfare is an expert in intellectual property law, and knowledgeable about our industry. His advice is always commercially founded and yet sympathetic to the needs of jewellery design and manufacture. In addition to advising the NAJ and its Members on IP, he performed official duties such as Legal Officer at AGMs and the like."
"Very knowledgeable and very clear. [Stephen] responded to our queries very quickly."
