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Recommended - Individuals: prosecution
Boult Wade Tennant continues to maintain its reputation as one of the United Kingdom’s strongest patent prosecution offices. A particular standout of the firm’s practice is the deftness, technical sophistication and tenacity with which its practitioners handle oppositions at the EPO. The Cambridge-based Matthew Spencer is an expert in biotech and pharma work. A skilled drafter, Spencer also routinely supports his clients with keen-sighted due diligence and freedom-to-operate advice. One recent commercialisation project was for Abcam plc, which Spencer assisted in a NASDAQ listing last year. Another life sciences specialist in Edward Ronan. He regularly teams up with Nina White, head of the outfit’s biotechnology and life science group, including managing patent portfolios and strategy for iTeos Therapeutics and Almac Discovery. White is regularly called upon by pharmaceutical companies to handle their tricky EPO opposition and appeal work. Chemical and materials group head Adrian Hayes is also an experienced EPO advocate. Hayes typically attends over 20 oppositions every year. Other key members of the chemical group are Daniel Weston and Oliver Rutt. A member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Rutt has deep technical insight and achieves spectacular successes on behalf of his following. Weston, who supports patrons in a range of fields, has teamed up on a few occasions with Rohan Setna. The two led a successful opposition in food and beverage chemistry for Mondelez Global, defended their client Intercontinental Great Brands against an opposition launched by Nestlé and revoked a patent in appeal for Aktiebolaget SKF AB. Setna, a material science specialist who is confident working in a range of technical fields, is well connected and well respected across the UK patent landscape, and a dab hand when it comes to complex EPO work. Setna and James Short co-wrote the chapter on EPO oppositions and appeals for the fourth edition of The Patent Litigation Law Review. Short has a PhD in computer science and a background in engineering, making him a strong choice for players across a range of technologies. Dr Jonathan Palmer heads up the high-tech and electrical group. Other members of the high-tech and electrical group include Simon Kahn, Daryl Penny and Jason Pelly. Palmer, supported by Kahn and others, leads the outfit’s relationship with the UK’s Science and Technologies Facilities Council, based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratories. The group is closely involved in liaising with inventors, drafting patent applications and providing strategic advice in connection with the research institute. Pelly joins the list this year on the basis of strong customer feedback: “Jason’s detailed input feeds directly into our overall strategy. His docket management skills are superb. His guidance is always grounded in a deep understanding of the client’s business and goals, and informed by a deep knowledge of patent procedure, law and practice.” Boult Wade also boasts a flourishing designs offering. Tessa Bucks is head of engineering and designs and, like others at the group, is a skilled and accomplished handler of complex EPO opposition work. Tony Pluckrose works on the full range of intellectual property, including trademarks, and has advised numerous patrons on design and patent work, especially those involving a mixture of mechanical and electrical/electronic engineering.