Oxford International IP Moot competitors showcase advocacy skills

The 22nd Annual Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot was held in Oxford from 20-22 March 2025 at various locations around Oxford, including the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law and Pembroke College. Mooting, a simulated court proceeding, allows law students to practice their advocacy skills by presenting legal arguments before a panel of judges.

This year’s problem concerned the case of Multilever plc v Greenland Supermarket plc [2024] HCE 337, which addressed legal issues arising from registered trademarks. After a rigorous blind assessment of submitted written memorials, 32 teams from around the world were invited to Oxford for the oral proceedings. Following intense rounds of legal argumentation in the preliminary, quarterfinals, and semi-finals rounds, the University of Toronto and the University of Technology Sydney moved to the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, the finalists appear before a panel of esteemed judges, and this year, Lord Kitchin, Mr Justice Meade, and Daniel Alexander, KC presided. Their role is to evaluate the mooters’ performance based on criteria such as legal reasoning, clarity of argument, and courtroom demeanour. Both teams were exceptional in addressing complex legal issues and responding to questions from the judges, with the University of Toronto, led by Avital Sternin, PhD, Alessia Woolfe and Rebecca Tyli crowned this year’s Oxford IP Moot winner.

The Grand Finals day, held in Pembroke College, closed with a Gala Dinner and Prize-Presentation ceremony. Brianna Workman from the University of Ottawa - Faculty of Law | Common Law received the Sir Nicholas Pumfrey award for the best individual speaker in the preliminary rounds. The team from Lincoln Alexander School of Law was awarded the Best New Team, and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul won the Professor David Vaver Spirit of the Moot Award. The team from Goethe University Frankfurt received the highest aggregate score for their written submissions, with the team from the National University of Singapore in second place.

Professor William McGeveran from the University of Minnesota Law School, delivered this year's Tangentum Lecture on the topic, 'Idolizing Brands'. His lecture was truly thought-provoking and insightful.

A huge thank you to all mooters, coaches, judges, clerks, and the organising team led by Professor Emily Hudson, Director of the Oxford Annual IP Moot, for their hard work and dedication. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Sir Christopher Floyd and 8 New Square for their ongoing support and generous contribution towards this year’s IP Moot.  
 

We look forward to welcoming you back to Oxford for the 23rd edition next year!

For more information about the Oxford IP Moot and the list of 2025 winners, please visit the website