John Olsen
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Celebrating the life of John Olsen, one of the leading international intellectual property lawyers of his age and a gentleman who not only guided his clients over a 35 year career in the UK, but also mentored and helped further the careers of the many current IP lawyers who worked alongside him. John Raymond Olsen died peacefully at University College Hospital, London England on 13th March 2023. He was a leading international intellectual property lawyer who was a graduate of Notre Dame Law School USA and practiced for 50 years, 35 of which were in the UK. His many colleagues, clients and friends will remember him for his lifelong commitment, passion and dedication to his work. A ‘gentle giant’ who had time for everyone, and was especially caring of his clients whom he guided through a maze of legal issues with his expansive knowledge of his subject and with a subtle, steely determination. His many colleagues and friends at his firm, Locke Lord, recognise his contributions to the firm and to mentoring and helping further the careers of many of its current IP lawyers. Born in Los Angeles, California, he graduated from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California in 1970 and went on to study law at University of Notre Dame Law School, South Bend, Indiana graduating in 1973. His long career took him from California to New York, Paris and finally London, England. John was a licensed member of the California Bar and a Solicitor of the Law Society of England & Wales. He was active on the lecture circuit and belonged to many intellectual property associations. He co-authored two books, Trade Marks, Trade Names and Unfair Competition: World Law and Practice; and Domain Names: Global Practice and Procedure and was also a Board Member of the European Intellectual Property Review. He qualified as a U.S. patent lawyer and appreciated the full range of laws and practices in protecting intellectual property and the creative efforts of both individuals and corporations. He believed his broad international understanding of intellectual property law was a sine qua non in a globalising environment. Practicing law was his first love but he also enjoyed spending time with family at the opera, classical music concerts and the many arts London had to offer. John was bi-lingual in English-French but also spoke social German and Spanish facilitating the development of his practice. John is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Maria and his three brothers, Ken, Kevin and Larry. A special celebration of his life will be held in his honor on a date to be announced. His funeral will be held at 10.30am on Thursday, 30 March 2023 at Farm Street Church, Jesuit Church of The Immaculate Conception, 114 Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1K 3AH (https://www.farmstreet.org.uk/contactus). Any donations in memory of John will be most gratefully received by the London Law Programme of Notre Dame Law School, which provides financial assistance to students who wish to attend – a cause which John was passionate about. Please designate “London Law School Programme” and dedicate donation in name of “John Raymond Olsen": https://giving.nd.edu
Condolences
Sara C Almon
Just saw this. I am so very, very sad for you, my dear friend Mary.
James Collinge
I am so sorry to hear the news about John - I only heard about it last week. I worked with him, as part of the HR team, at FFW. He was a lovely man - witty, genuinely interested in you, yet demanding at the same time! More recently (pre-Covid) I would bump in to John & Mary at Covent Garden, which was always a nice surprise. Sending Mary and the family my sincere (belated) condolences. May he rest in peace.
Neale Christy
Like most of John's team, I was shocked to learn of his sudden passing. Whilst I only had the opportunity to work with him for just over a year, his advice, passion for his clients and strength of spirit have all made a significant impact on my life and my career. John was integral in my joining Locke Lord and, despite his vast experience and accomplishments, he was always incredibly supportive of me and my work. His words of encouragement, advice and (very occasionally) admonishment have all contributed to making me a better lawyer and, for that, I will always be grateful. Thanks in no small part to his example, I hope to one day enjoy something approaching the relationship that John had with his clients, whose interests he put above all else, right up until the very end. I will miss working with him terribly and know that the same is true for everyone in the London office, many of whom counted him as both friend and mentor for ten years or more. His loss will be felt not just by our firm, but by the global IP community at large where he was recognized as one of the true giants of our industry. My thoughts go out to Mary and his family. Thank you for everything, John. We will miss you!
Dominic Farnsworth
Dear Mary, I knew of John for many years before finally meeting him and he more than lived up to his elevated reputation, not just as a lawyer but as a true gentleman. I am sure that myself and many of his ex-colleagues will be using his bon mots and sayings for the rest of our careers. Many will miss him, but none more than you and my thoughts are with you and your family. Best wishes, Dominic
Tan Tee Jim
Dear Mary, I was shocked when I heard of John’s demise. I did not know that he had not been in the best of health for some time. Please accept my deepest condolences. I had known John for over 40 years. We first met in Singapore over the “Ritz” case and subsequently worked together on a number of matters. Before he retired, we had the tradition of meeting over breakfast at every annual International Trademark Association meeting. The meetings were very pleasant and productive. I have lost a dear friend and a colleague in the legal profession. The loss will also be felt by the IP profession in the UK.
Jane Wright
Dear Mary, I will miss John very much. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to be part of his Team at LL. He always had time to have a chat and took on board everything I said and always found a solution. Please accept my condolences at this difficult time. Sending love to you and your family.
Jessica Meiselman
My deepest condolences. I truly owe John my career - working on his team at Edwards Wildman was my first job out of law school, and it set my entire career in IP in motion. He was a fantastic teacher and leader, and I will never forget his impact on my life.
Bas Pinckaers
Rest in peace John and thank you for everything. You will be sadly missed. My deepest condolences to your family, Mary and Maria.
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