The Intellectual Property Conference at Scots Law 2026

Murrayfield Stadium is the venue for the next event in our Scots Law Conference Series, exclusively available to delegates in person on the day.

Chaired by Colin Hulme of Burness Paull, our new Intellectual Property Conference will be themed around 'great brand stories', with both Colin and Neeraj Thomas of CMS leading sessions looking at the development and protection of various brands, with speakers including Angela McCracken, Head of Legal for Commonwealth Games 2026, Lindesay Low from the Scotch Whisky Association and Mark Cruickshank & Brett Williams from the NatWest Group.

Lord Richardson will provide the keynote session.

Leading IP silk Roisin Higgins KC will look at the role of mediation in intellectual property disputes, Tommy McKenna of Fieldfisher will consider the implications of the recent decision in Getty v Stability AI and Bruce Torrance & Andy Attfield of Reddie and Grose will explore how space innovations can be protected.

What's being covered:

Keynote address

Lord Richardson

Safeguarding Scotch: A day in the life

What are the legal and regulatory issues that affect a geographical indication of origin and what do the lawyers at the Scotch Whisky Association actually do? This  session aims to shed light on the nuts and bolts of protecting one of Scotland's most valuable intellectual property assets.

Lindesay Low from the Scotch Whisky Association

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

• An overview of what different elements make up the brand of a live event such as Glasgow 2026, both generally and some unique aspects of these specific games
• A discussion on the Licensing, Sponsorship, and Commercial Partnerships aspects of a live event, including some specifics of Glasgow 2026
• How Glasgow 2026 built its Brand/IP Enforcement strategy and how that worked in Practice – including some examples of when ambush marketing type issues did arise
• A discussion on Legacy and Transition – what happens to the Brand after the Games?

Angela McCracken, Head of Legal for Commonwealth Games 2026 and Neeraj Thomas, CMS

Banking on brands: the evolution of sports sponsorship for financial services

This session will explore how sports partnerships help organisations strengthen their brand, engage customers, and create meaningful commercial value. It will share practical lessons on building successful partnerships, from involving the right stakeholders to regularly reviewing arrangements, while highlighting the importance of balancing strong brand protection with collaborative, long-term relationships.

Mark Cruickshank & Brett Williams, NatWest Group

Resolving IP disputes through mediation

Often, in IP disputes, only court orders will do – for example, where there are concerns about urgency, recovery of documents, or enforceability. However, this talk will consider whether certain aspects of IP disputes – such as ongoing commercial relationships, complex technical information, confidentiality requirements and the desirability of bespoke outcomes – might sometimes be better addressed through the mediation process.

Roisin Higgins KC

Implications of the recent decision in Getty v Stability AI

Tommy McKenna, Fieldfisher

How can space innovations be protected beyond Earth’s borders?

The space sector is one of the most high-tech, yet provides unique challenges when it comes to protecting innovation. The usual jurisdictional challenges are compounded when considering inventions that are used in space. This talk investigates these challenges and the international legal framework currently in place to identify how useful patent protection can be obtained for space inventions.

Bruce Torrance & Andy Attfield, Reddie & Grose