< Back to latest news & events

News

PRESS RELEASE – HGF secures private equity investment

October 2024

HGF secures private equity investment to propel its vision of being Europe’s IP Firm of Choice; to attract top talent and to deliver excellence to clients.

Over the past 30 years, HGF has expanded its presence across Europe, consistently demonstrating an entrepreneurial approach and becoming one of Europe’s leading IP firms. It has now secured strategic investment from private equity firm CBPE, positioning the firm to accelerate its growth strategy and deliver enhanced value to both its clients and team.

HGF remains dedicated to building a responsible business, grounded in its core values: People, Teamwork, Progressiveness, and Excellence.

The investment will enable HGF to focus on enhancing its high-quality advisory services, with an emphasis on four key strategic areas: people, processes, technology, and services. These efforts will boost the firm’s value to its global client base and significantly expand its commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.

Prior to this investment, HGF had already made bold moves in the industry, including a strategic partnership with Salesforce and the introduction of a new parental leave policy, offering 26 weeks of fully paid leave for parents. These initiatives underscore HGF’s fearless approach to change in the traditionally conservative IP sector. As part of this investment, a greater number of colleagues will now benefit from an equity interest in HGF.

HGF selected CBPE as its partner due to their deep understanding of the IP industry’s potential and their track record of successful investments in professional services firms, such as BKL, Centralis, and  Perspective Financial Group. The alignment of values between the two firms made CBPE the ideal partner to help HGF achieve its vision of becoming Europe’s IP Firm of Choice.

Martyn Fish, CEO of HGF, commented: “This investment marks a significant opportunity for HGF and everyone in the team. I am thrilled with our decision to partner with CBPE to take the next step in our journey. Their culture and values are closely aligned with ours, and we share a common vision for the future of HGF.”

Harry Hewlett, CBPE Director, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with the HGF team. IP services is a sector that we know well. We recognise in HGF a highly attractive business, with a strong team committed to delivering exceptional service to its clients. We look forward to supporting the business during the next phase of its growth journey. “

 

About HGF:

HGF Ltd is one of Europe’s largest firms of IP specialists with a vision to be the leading IP services firm in Europe. The firm’s patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, design attorneys, IP solicitors and attorneys-at-law provide an integrated solution for clients. HGF creates and manages IP portfolios for the world’s leading companies and research institutes. We advise clients on the creation of strategic IP assets around the world and provide world-class expertise in oppositions, appeals, commercialisation, dispute resolution, and litigation to defend and enforce IP rights.

HGF regularly wins industry awards and is recognised by the leading legal directories.

For further comment please contact Jacqui Weston at +44 (0)113 233 0100, [email protected]. Further details on the firm can be found at www.hgf.com or email [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest updates

The EPO Board of Appeal comments on the scope of the morality exclusion from patentability

The recent decision, T1553/22 of the Board of Appeal required the Board to consider the scope of the exclusions from patentability under Article 53(a) EPC. The invention in this case …

Read article

T1977/22: Can claims defined by open-ended ranges ever be sufficiently disclosed?

The EPO’s Board of Appeal’s decision in T1977/22 provides an interesting review of the case law concerning the compatibility of whole range sufficiency and claims defined as a result to …

Read article

The draft of The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 reveals practical details on how to obtain a Precision Bred Organism status

In a recent blog post we discussed the Precision Breeding Regulatory Framework developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Further details on the application process for Precision Bred Organism confirmation …

Read article

A £2.1M Lesson: The Power of Confidential Information

A recent High Court ruling1 serves as a stark reminder of the importance of respecting confidential business information. Hambro Perks, was found guilty of breaching confidentiality and ordered to pay …

Read article
Event - 6th March 2025

IQPC Global IP Exchange Europe 2025

HGF is sponsoring the IQPC Global IP Exchange Europe, which will be held on the 11th-12th March 2025 in Meliá, Berlin. Head of Electronics, Chris Benson, will be chairing the …

Event details

IP Ingredients: Pouring Over the Verdict: What Thatchers v Aldi Means for Food & Drink Brands

Readers of our IP Ingredients blog may recall that we covered something of this case last summer in our post IP Ingredients: Summer case law review. The dispute between Thatchers …

Read article

Protecting inventions in Europe and beyond

A patent is  a form of registered intellectual property right granted for new, inventive and industrially applicable inventions. Patents are monopoly rights that  allow their owners (or licensees) the right …

Read article