Widely considered one of the UK's finest IP minds, Hugh Laddie was appointed a High Court judge in 1995 after a long career at the English Bar specialising in intellectual property. During his time hearing IP cases in the English courts, he delivered a number of important and sometimes controversial decisions. In 2005 he became the first High Court judge to resign voluntarily, stating that he “found it boring”. Before his death in 2008 Laddie was the professor of IP law at University College London and played a key role in the establishment of the Institute of Brand and Innovation Law. He also acted as a consultant for law firm Rouse.