Justice Laddie’s reputation precedes him. A straw poll of IP litigators and barristers quickly throws up a variety of opinions of his qualities as a judge, from “shrewd” and “devastatingly intelligent” to “peremptory” and “brusque”.
Some are keen to praise the quality of his judgments; others to argue that he rarely gives counsel a chance to perform. Whatever the views of the litigators, it is evident that the judge inspires strong passions. “There are times when I just want to get up and hit him,” says one patents specialist.