Intellectual property barrister Richard Hacon, 57, was today named as presiding judge at the newly renamed Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, based at the Royal Courts of Justice. 

The court, which specialises in less complex IP disputes, was previously known as the Patents County Court. The court has been without a presiding judge since April, when Colin Birss was appointed to be a justice of the High Court.

His Honour Judge Hacon was called to the bar in 1979 after taking a degree in microbiology. His career includes acting for Apple in its high-profile case against rival Samsung over the alleged infringement of designs of tablet computers. The court cleared Samsung of infringement with the celebrated comment that its products were not as ‘cool’ as Apple’s.

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys welcomed the appointment. ‘Richard Hacon has exactly the right skills and background to develop the IP Enterprise Court’s role as a quicker and lower-cost way for smaller companies to resolve IP disputes,’ said Roger Burt, the institute’s president.