Eversheds Sutherland has hired the managing partner of DLA Piper’s London office, IP specialist Ruth Hoy.
Hoy has joined Eversheds alongside Huw Cookson, who made partner on the move, having been a legal director at DLA Piper.
Both specialise in IP litigation and have joined Eversheds’ London‑based IP team, part of its wider commercial advisory practice, in a move the firm said underlined its ambition to “be the ‘go‑to’ adviser for complex, high‑stakes contentious IP matters”.
Hoy is recognised as one of the leading IP litigators in the London market and specialises in brand management issues, including trademark and copyright enforcement and licensing disputes, with a focus on the retail, media, sport and entertainment sectors.
Hoy has led DLA Piper’s London office since 2022, having joined the firm as a partner 20 years ago from legacy SNR Denton. She also previously headed the firm’s London IP and technology practice group and the UK IP sub‑group, roles Eversheds said had given her extensive experience in building high-performing IP teams.
Cookson brings expertise in brand protection, enforcement and complex IP disputes. He joined DLA Piper four years ago from Pinsent Masons, having earlier been in-house at Tesco, and has worked on a number of first‑of‑their‑kind IP cases, including securing a landmark “persons unknown” injunction to combat the sale of counterfeit goods.
At Eversheds, Hoy and Cookson will reinforce the firm’s depth in contentious IP alongside existing partners David Wilkinson, UK head of IP, and Tobias Maier, global co-head of IP, with whom they will be expected to work closely.
Wilkinson said the duo “significantly expand our bench strength, locally and globally, and enhance our ability to support clients on their most complex and high‑risk IP disputes”.
Andrew Dyson, UK country managing partner at DLA Piper, said: "I would like to thank Ruth for her hard work and dedication in the various leadership roles she has held, including most recently as office managing partner in London. Both Ruth and Huw leave with our best wishes for the future.”
A successor to Hoy as London managing partner is yet to be chosen.
Later this month, DLA Piper’s partners are set to vote on a governance shake-up. The proposed overhaul, intended to take effect from 1 May 2026, will see the firm’s long-standing Swiss verein replaced by a new global holding entity overseeing both its US and International LLPs.
The move is designed to improve global integration and profitability.
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