Venner Shipley LLP

Silver - Firms

Bronze - Firms: litigation

Silver - Firms: prosecution

“Venner Shipley attorneys consistently demonstrate strong technical skills and are in tune with policy developments and changes at the EPO. Venner also appears to be highly successful at recruiting strong candidates to form the next generation of attorneys for the firm. They are developing a deep bench of practitioners with particular expertise in the computer science and software space. As such, Venner is a consistent, valued partner for servicing one of our primary clients. We can rely on Venner to provide timely, high-quality work. We are very impressed with their prompt service, and depth of knowledge about our diverse technical requirements during negotiations about patent infringements. The Venner attorneys with whom we interact are very responsive and a pleasure to work with.” Taking the reins as managing partner is Pawel Piotrowicz, an electronics and engineering specialist based in Cambridge. Joining him in the Fens are Tim Russell, Allie Elend and Stephen Johnson, leaders in the chemical and life sciences practice. Regarding Elend, one patron remarks, “I have been working with Allie for at least 15 years. I look to her for her expertise with patent prosecution in the chemical arts arena. She has affected creative strategies to usher through patent applications to issuance. She has been my go-to person in Europe for many years in dealing with European strategy.” The head of the chemical and life sciences side is Siân Gill, based in London. One of the outfit’s major clients, for whom Gill serves as one of two client relationship managers, is British American Tobacco. A major part of the firm’s work with the company concerns strategic patent advice on its ongoing transition into a technology company. Alongside Gill in the capital are Jan Walaski, head of electronics and software, Peter Thorniley, Paul Derry and Alex Brown. Patrons remark: “I regard Peter as one of the finest EU/UK patent attorneys. He is my go-to person for EU and UK patent issues, including matters relating to the UPC, as well as protection of inventions involving artificial intelligence. Peter leads the effort at Venner Shipley on both of these fronts. He is an excellent communicator, extremely responsive to customer demands, and always provides thoughtful and creative insights into whatever legal issues we encounter. I cannot recommend Peter highly enough.” “Paul’s technical expertise extends to computer-related applications, and his skill in handling difficult matters and drafting exceed most that I have seen in the European area. He is an excellent patent attorney and I entrust many projects to him and his firm, Venner Shipley. He is responsive, competent and willing to provide helpful advice at every stage of prosecution. Paul’s work product is thorough, he is knowledgeable and communicative in all matters, and I would not hesitate in recommending him to others for work in Europe.” “Alex is my go-to for patent work in Europe. Alex and his team are very responsive and think outside the box to find solutions. On more than one occasion, they were able to obtain patents where others had failed. Their work is absolutely outstanding. I would not hesitate in recommending Alex.” Beyond London, the outfit also boasts strong practitioners in head of AI Richard Kennedy, in Guildford, and Catrin Petty in Manchester. “Richard’s technical expertise extends broadly to most electronic- and software-related applications, including machine learning, and his skill in handling difficult matters and drafting exceeds most that I have seen. He is an excellent patent attorney and we entrust many projects to him and to Venner Shipley. He is thorough, knowledgeable and communicative in all matters, and I would not hesitate in recommending him.” “Catrin constructs our patent applications directly from our raw data and this exercise is always rapid, collaborative and rigorous. She liaises with us throughout the examination process and makes suitable recommendations and strategic options. Catrin led us through a successful rebuttal of an opposition at the EPO. She is always very accessible by email or phone to talk through our options and her recommendations. Catrin provides a consistent, rapid, reliable and utterly trusted service in a critical aspect of our business. Through our 12 years of operating, we have built a sizeable patent portfolio across multiple projects, and Catrin has had a significant role in all of it. I would be happy to recommend Venner Shipley as our patent group of choice.” As another client remarks, “I would highly recommend the team at Venner Shipley as an outstanding firm for providing patent attorney services. However, in our experience, Venner is just as skilled and successful in patent litigation as in prosecution.” That litigation practice is headed by barrister James Tumbridge, who boasts over 20 years’ cross-jurisdictional experience fighting patent disputes.