Specialist IP & Trademark Lawyers for Growing Businesses
We make intellectual property simple, accessible, and genuinely useful — so you can build a brand worth protecting.
Who We Are
Azrights is an award-winning intellectual property consultancy covering the full A-to-Z of IP rights — which is exactly where our name comes from. Founded by Shireen Smith, we help businesses at every stage protect what they’re building: their names, their brands, their digital assets, and their ideas.
Our mission is to change how the world creates brands — making IP strategy the foundation of branding, not an afterthought. We work in plain English, charge fixed fees, and act as specialists, not generalists.
Why IP Matters
In today’s economy, 80% of corporate value sits in intangible assets — your brand, your content, your code, your data. IP isn’t a formality. It’s the architecture of a valuable business.
Registering a trademark or identifying your copyright is table stakes. What separates an IP specialist from a generalist is knowing how to apply rights strategically — to the specific vulnerabilities and assets of your business, in the markets and contexts you actually operate in. That’s where we focus.
Our Story
Azrights was founded in 2005 by Shireen Smith, a solicitor whose career began in-house at Reuters, working alongside software developers and trading system specialists. That background — at the intersection of law, technology, and commerce — shaped a firm built around one conviction: that IP advice should be plain-English, commercially grounded, and genuinely useful to the people running businesses.
The name Azrights reflects our scope — the full A-to-Z of intellectual property rights. Over two decades, we have worked with founders, digital businesses, and growing brands across the UK and internationally, delivering workshops at the British Library's Business & IP Centre and publishing Shireen's books, including Legally Branded, Intellectual Property Revolution, Brand Tuned, and Franchising Freedom.
We’ve always believed that great IP strategy should come before the logo — that the strongest brands are built on a foundation of properly thought-through names, protected rights, and clear commercial intent. That belief drives everything we do.
The People Behind Azrights
Shireen Smith
Founder, Azrights
IP lawyer and trademark specialist with over two decades of experience advising founders and growing businesses on trademarks, copyright, and commercial legal matters.
Paul Smith
Head of IT & Internet Systems
Technology specialist with a background spanning blue-chip firms and SMEs, focused on helping businesses leverage internet technology to grow and operate efficiently.
Michael Harrison
Head of Patents
European and Chartered Patent and Trademark Attorney with a doctorate in chemistry from Oxford and over 35 years of hands-on IP experience.
Nick Thomas
Consultant Solicitor
Solicitor with extensive experience in commercial contracts and corporate transactions, advising on IP licences, shareholder agreements, terms and conditions, and business sales.
Gem Sigua
Marketing Assistant
Supporting the firm's content and brand presence, while developing a strong grounding in intellectual property over the years of working at Azrights.
How We Work
We work remotely, charge fixed fees (not estimates), and communicate in plain English. Our team brings backgrounds in computing, IT, and international business — which means we understand the commercial context behind your legal questions, not just the law itself.
We’re a virtual firm, which means we draw from a wider talent pool and work flexibly around your timezone and schedule. Being specialists also means we know the relevant law deeply — so you get faster, sharper answers, without the billable hours that come with a generalist learning on the job.
What Clients Say
We work with founders, growing businesses, and digital brands across the UK and internationally.
Here is what some of them have to say.
Richard Coates – Stars Gyms Ltd
What I liked about Azrights is that it was very straight forward. Everything was explained in layman’s terms in a very simplistic way, which I can then explain to everybody else on my team. There was also a very friendly approach- not like some big corporate legal firm.
Julian Fowler, Tessella PLC
A strong brand is an essential aspect of a successful business. Having worked with Azrights to protect our brands for a number of years, they were the natural choice for our latest venture, and provided the high quality service we have come to expect.
Ray Hyland, Adcock Stanton
Centrepin Reels Ltd
Thanks for your work on my trade mark so far. I contacted a few different organisations who offered trade mark work, but I was impressed with the clarity of the website which was informative on the area and was helpful for my needs. I like the fact that Azrights are also easily accessible by telephone, and that I don’t have to chase them. I look forward to working further with Azrights, well done!
Kyrstyna Leyland, Actualise
Dear Shireen. Thank you so much for securing my trade mark registration. When a complication arose which required a hearing to resolve, it was touch and go as to whether my application would succeed, however I always felt that my matter was in safe hands and you successfully argued the issues and won the day. I am so relieved that I used someone with proper expertise in the field with reasonable costs and a friendly and efficient service. Overall, everything was fantastically well done, thank you!
Hunted Cow Studios Ltd
Working in the software industry means we are acutely aware of the need to protect our products – and critically protect our core brands. Azrights have helped a great deal in securing trade mark registrations for us. We have now also used Azrights for our international work to protect our expanding company.
Well-Flow International Limited
As a large well known Oil company providing services and products to the oil and gas industry, I was pleased that Azrights were able to help secure branding in the UK and elsewhere. I would recommend their service because of their efficiency in dealing with matters.
Enquire about our Services
Tell us briefly what you need — we will get back to you within one working day with clear guidance on next steps and costs.
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