Tim Bamford: In Memoriam
We were saddened to hear of Tim Bamford's death.
The death of Tim Bamford on 25th April 2024 at the age of 63, after a short illness, came as a huge shock to his family, friends and colleagues.
Patrick Wheeler, Head of IP and Data Protection at Collyers, reflects on his life.
Among his many accomplishments Tim was a keen cyclist, hockey player and rock guitarist. He was a regular member of the Opposition at the popular band night at INTA conferences.
Professionally, Tim was a passionate enthusiast for all branches of intellectual property law. Graduating in Biochemistry, he qualified as a lawyer in 1986 and became an IP partner first at Charles Russell, then at Withers before joining Coller Bristow in 2014, where he was a key member of the IP litigation team.
Many friends he made along the way remained friends throughout his career.
Unfailingly polite and often understated, his opponents quickly learned not to underestimate his intellect or his determination to get the best possible outcome for his clients.
His tenacity and tactical skills often achieved better outcomes than an unpromising starting position would have suggested. But no matter how fractious the litigation became, Tim never lost his temper or said a bad word about his opposition (or anyone else).
This generated considerable respect from solicitors and barristers alike.
Tim qualified as both a solicitor-advocate and mediator, and applied skills from both disciplines to his work. He also enjoyed speaking and presenting and frequently spoke at CITMA conferences and events and was a go-to litigator for numerous trade mark attorneys.
He was well-known for his wry sense of humour and was even better-known for some of the worst puns imaginable.
It was a high-risk strategy to invite Tim to comment on any written piece of work: if there was a joke to be made (and even if not) you could be pretty sure Tim would find it.
He was an excellent supervisor of junior lawyers and was always willing to take time to discuss an issue or explain a strategy. He always wanted his colleagues to make the best of their abilities.
His loss is keenly felt among the members of the IP team, barristers and trade mark attorneys.