175 years of helping the world’s innovators
In 2025, HLK celebrates a remarkable milestone, our 175th anniversary of helping the world’s innovators protect their intellectual property (IP).
Since the 1850s, the firm has been at the forefront of innovation, adapting and evolving through the decades to meet the ever-changing demands of the IP landscape. As we take a journey through our history, we reflect on the milestones that have shaped HLK into the leading European firm it is today.
To mark our anniversary, we have created a special two-minute animated video showcasing key moments from our history. We invite you to watch and celebrate our journey with us, from our early beginnings to the present day.
The early years: A vision for innovation
Our story begins in 1850 when Dr George Haseltine and Mr. William Robert Lake, two pioneers in the fields of consulting engineers and patent agents, founded their respective businesses which they later combined to form Haseltine, Lake & Co. Often referring to the firm as the ‘International Patent Office’, the partnership was born out of a transatlantic meeting: Mr. Lake, while travelling in America, met Dr Haseltine, and the two saw an opportunity to collaborate, to work with inventors and innovators across the world, protect intellectual property and shape the future of patent law.
By 1871, Dr Haseltine was already making waves in the profession, chairing a meeting of London Patent Agents to discuss much-needed patent law reform in the UK. A year later, he took the discussion further, appearing before a Parliamentary Select Committee to give expert evidence. His influence extended internationally as well, serving on the advisory committee for the International Patent Congress that took place in Vienna in 1873 alongside the World’s Fair. Meanwhile, his co-founder Mr Lake concentrated on strengthening the patent profession and when the British Chartered Institute of Patent Agents was established in 1882, he was one of its founder members.
Embracing growth
HLK has always embraced innovation — not just in how it works with innovators, brands and entrepreneurs, but also in its use of technology. In 1898, we acquired our first telephone, and by 1903, a copying machine had made its way into the office.
As our work continued to expand internationally, we set up a New York office in 1904, making early moves toward a global presence. However, the challenges of two World Wars led us to sell the New York office in 1942.
The business continued to grow closer to home and the 1950s and 1960s saw significant expansion, after having marked our centenary in 1950. Many of the firm’s partners became frequent travellers to Japan and the USA at this time, and relationships were built with clients and attorney firms in those areas which have lasted to this day.
Much like our founders, patent agents at the firm during this period continued to lead the way, not only helping to shine a light on the profession for aspiring patent professionals, but also on the next era of collaboration in Europe. For example, one of our partners, R.C. Noyes, was very active in the early 1960s in both these areas. He not only wrote The Intending Patent Agent in 1962, a book which became a valuable resource for aspiring patent professionals, but also produced articles for journals, including one in 1963 on International Patenting and the Draft Convention relating to a European Patent Law.
Broadening horizons
The 1970s marked a new era of geographical expansion as we established two new offices in Leeds and Bristol, which are still thriving hubs for us 50 years later.
In 1978, we set up our office in Munich, Germany, ahead of the European Patent Office (EPO) accepting its first applications later that year. At the time, we were one of only two British firms that had established an office in Munich and the only patent attorney firm based in Motorama House, a temporary home for the EPO, which certainly gave us an advantage in developing good relationships with the early EPO staff.
By the 1980s, we had embraced the latest office technology, replacing golf ball typewriters with electric typewriters in 1983, the forerunner of the word processor and eventually the desktop computer. Telexes continued to be a reliable form of communication for many years even after the fax machine was introduced.
As the digital age dawned, HLK kept pace with technological advancements. In 1998, we registered our domain name, and by 2000, our first website was live, marking our transition into the online world.
Expanding services
The 21st century has been a period of dynamic growth.
In 2017, we launched our Glasgow office to help us better serve our clients in Scotland.
Then, in 2019, a transformative milestone took place – the merger of Haseltine Lake and Kempner & Partners, a specialist firm of IP solicitors and trade mark attorneys based in Leeds. This union formed Haseltine Lake Kempner (or HLK for short) as we are known today. The union strengthened our expertise, expanded our client base, and solidified our position as a leader in intellectual property law to become the IP powerhouse that we are today.
Sustainability and the future
In 2022, HLK made a significant move to a sustainable office space in Bristol, reflecting our commitment to environmental responsibility and modern workspaces.
Now, in 2025, we proudly celebrate 175 years of excellence. As we reflect on our past, we also look forward to the future, continuing to support innovators, creators, and businesses with expert intellectual property services across the entire IPR lifespan.
We are proud to have represented many of our clients for over 50 years, several for over 100 years, and we are looking forward to continuing to foster the close and long-standing relationships we have with our clients.
Here’s to the next 175 years of innovation, growth, and success!