CMS wins IP Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2026
CMS is pleased to announce that it has won IP Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2026, held in London on 29 September.
The award recognises the firm’s work as part of a joint team with Venner Shipley and Altair IP, representing IP Federation and the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) as interveners in the landmark UK Supreme Court patent case Emotional Perception AI Ltd v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.
The case concerned an artificial intelligence system that uses an artificial neural network to recommend media files by identifying similarities in the emotional responses they create. It raised important questions about whether artificial neural networks constitute “computer programs” under the Patents Act 1977 and how the patentability of computer-implemented inventions should be assessed.
The judgment represents a significant development in UK patent law. By bringing the approaches followed by UK courts and the European Patent Office into closer alignment, the decision provides greater consistency for applicants seeking patent protection for AI and other computer-implemented inventions.
Rachel Free, Intellectual Property Partner at CMS, comments: “We’re delighted to have received this award. The case raised complex and important questions at the intersection of patent law, computer science and artificial intelligence. It was a privilege to collaborate with Venner Shipley and Altair IP on an intervention that contributed to this landmark judgment. This recognition reflects the technical expertise and collaborative effort of everyone involved.”
Sarah Wright, Co-Head of the Intellectual Property practice at CMS, adds: “This award is a testament to the strength and depth of CMS’s IP practice. Our team is rare in combining specialist patent expertise with a detailed understanding of AI and computer science alongside experienced IP litigators. We are proud of CMS’s contribution to this landmark case and delighted that the team’s work has been recognised.”
CMS has more than 450 IP specialists worldwide, including lawyers, patent attorneys and trade mark attorneys. The team advises clients across the full lifecycle of IP assets, from protection and portfolio management to commercialisation, litigation and enforcement.
