Ones to Watch UK 2025: Thomas Lunt

Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent ranking. Our latest research highlighted Thomas Lunt, a barrister from Three New Square as one of the current ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent market.

At just 31, Lunt has already made his mark in the most significant SEP battles of 2024. He played a part in the dispute between Panasonic and Xiaomi as well as between Lenovo/Motorola and Ericsson. And not just a bit part in the technical trials; he was right at the heart of the crucial interim licence hearings for Lenovo and Xiaomi — currently the hottest developments in global SEP law.

In both cases, the Court of Appeal ordered an interim licence for Lunt’s clients covering the SEP portfolios of Panasonic and Ericsson respectively. Shortly afterwards, the parties agreed on full licences, ending both disputes.

The all-rounder

Now in his fifth year at the venerable chambers Three New Square, Lunt has reached a position many junior barristers aspire to. While he has not yet led proceedings — that role remains with the experienced King’s Counsel — peers praise him as “responsive, thoughtful and personable'”.

However, Lunt focuses on more than simply mobile communications and SEPs. He studied chemistry at the University of Oxford for four years until 2016 and is equally, if not more, at home in life sciences cases, particularly pharmaceuticals. In 2024, he litigated in numerous life sciences disputes at UK courts on behalf of pharma giants such as GSK, Astellas, and Sandoz, as well as medical device manufacturers such as Molecular Instruments.

Like the interim licence disputes, the damages case between Dr Reddy’s, NHS England and others against Three New Square’s client Warner-Lambert involved substantial sums. The background was an infringement case over pregabalin for neuropathic pain treatment — a formative case in Lunt’s early career.

The game with monopolies

Asked why he enjoys his work, Lunt says, “Patent law is characterised by an overarching tension between, on the one hand, creating monopolies to incentivise innovation and, on the other, promoting competition between market participants in often very small technical niches. Experiencing this field of tension in my cases is what I find very attractive about my job.”

This applies as much to billion-pound pharmaceutical disputes as to the equally high-stakes SEP cases. But Lunt also handles other technology cases. He recently represented Dyson in its hairdryer dispute with SharkNinja. Like the SEP battles for Xiaomi and Lenovo, the UK proceedings were part of a global dispute and included UPC litigation.

Peers describe Lunt as an all-rounder. “His practice encompasses all areas in intellectual property, including patents and SPCs, trademarks, passing off, copyright, and confidential information,” says one solicitor. Now Lunt is about to add UPC litigation to this list.

Going the Irish route

Like many UK solicitors, some UK barristers are qualifying as lawyers in Ireland so as to work at the UPC. UK lawyers cannot gain direct admission to the new court as the UK is not a UPC member state. Hence, they are taking the so-called Irish route.

“I guess the decision to apply to the Irish Bar, with a view to obtaining the right to represent clients at the UPC, is driven by both client demands and my personal interest,” says Lunt. “I would like to offer the service to my clients to act in both jurisdictions: the UK and the UPC.”

He adds, “Personally, I am attracted to seeing the broader picture of such cases and to interacting with lawyers and patent attorneys from various jurisdictions.” Indeed, Lunt has already received some requests and will take the Irish qualifying exam at the end of the week.