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Fraud alert

Like many reputable brands, Gowling WLG sometimes attracts the attention of individuals who misuse its name or the names of its partners and employees to engage in fraudulent activities.

The increasing volume of frauds and scams, particularly online, makes it impossible to eliminate any risk of misuse of the Gowling WLG name and brand, as well as the names and images of our partners and employees.

If you receive a communication that appears to be from our firm or a member of Gowling WLG and you are unsure of its legitimacy, please email fraudalert@gowlingwlg.com to verify its authenticity. We also encourage you to take a look at the people finder on our website and use the contact details on those pages to contact the person you wish to communicate with.

On this page we highlight any significant fraud attempts of which we are aware to help you conduct due diligence.

Correspondence purporting to involve genuine Gowling WLG (UK) LLP personnel

Alert one

We are aware of emails received by a number of individuals purporting to be from Michael Luckman, now General Counsel but formerly a trade mark lawyer at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, or purporting to be from Patrick Duxbury, an IP lawyer at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

The emails that we have seen are titled 'UK Business Registration Matter' and relate to alleged time‑sensitive trade mark matters concerning the recipient's business. The sender claims that a third party is seeking to register the recipient's brand with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and asserts that the recipient must act quickly to secure their rights or risk significant legal and commercial consequences. The emails invite recipients to respond urgently or to contact a case officer to progress a trade mark application.

These communications have been sent from email addresses including michael.luckman@britaintrademarksexpert.co.uk and patrick.duxbury@britaintrademarksexpert.co.uk and reference contact details including a Birmingham address (76 Corporation Street) and the telephone number 07830 765607.

Michael Luckman is currently General Counsel at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. Patrick Duxbury is currently Of Counsel at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. Neither Michael Luckman, Patrick Duxbury nor Gowling WLG (UK) LLP has any connection with the communications described above and we are not instructed in relation to these matters. These emails do not originate from, or have any association with, Gowling WLG.

If you have received any email of this type, or have been contacted using the details above, we recommend that you do not respond, do not click on any links, and cease all contact immediately. You may also wish to report the matter to your local police or relevant regulatory authority for investigation.

To report scams and other suspicious emails, please email our dedicated mailbox at fraudalert@uk.gowlingwlg.com.

June 15 2026

Alert two

We are aware of several emails from individuals who have received unsolicited communication purporting to be from Marianne Schaffner, Partner at Gowling WLG (France).

The emails that we have seen are titled 'Notification of Intellectual Property Infringement' further incorrectly advise the recipient that Marianne Schaffner is instructed as 'the Legal Representative of Gowling WLG mandated by Ed Banger Records, copyright holder. The emails refer to 'serious violations of intellectual property rights related to your account, involving the unauthorized use of Ed BangerRecords' assets. The notification aims to demand an immediate end to these violations in order to avoid legal proceedings, while encouraging good faith cooperation to resolve the issue.' These communications further invite the recipient to click on a link to download a file relating to copyright infringement.

Marianne Schaffner is a member of the Paris Bar and a lawyer authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) working in the Paris office of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

Whilst there does appear to be a business called Ed Banger Records, neither Marianne Schaffner nor Gowling WLG (France) or Gowling WLG (UK) (LLP) are instructed by Ed Banger Records on matters and is in no way responsible for these communications.

If you have received any email of this type or have been contacted by an individual using the email: dongphann6rajjw320k@gmail.com, we recommend you stop all contact with them and report it to your local police immediately.

To report scams and other suspicious emails, please email our dedicated email address fraudalert@uk.gowlingwlg.com.

Alert three

We are aware of several unsolicited emails from individuals sent to a Canadian law firm purporting to be from Peter Yam of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

The emails that we have seen incorrectly advise the recipient that Peter Yam is instructed as 'the Investor's lead Legal Counsel' with 'Gowling WLG as Legal Counsel for the Investors'.

These communications relate to the financing of a land acquisition in Canada. Neither Peter Yam nor Gowling WLG (UK) LLP are instructed or represent clients in these transactions.

Peter Yam is a solicitor authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) working in the UK offices of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

To report scams and other suspicious emails, please email our dedicated email address fraudalert@uk.gowlingwlg.com.

Phishing – gowling.es

We are aware of several communications from individuals professing to be from Gowling WLG offices in Spain using the email domains "gowling.es" and "gowling.eu". Gowling WLG does not have any offices in Spain and does not employ any lawyers in Spain. To see where we do operate and where our lawyers are based, please visit our Global Reach page.

In some instances, we have seen fraudsters impersonate members of our staff. Communications from individuals working for Gowling WLG only use "gowlingwlg.com" domains in the forms listed below:

  • gowlingwlg.com
  • ca.gowlingwlg.com
  • cn.gowlingwlg.com
  • de.gowlingwlg.com
  • fr.gowlingwlg.com
  • uae.gowlingwlg.com
  • uk.gowlingwlg.com
  • gowlingwlgmail.com

If you have been contacted by an individual using the "gowling.es" domain, we recommend you stop all contact with them and report it to your local police immediately.

We are taking measures to remove the fraudulent domains and have already reported the activity to the relevant authorities in England, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Action Fraud.

We believe the domains listed below are being fraudulently used:

  • gowlingwig.com
  • goulingwlg.com
  • gouwlingwlg.com
  • gowlings-wlg.ru
  • gowlingswlg.com
  • gowlingwlg.us.org
  • gowlingwllg.com
  • gowllingwlg.onmicrosoft.com
  • gowllngwlg.com
  • gowslingwlg.com
  • gowlingwlg-uk.com
  • gowlingw1g.com
  • gowlingwlgs.com
  • gowling.wlg.co.uk
  • gowlingw1g.com
  • gowlingwlgs.com
  • gowlinglwg.com
  • gowlingwlgs.com
  • gowling.wlg.co.uk