Venner Shipley: the last 60 years

Venner Shipley LLP is a modern and innovative firm of European patent and trade mark attorneys with a history stretching back over more than 60 years.

The origins of the firm go back to the 1930s when Siegmund Sokal established a patent agency practice in London and built up a significant portfolio of German clients. Siegmund died in 1945 and his widow offered the practice for sale. In the immediate post-war years, this did not seem to the profession at large to represent a great business opportunity.

Harold Venner purchased the practice in 1947 and set about resurrecting pre-war clients and finding new ones. Early clients were ZF Friedrichshafen AG (the manufacturers of ZF gearboxes) and, when the German Democratic Republic was formed in 1949, VEB Carl Zeiss Jena, the East German part of the pre-war Carl Zeiss. Through the 1950s, before the advent of the European Patent Office, clients were largely domestic and European, with some from the USA. Harold's son, Alan Venner joined the firm in 1961 and the 1960s proved to be a period of client development. For example, Harold Venner acted on behalf of Rael-Brook Ltd to patent the first drip-dry shirt.

In 1966, Warwick Shipley, a chemist, joined Harold in partnership and the practice continued to grow throughout the 1970s. Alan Venner became a partner in 1978 and there has been a Venner as a partner in the firm right up until late 2008 when Alan retired.

Recent milestones include the conversion of the firm into a UK limited liability partnership in 2004 and the opening of our office in Cambridge in 2006.

The firm has expanded greatly in recent years. To date we have 10 partners and 30 fee earners who are assisted by over 30 support staff. We continue to be ranked among the best patent and trade mark firms and are proud of our international reach.