Tristan Sherliker

I specialise in working at the intersection of technology and intellectual property.

My main focus is on resolving disputes, especially in the software and high-technology sectors: either to resolve them before litigation, or in court. As a Solicitor Advocate, I handle cases from the beginning through to the very end, making sure they are prepared and presented with a deep understanding from start to finish. I'm passionate about working with technology - whether it's helping clients redefining new technology, or using technical innovations to work more efficiently.

In the courts, my work has included several high-profile and leading cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal, such as COPA v Craig Wright (exposing fraudulent claim to be the inventor of Bitcoin); Getty v Stability (technical work on this leading AI copyright and trade marks case); Lidl v Tesco (Trade mark and copyright, successful claim in relation to Tesco's Clubcard Prices infringement); Wise v With Wise (Trade mark infringement, fintech); Rothy's v Giesswein (design infringement), Betafence v Zaun (Brexit legislation/res judicata); Philip Warren & Son v Lidl (passing off) among others. I've also worked for and against major industry patent holders, implementers, and patent pools in relation to software and infrastructure technology, as well as on cases involving mechanical inventions (Revolution Beauty v Scanavo; NiftyLift v JLG).

Working with teams MIP ranks me as a Rising Star, and I was shortlisted in 2024 and 2025 for their Rising Star of the Year award. The Legal500 wrote that 'Tristan Sherliker is incredibly bright, tenacious, and takes a forensic approach to problem solving... a pleasure to work with', and the WIPR that 'Tristan Sherliker is reported as 'fantastic' on the dispute side'. Clients say they value "not just winning, but really understanding and taking care of what we need along the way", along with "a killer instinct".

• Recent cases have included:
• Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Craig Steven Wright: (copyright, fraud and forgery) A high-profile fraud case relating to claimed ownership of IP rights in Bitcoin worldwide;
• Assisting financial technology company to resolve cybersecurity issue relating to source code and version control systems (confidential)
• Lidl Great Britain Ltd and anor v Tesco Stores Ltd and anor (trade marks, passing off and copyright) in the High Court and Court of Appeal, a high-profile trade mark and copyright dispute concerning Tesco's infringement of Lidl's brand;
• Praesidiad Holding BVBA & Anor v Zaun Ltd, (designs, Brexit, conflict of laws), concerning infringement of a registered design relating to a large-scale construction project, concerning interpretation of Brexit legislation and EU withdrawal agreement;
• Niftylift v JLG (Patents), claim and counterclaim relating to patents for hybird hydraulic construction apparatus (settled);
• Fear of God v Kadine (Trade marks, Brexit, conflict of laws): A dispute concerning the well-known fashion brand ESSENTIALS, trade mark validity, and scope of injunctions implemented following the completion of Brexit;
• Rogue Fitness v Bulldog Gear (designs and copyright), acting on a design and copyright infringement case relating to the internationally-popular Rogue Fitness airbike and other exercise equipment (settled);
• Philip Warren v Lidl Great Britain and anor (Passing off), a wide-ranging passing off claim and counterclaim valued by the claimant in the multiple tens of millions;
• NTCQ v Mehdiyev (Trade marks and passing off), a trade mark and passing off dispute relating to misuse of trade marks under a domain name;
• Rothy's v Giesswein (registered and unregistered designs), successfully achieving an injunction and damages for registered design infringement in respect of well-known shoe designer Rothy's;
• Wise v With Wise (trade marks, fintech)