WELCOME AND INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Professor Sir Robin Jacob Welcome, everyone, to the sixth Hugh Laddie lecture. Every year we try to get a top player – not somebody of the quality who plays for England at football – and, equally, somebody who is really sharp but does not bite! (Laughter) This year we are privileged to have Hugh Hansen. I first met Hugh when he suggested that I should go to Fordham University, where, apparently, they had some sort of event at Easter. I had, of course, never heard of Fordham University and I expect that is probably true of many subjects, but it cannot be true of intellectual property because Fordham University runs the greatest event, symposium, or whatever you call it, that is run by anybody anywhere. I regret to have to say that, this being UCL. (Laughter) Instead, I have imported Fordham here and Hugh Hansen could not be a better speaker, for he knew Hugh Laddie well and was a friend. Hugh made his conference get going and now he can make our one - day lecture work. Hugh, please will you give us the Hugh Laddie lecture. (Applause)

LECTURE

First, thank you very much for this invitation, Robin. It is a tremendous honour to give this talk for various reasons, the primary one being Hugh Laddie, who was, as you all know, a tremendously remarkable person. You know his professional qualifications, but as a person he was a lot of fun to be with. He had a great sense of humour and an infectious laugh. It was a pleasure to be around him. I was lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time with him at lunches, and I was invited to dinner on a Friday night once. The three of us (Stecia, Hugh and I) went out to dinner in north London. The last time I saw him he was at Willoughby & Partners, Tony's firm. (Tony was a friend of his). In Hugh's office there was a young lady who also had a desk. I do not know whether she was a trainee lawyer or an associate or something else, and I asked what the deal was with that.