The history of chewing gum
In this article, James Bowen chews over the history of gum, highlighting the innovations that led to this ubiquitous product.
2025 sees HLK celebrate 175 years of helping the world’s innovators. Below you’ll find a collection of articles, stories and reflections, each one celebrating the legacy we’re proud to honour and the exciting future we’re building together.
Join us as we look back on the past 175 years, celebrate the present, and chart the path ahead!
Follow our hashtag #HLK175 on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with our 175th anniversary news.
Trade secrets in the food and beverage industry
In this article, Matt explores the importance of the food and beverage industry and how its patented processes, distinctive trademarks and innovative designs are essential to the success of businesses.
Celebrating Yorkshire
To celebrate Yorkshire, we concentrate on inventors hailing from the county during HLK’s 175 years in existence.
Forged in Yorkshire: The inventors who transformed the steel industry
The history of 5G
In this article, Owen Green summarises some of the core innovations that defined each generation of mobile communications technology, starting from a time before the ‘G’ even existed.
Lighting the way: The evolution of the Light Emitting Diode (LED)
In this article, Jana Crewett takes a deep dive into the history of the Light Emitting Diode (LED).
The hovercraft’s hovering place in transport history
In this article, James Plunkett explores the history and technological innovation behind hovercraft, highlighting their initial promise, unique engineering and niche use in military and rescue operations.
HLK’s longstanding connection with the rail industry
In this article, Andrew explores our longstanding work in this space by taking a look back at some rail industry patents HLK has worked on over the last 175 years.
The future of energy storage: Emerging battery technologies for a sustainable world
In this article, Marie-Alexis explores the emerging battery technologies that are helping to innovate the future of energy storage.
Harnessing the power of wind
In this article, Joanne Addison explores the rapid evolution of wind power and reflects on advances in turbine technology and blade materials, highlighting how innovation has driven massive gains in efficiency since the 1850s.
Patents – What the Dickens did Brunel think of them?
In this article, Alex Rogers explores an iconic Bristol innovator, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and what his views on the IP system were. The story wasn’t quite what we were expecting!
From EPO examiner to patent partner
In this interview, Frances Wilding shares her journey, memorable cases, and valuable advice for the next generation of patent attorneys, providing a glimpse into the dynamic and ever-changing world of IP.
A serendipitous journey into trade marks
In this interview, Amanda Mallon shares her insights on memorable cases, significant accomplishments and her advice to the next generation of trade mark attorneys.
A look at innovation in hair treatment technology
Sophie Day-Riley and Rachel Conway explore the hair and beauty industry from the 1920s to the 1960s and our firm’s legacy of protecting hair perming technologies.
A snapshot into HLK’s 175-year history
Oran McNaughton shines the light on optometry and how the aspiration to imagine better drives innovation in this space, through the lens of an invention from 1927.
The past and present of pest control in agriculture
James Bowen discusses the issue of food insecurity, advancements in agritech, and HLK’s history of protecting inventions relating to pest control.
A career in patent law: A perfect fit
What led you to a career in IP? Marie-Alexis Mezin, one of our trainee patent attorneys, shares how she found a career in patent law and why it is a perfect fit for her.
From science teacher to patent attorney
Answering the question: What led you to become a patent attorney?, Jo Addison shares her career journey from a graduate with a passion for sport, to a science teacher and eventually a patent attorney.
A trainee’s first year at HLK
Kenan Hamarsheh joined HLK in September 2023 as a trainee trade mark attorney. Read his reflections on his first year with the firm.
HLK’s long legacy of training
In this article, Thomas Hoolaghan, an associate in our technology team, explores training in the IP profession, looking at HLK’s long-standing tradition of training the next generation of attorneys.
HLK celebrates its 175th anniversary
Over the last 175 years, our teams of patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, and more recently IP solicitors, have experienced great changes, not only in how we and our clients work, but also through the birth of new industry sectors, innovations and brands that have changed the world and become part of everyday life.
The IP Files
To celebrate our 175th anniversary, we are taking a deep dive into our files and digging out some of the patent, design and trade mark applications that HLK has worked on in our 175-year history of protecting IP.
See all our IP Files so far.
Follow #IPFiles on LinkedIn to see all the latest posts.