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Gold - Firms
Gold - Firms: prosecution
Silver - Firms: litigation
Bronze - Firms: transactions
Carpmaels & Ransford boasts a 360-degree patent offering, including some of the United Kingdom’s most sophisticated prosecution strategists for patrons in the healthcare space, but also a robust solicitor practice that takes in both the contentious and non-contentious sides of IP legal issues. From EPO opposition work to pan-European litigation, the team under managing partner Hugh Goodfellow is well equipped and experienced enough to handle nearly any patent matter. As one client puts it: “Carpmaels delivers excellent, high-class service. They work well as a team and provide great depth in the life sciences space. Hugh is an outstanding practitioner and a strong leader.” Transactions are handled by Jake Marshall, a wide-ranging practitioner moving with equal dexterity among life sciences, software, entertainment and retail players. A clear communicator, Marshall is known for the thoroughness of his work product. David Wilson heads the dispute side and is supported by Jennifer Antcliff, Camilla Balleny and Ian Kirby. Wilson has 25 years’ experience in pharma and telecom litigation and is a shrewd operator regardless of the dispute at issue. Alongside Antcliff, Wilson represented FibroGen in a successful defence against Akebia decided by the Court of Appeal in August 2021. Antcliff is herself an accomplished life sciences litigator and has particular expertise in supplementary protection certificate (SPC) cases. Balleny is one of the firm’s founding litigation partners and she focuses on multi-jurisdictional suits in the life sciences space. She has a long-term relationship with Bristol Myers Squibb, which culminated in a successful product entry into the European market. Kirby was the group’s first litigation partner and has 30 years’ experience, taking in life sciences and various technological disputes. He represented AMO Development, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, in relation to laser eye-surgery technology in a multi-jurisdictional fight that settled in the United Kingdom in June 2022. On the prosecution front, the outfit boasts a well-stocked team in a range of technical disciplines – James Warner heads the chemical and pharmaceutical practice, Mark Chapman the biotech group and John Brunner takes charge in engineering and technology. Warner is a seasoned hand at the EPO and is one of only a handful of practitioners to have defended against more than 10 opponents. The chem and pharma team also includes Edward Oates, Susan Kirsch, Matthew Georgiou and Chris Hoggett. Oates has a stellar record at the EPO and knows SPC legislation inside and out. A major patron is Takeda, whom he has represented successfully in several oppositions. Biochem PhD Kirsch is also a deft hand at the EPO and has expertise in securing and defending patents for food industry and consumer products companies. Of Georgiou, patrons rave: “Matthew is a five-star practitioner. Barring working for free, there is nothing Matthew could do to better his current service offering. He is calm under pressure, efficient, polite, easy to work with and handles difficult situations with confidence and grace. Matthew is also incredibly organised, and his planning saves on time, resources and stress.” “Chris is a trusted practitioner, easily understands the relevant details and offers creative solutions to tricky problems. He is a strong oral advocate and is self-assured while always remaining open to new ideas.” Joining Chapman on the biotech bench are Harvey Adams, Cameron Marshall, Daniel Wise and Stephen Duffield. Chapman specialises in antisense therapeutics, antibody therapeutics and other immunomodulatory therapies, among many others. He is a skilled operator at the EPO and has particular acumen obtaining and defending broad early claims to important new biotech innovations. Adams has over 20 years’ experience and is one of the EPO’s leaders in contentious oppositions. Marshall’s practice takes in the intersection between biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. He defended Merck in oppositions to its antibody formulation Keytruda and successfully opposed Novo’s patent on stabilised insulin analogues for Eli Lilly, maintaining the revocation following an appeal from Novo. Wise has particular expertise in protein therapeutics, vaccine technology and medicinal chemistry. A keen strategist, he has a deft handling of coordinated EPO oppositions alongside litigation. “Stephen is a top-notch European patent attorney. He is incredibly smart, creative and responsive. Clients are always in good hands when working with Stephen. He is very knowledgeable about EPO opposition issues and strategy. His teamwork and collaboration skills are also admirable.” On the engineering and tech side, Paul Bettridge, Gary Small and Christopher Tunstall operate as a cohesive team under Brunner. Brunner is a widely sought after attorney for names in the medical device space, but he also has a wealth of experience handling oppositions in other technological areas, including software, electronics and artificial intelligence (AI). He is handling an ongoing design matter for Hypertherm at the EUIPO, in relation to changeable parts for welding equipment. Bettridge also does a lot of work in the medical device space, including minimally invasive surgical instruments. He secured a series of significant wins for Highview Limited, involving cryogenic energy storage technology, against oppositions and appeals from competitor L’Air Liquide. Small, too, works on medical technology, but is also a general software specialist, handling a diverse portfolio including AI, imaging technologies and telecommunications. His wide-ranging tech expertise allows him to deliver tailor-made solutions to every client. Tunstall has significant medtech expertise, but has also done work for automotive manufacturers and semiconductor companies. A long-term thinker, Tunstall thrives when envisioning growth strategies for his established clientele.
Carpmaels & Ransford LLP is a leader in the European IP market having driven innovation in the industry for over 200 years. We advise clients on all aspects of intellectual property including drafting, filing and prosecuting patent and trade mark applications, drafting and negotiating licence agreements and other commercial IP agreements, advising on the transfer of property rights, assisting clients with patent restoration matters and conducting enforcement and revocation litigation.
With the arrival of the UPC, we are one of the few firms that can use the same team to handle parallel disputes in the EPO, UPC and UK courts, while also coordinating national actions across Europe. We are unique in our ability to offer a truly integrated service, managing our clients’ intellectual property from inception to litigation, making us perfectly positioned to best represent our clients in the UPC.
We have one of Europe’s largest intellectual property teams serving blue-chip clients across the globe, including Johnson & Johnson, Celgene, Novartis, Invista, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Micron, Gilead, Gates, DuPont Teijin, Raytheon, Regeneron and Allergan. Our attorneys have considerable technical knowledge, bringing together experience from industry-leading companies, academic research at leading universities, and extensive patent expertise in the areas of engineering and tech, chemistry and materials, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, supplementary protection certificates and information communications technology and standards.
Through our fully integrated Dispute Resolution and Transactions teams we are able to provide a holistic service for clients which supports their IP needs from inception to commercialisation. The Dispute Resolution team, comprised of experienced solicitors, barristers and patent attorney litigators, represents clients at all levels of the European Patent Office (EPO).The team is also adept at conducting enforcement litigation and revocation actions before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and patent, copyright, trade mark and other IP litigation in the English courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union, often advising in cases where parallel or related litigation is ongoing in courts across Europe or in the United States.
The Transactions team is another key part of the firm’s integrated IP offering. As well as advising on the acquisition and licensing of IP rights, and other IP focussed agreements, such as development and collaboration agreements, the team manages multi-jurisdictional patent/trade mark assignment recordal projects, provides specialist advice on the transfer of priority rights and assists clients with the restoration of registered IP rights around the world.
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