Neil Manani

Education & Experience

Neil read a Bachelor’s degree in History at Queen Mary, University of London and went on to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at the University of Law. He achieved a distinction in the Certificate for Trade Mark Law and Practice course at Queen Mary University and was awarded an academic prize for the highest mark in the Trade Mark A paper. He obtained a commendation in the Professional Trade Mark Law and Practice course at Nottingham Law School.

Neil advises on various aspects of trade mark law, including trade mark enforcement, oppositions and cancellation actions. He also has considerable experience in negotiating commercial settlement agreements for clients and enjoys finding creative solutions to problems. Neil aims to find cost-effective and practical resolutions for clients to ensure that clients achieve their goals. Furthermore, he advises on trade mark filings on a national and international level.

Trade mark achievements

Neil has an excellent record for negotiating settlements in the face of complex multi-jurisdictional trade mark disputes, which can be a combination of trade mark infringements, oppositions, cancellations, domain name and social media violations. Around 95% of disputes under Neil’s care are settlement amicably.

What do clients say about Neil?

Clients describe Neil as “someone who is very friendly and willing to go the extra mile for his clients” and “very clever when it comes to finding a creative strategy to secure a good deal”.

What Neil enjoys about the trade marks profession?

“It’s an absolute pleasure advising clients on their most important asset, their brand name and identity. Also, it is really enjoyable thinking of innovative strategies when encountered with any litigious and contentious matters”.

What kind of trade mark work does Neil enjoy?

“I mostly enjoy litigious work, such as oppositions and infringements, and also advising clients on their filing strategies. I also enjoy liaising with foreign attorneys on international trade mark and prosecution work because I get to learn about trade mark laws in different countries”.

What bit of advice would Neil give to all businesses if he had the chance?

“When you start up a business, get the name and logo protected immediately. I feel really sorry for clients that have traded under a very unique name for a very long time and apply for a trade mark application, only for you to find that the name has already been registered. This can lead to unnecessary time and expense to secure a trade mark registration, and sometimes clients end up rebranding. I see this every day and my heart goes out to the real trade mark owners that have had their brands stolen simply because they didn’t think to register their trade mark”.

What he likes about Trade Mark Wizards?

“The firm is a really friendly place to work. Everyone is very ambitious and this drives you to provide a first class service to clients. We are simply a team of experts that, every day, tries to learn new things and make ourselves better together”.

Life outside Trade Mark Wizards

When Neil is not in the office he spends time at the temple and with friends and family. He is currently learning how to make Indian food but has not yet brought any into the office for his colleagues to try.

As a child, what did Neil want to be when he grew up?

When Neil was younger, he wanted to become an actor. However, he quickly realised that his Hercule Poirot impressions were not of the required standard.