Malik Mikel

His experience covers the full lifecycle of IP and commercial rights, from licensing, distribution, outsourcing, technology transfer and strategic commercial arrangements through to enforcement, disputes, settlement strategy and advisory work. He has worked on patent, trade mark, copyright, trade secrets, commercial litigation and arbitration matters for leading multinational clients.

Malik’s contentious experience includes patent royalty disputes, potential UK patent litigation and forum strategy, EU trade mark opposition proceedings, UK trade mark settlement strategy, copyright licensing disputes, brand protection matters, high-value tax litigation and investor-state arbitration. He also has experience of high-value disputes before the DIFC Courts following a secondment to Baker McKenzie’s Dubai office.

He is accustomed to operating in high-pressure, multi-jurisdictional environments requiring precise drafting, commercial judgement, disciplined execution and the ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple live workstreams.

Selected Litigation, Contentious IP and Arbitration Experience

• Advised a global pharmaceutical company on a complex patent dispute relating to royalty rates for the 1 Malik Mikel 2026 development and commercialisation of oncology treatments.
• Assisted with the review and analysis of contractual, technical and commercial materials relevant to the calculation of royalty obligations and the parties’ competing positions.
• Prepared legal research and internal analysis on issues arising in the dispute, supporting the team’s assessment of the client’s litigation strategy and settlement position.
  
  
• Advised a multinational energy technology company on potential UK patent litigation and forum strategy.
• Prepared advice comparing the procedural, strategic and cost implications of commencing potential patent proceedings in the High Court versus IPEC.
• Analysed factors including claim value, technical complexity, recoverable costs, damages caps, procedural timetable, disclosure, trial length and commercial objectives to support the client’s assessment of the most appropriate litigation forum.
  
  
• Advised a global consumer products company on the settlement of a UK trade mark dispute concerning branding for a next-generation nicotine product.
• Drafted the settlement agreement reflecting the agreed commercial terms between the parties and ensuring the resolution protected the client’s brand position.
• Assisted with translating the settlement terms into clear contractual provisions to minimise future brand conflict, preserve market access and bring the dispute to a commercially effective resolution.
  
  
• Advised a Middle Eastern government authority on EU trade mark opposition proceedings involving the protection and enforcement of a globally recognised place-name brand.
• Drafted witness statements in support of the opposition by compiling factual background, documentary evidence and witness input into a clear and persuasive narrative.
• Assisted with presenting the client’s brand history, reputation and enforcement position in a manner designed to strengthen the opposition and protect the client’s trade mark interests.
  
  
• Advised a global technology platform on a copyright dispute with a collective licensing body concerning the use of protected content.
• Assisted with reviewing the factual background, correspondence and relevant licensing framework to assess the client’s legal and commercial position.
• Prepared analysis on copyright, licensing and potential liability issues to support the client’s dispute strategy and response to the claim.
  
  
• Advised an international charity on a copyright dispute with a font foundry concerning alleged unauthorised use of typeface/font software.
• Reviewed licence terms, factual materials and correspondence to assess the client’s potential copyright and contractual exposure.
• Prepared analysis on infringement risk, available defences and settlement strategy to support the client’s response to the claim.
  
  
• Advised a multinational consumer beverages group in investor-state arbitration proceedings against a foreign state arising out of a state-related divestment.
• Assisted with drafting and amending the request for arbitration, including reviewing the factual background, transaction documents and chronology of events relevant to the claim.
• Helped refine the factual narrative and legal framing of the dispute to ensure the request clearly articulated the client’s position, the basis of the claim and the relief sought. 2 Malik Mikel 2026
  
  
• Advised a Saudi Arabian investment conglomerate on a high-value commercial rights dispute concerning an industrial infrastructure asset.
• Drafted witness statements and coordinated preparation of the arbitration claim bundle.
• Assisted with factual analysis, evidence preparation and matter management in support of the client’s arbitration strategy.
  
  
• Advised a major financial institution on the enforcement of an English court judgment in the DIFC.
• Drafted a legal memorandum assessing the feasibility of enforcing a multi-million-pound debt repayment judgment and worldwide freezing order against a defaulting debtor.
• Conducted legal research on recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments under the DIFC legal framework and relevant treaties.
• Assisted with analysing asset tracing prospects across multiple jurisdictions and identifying potential enforcement barriers.

Selected Transactional IP, Life Sciences and Technology Experience

• Advised a multinational pharmaceutical company in the life sciences industry on the IP aspects of a proposed acquisition.
• Assisted with IP due diligence on the target business, including reviewing ownership, licensing and commercialisation issues relating to key IP assets.
• Prepared internal risk analysis identifying potential issues affecting the exploitation, transferability and protection of IP rights in the context of the proposed transaction.
  
  
• Advised a European pharmaceutical group on the cross-border distribution of its immunotherapy treatments.
• Drafted and amended distribution agreements governing the supply and commercialisation of immunotherapy treatments across multiple jurisdictions.
• Assisted with translating the client’s commercial objectives into contractual provisions addressing distribution rights, supply obligations, regulatory responsibilities, pricing, termination and risk allocation.
  
  
• Advised a global private equity firm on its proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in the consumer healthcare business of a multinational pharmaceutical group.
• Assisted with IP due diligence on the target business, including reviewing key trade marks, licensing arrangements, commercial agreements and ownership issues relevant to the consumer healthcare portfolio.
• Prepared diligence summaries identifying potential legal and commercial risks relating to the ownership, use, transferability and exploitation of IP rights in the context of the proposed acquisition.
• Supported the team in assessing how the target’s IP assets and related commercial arrangements affected deal risk, value and post-completion operation of the business.
  
  
• Advised a British multinational consumer healthcare company on the sale of its global portfolio of nicotine replacement therapy brands.
• Maintained and updated a comprehensive transaction tracker to record key milestones, workstreams and developments.
• Supported coordination across teams to ensure alignment on transaction process, documentation status and outstanding action points.
  
  
• Advised a global brewing and consumer beverages group on the IP aspects of the divestment of a regional business to a third-party buyer.
• Assisted with trade mark separation and assignment issues, including the transfer of trade marks and 3 Malik Mikel 2026 - related IP rights.
• Collated and interpreted local counsel input to prepare a client-friendly matrix summarising trade mark assignment requirements, execution formalities and filing steps across more than 15 jurisdictions.
  
  
• Advised a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services group on its global outsourcing agreement with a multinational management services provider.
• Reviewed and marked up regional and country-level agreements to reflect the client’s commercial objectives and protect its contractual position.
• Assisted with analysis of service obligations, risk allocation and regional implementation issues across the outsourcing framework.

Selected Strategic IP Advisory, Regulatory and Commercial Experience 

• Advised a sector body on the intellectual property rights subsisting in a specialist industry coding system, in the context of a related commercial arrangement with a third-party partner.
• Drafted an advice memorandum assessing whether copyright and/or sui generis database rights subsisted in the structure, selection, arrangement and compilation of the underlying dataset.
• Analysed the scope of the client’s rights and the extent to which the coding system could be protected, controlled or licensed in dealings with commercial partners.
  
  
• Advised a global consumer electronics and digital services company on consumer protection and advertising compliance issues relating to app-store subscription flows and in-app purchase disclosures across multiple jurisdictions.
• Reviewed proposed user journeys, subscription flows and disclosure wording to assess compliance with consumer protection and advertising requirements.
• Prepared practical advice on risk areas and recommended amendments to improve transparency, reduce enforcement risk and support compliant implementation.
  
  
• Advised a multinational technology company on consumer law and advertising compliance in connection with the rollout of new digital advertising formats across the EU and other international markets.
• Assisted with multi-jurisdictional analysis on digital advertising, consumer disclosure and platform compliance requirements.
• Coordinated local counsel input and prepared client-facing summaries identifying key legal risks, jurisdiction-specific requirements and practical recommendations.
  
  
• Advised a major digital bank on its potential restructuring and outsourcing of cloud banking services to the UAE and Singapore.
• Conducted research on tax, regulatory and operational issues arising from the proposed outsourcing arrangements.
• Identified potential risks associated with cross-border data transfers and service continuity, supporting the development of mitigation strategies.

• Recognised in the Pro Bono Recognition List for sustained commitment to pro bono legal work, including matters supporting access to justice and vulnerable individuals. 
• Essex Law School Sweet & Maxwell Prize (2021) – Monetary Prize for the Highest Achieving graduating LLB Student (Rank 1/400+).
• Essex Law School Jurisprudence Prize (2021) – Monetary Prize for the Highest Mark in Jurisprudence. 
• University of Essex Dean’s List for Academic Excellence 2020; second-highest achieving second-year LLB student.
• Winner of the Dr Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Law Scholarship Sponsored by Hogan Lovells. 

• Dubai (United Arab Emirates)