History

The firm was founded sometime in the mid-1860s when Dr George Haseltine and Mr William Lake combined their respective patent agency businesses to form Haseltine Lake & Co. The Haseltine Lake name has been in continuous use ever since. When the British Chartered Institute of Patent Agents was established in 1882, William Lake was one of its founder members.

Few records exist from the early days, but we do know that the firm acquired its first telephone in 1898 and its first copying machine in 1903. In 1904, the firm was expanding internationally and acquired a New York office. However, the two World Wars eroded much of its international work and the New York office was sold in 1942. (Although that business continued to trade in the name Haseltine Lake it was entirely independent of the UK firm, with no common ownership or personnel after the sale).

Following a period of consolidation in the 1950s, the firm enjoyed rapid expansion in the 1960s and 70s. Many of the partners became frequent travellers to Japan and the USA at this time, and relationships were built with clients and attorney firms in those areas which have lasted to this day.

During the 1970s, the firm expanded from its London base by opening offices in Leeds (North-East England), Bristol (South-West England) and Munich (Germany). These remain the corner stones of the modern day Haseltine Lake.