Leeds-based intellectual property (IP) law firm Kempner & Partners has merged with patent and trademark specialist Haseltine Lake, one of the largest IP firms in Europe.

The combined firm, Haseltine Lake Kempner, will offer a full suite of IP services and comprises nearly 200 staff across its seven locations:London, Munich, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, The Netherlands and Guangzhou (China).

The merger follows a two-year period of collaboration in which both firms worked closely together on international projects from Japan, the US and China.

Richard Kempner, senior partner of Kempner & Partners said: “The merger is a tremendously exciting move for us. It represents the next stage in our growth, development and ability to service our clients’ needs.

“Others have sought to do this by bolting on individuals, but we believe that the better way is to combine two highly successful practices in a genuine merger, so that we can together build a new, joined up, fully integrated practice.

Rolf Stein, CEO of Haseltine Lake added: “We see this as a real coup for our clients who have been telling us for some time that they would like us to be able to offer the full spectrum of IP services including litigation and IP transactional support.

“We are delighted that HL’s global success has attracted one of the UK’s leading IP litigation firms. We very much have a shared ethos and are driven by a common desire to be truly outstanding for our clients. Over the next few months we will be showcasing how we are different and how this will benefit our clients and the wider IP community.”