The Legal 500

Work Department

Patents - biotechnology, chemistry and pharmaceuticals group.

Position

Simon's area of expertise encompasses both biological and chemical subject matter including the fields of molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. Simon represents a number of clients ranging from academic institutions to multinational corporations. Simon advises on all aspects of patent law including patent drafting and prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings. In particular, he handles the world wide vaccine patent portfolio for a major pharmaceutical company. He has additionally advised clients completing IP due diligence for stock market flotations. Simon's major clients are GlaxoSmithKline, for whom he handles a world wide vaccine patent portfolio and Molmed SPA, a leading Italian biotech company, Allergy Therapeutics (UK) Ltd and Fondazione Centro San Raffaele del Monte Tabor.Simon's work involves both opposition and appeals before the EPO and due diligence work. In 2010, Simon was involved in the due diligence associated with the completion of a share capital increase, with acquisition of new financial resources of €57.8m, for Molmed SPA. Simon has lectured at numerous conferences on life science issues in the patent arena, particularly in the field of vaccines and biomarker-based diagnostics. Of note, Simon was on a panel of experts discussing IP issues affecting biomarker-based diagnostics at the 2011 BIO Convention, one of the most well-attended discussions at the convention. Simon has recently authored articles published in Financier World and the Life Sciences Intellectual Property Review 2011, and is a contributor to CIPA's European Patent Handbook. During 2011 Simon, with Robert Dempster, launched a series of biotech European case law webinars, which have been particularly well-received by clients and associates across the world. In 2011 Simon began working with Cizzle Biotech, a spin out company from the University of York, focussed on the CIZ1 gene and its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer. Simon is highlighted by Legal 500 2011: "On the life sciences side, Catherine Mallalieu and Simon O'Brien are 'very reliable and have excellent legal and scientific backgrounds'".

Career

European patent attorney 2007; chartered patent attorney 2006. D Young & Co partner 2010. Prior to joining D Young & Co in 2001, Simon was a pharmaceutical research analyst for Datamonitor plc.

Member

Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA); European Patent Institute (epi).

Education

Churchill College, University of Cambridge (MA in Natural Sciences, majored in chemistry); Department of Chemistry, Cambridge University (PhD in Biological Chemistry, research into mode of action and biosynthesis of vancomycin group antibiotics - research funded by Eli Lilly); Queen Mary College, University of London (Certificate in Intellectual Property Law).