The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > PATMA: Patent attorneys

Boult Wade Tennant LLP impresses with an especially deep bench of high tech and electrical practitioners, but also fields a strong biotechnology and life sciences caseload in addition to its busy engineering and chemical and materials practice. The group boasts an excellent track record in patent application drafting and opposition and appeal work, but is also experienced in transactional-related patent portfolio analyses. Nina White, Tessa Bucks, senior partner Nick McLeish and Oxford's Adrian Hayes form the quartet at the helm of the practice. Jonathan Palmer, Michelle Pratt, Reading's Jason Pelly, Howard Sands, Rohan Setna and James Short are also noted. Susi Fish in Reading and Matthew Ridley made partner. All attorneys are based in London unless otherwise stated. The firm also has an office in Cambridge and added a new office in Berlin in January 2019, continuing its expansion in continental Europe after having launched in Madrid in spring 2018.

Carpmaels & Ransford LLP maintains its strong opposition practice around its four key sectors: chemistry, life sciences, engineering and technology. Additionally, the group's solicitors are steadily increasing the litigation caseload, enabling the practice to represent clients in parallel opposition and enforcement proceedings, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. A robust track record of high-profile transactional work completes the group's wide-ranging offering. Managing partner Richard Jackson, head of life sciences Hugh Goodfellow, head of physical sciences John Brunner, head of pharmaceuticals James Warner, biotechnology practice head Mark Chapman, chemistry practice head Gillian McGuire, and engineering and technology practice head Gary Small form the heart of the practice. Life sciences and chemistry expert Harvey Adams joined from Mathys & Squire LLP. Pharmaceutical specialist Matthew Georgiou made partner.

D Young & Co LLP demonstrates broad sectorial strength, ranging from the telecoms, manufacturing and electronics sectors to the aerospace, biotechnology and especially the pharmaceutical sectors as key case generators. In addition to a strong patent drafting and portfolio management practice, often chosen by major international clients as well as prestigious universities and research institutes, the group impresses with its powerful UK and European opposition and appeal practice and complementary litigation offering. The team is also well versed in due diligence instructions, often acting for investment funds and venture capital players. Anthony Albutt and Kirk Gallagher direct the practice. In Southampton, physics and electronics specialist Nicholas Malden, electronic technology expert Jonathan Jackson and chemical and pharmaceutical professional Garreth Duncan are key contacts. Neil Nachshen, who focuses on biochemistry and pharmacology, is also noted. Rachel Bateman, Tamara Milton and Southampton's Alan Boyd and Cathrine McGowan made partner. Rooted in London and Southampton, the firm is continuing the expansion of its Munich office. Unless otherwise stated, all practitioners are based in London.

Dehns is one of the most established firms in the market and stands out especially through its prolific patent filing practice, both at the UKIPO and at the EPO. The group is also very experienced in opposition and appeal work and counts a high number of major British, Scandinavian (especially Norwegian), and US corporations among its longstanding clients. Senior partner Alexander Piésold and biotechnology practice head Hanna Dzieglewska, both in London; head of chemical Philip Towler in Oxford; and engineering practice head John Tothill in Brighton are key practitioners. Brighton's Philip Jeffrey, Deborah Owen and Oxford-based senior associate Mark Bell are also recommended. Oxford's Tim Wilson made partner. The firm also has offices in Bristol, Manchester and Sandwich as well as an international office in Munich.

J A Kemp demonstrates particular strength in the pharmaceutical, engineering and university sectors and is especially well known for its high-profile caseload acting for US and Japanese clients. EPO patent filings and oppositions account for a significant portion of the practice. The group's track record in successful patent restoration and its experience in supplementary protection certificates are other stand-out features. Engineering and IT practice head Michael Nicholls, chemistry and pharmaceutical practice head Celia Keen and biotechnology and life sciences practice head Patrick Campbell form the spine of the practice. Pharmaceutical and cleantech expert Ravi Srinivasan is another key practitioner. Patent and trade mark attorney and litigator Stephen Hodsdon joined in Cambridge from Mewburn Ellis LLP.

Kilburn & Strode LLP combines a strong pharmaceutical and life sciences practice with a powerful electronics and technology offering and an impressive track record acting for engineering clients. EPO opposition and appeal instructions form an important part of the caseload, but the group also excels in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications, portfolio development and management, and transactional instructions, including due diligences and fundraising prospectus opinions. Nick Bassil and Kristina Cornish direct the life sciences and chemistry practice while managing partner Richard Howson, Alexander Korenberg and chairman Gwilym Roberts are the heads of the electronics and IT department. Jim Miller heads the advanced engineering group. The firm also has offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Munich and The Hague.

Mathys & Squire LLP's life sciences and chemistry and IT, telecoms and engineering departments are among the most active and prestigious patent drafting and filing practices in the market. While the practice counts a high number of international corporations as its clients, it can also look back on a strong track record of prosecution work for start-ups and was appointed as a provider of intellectual property rights services for the North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium in 2018. Christopher Hamer and Martin MacLean direct the life sciences and chemistry group while Jane Clark and Ilya Kazi direct the IT and electronics department. Paul Cozens is the head of the engineering practice and the Cambridge-based Alan MacDougall leads the telecoms group. Hazel Ford joined as of counsel from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP and subsequently made partner. Of counsel Victoria Strachan, who joined from Wynne-Jones IP, has headed the Oxford office since it opened in late 2018, at the same time as the new Midlands office. Of counsel Alison Haile joined from Beresford Crump. Unless otherwise stated all practitioners are based in London. The firm also has offices in Brighton, Cambridge, Manchester and York, as well as three offices in continental Europe. Harvey Adams joined Carpmaels & Ransford LLP. Peter Garrett retired.

Mewburn Ellis LLP specialises in patents from the life sciences, chemistry and engineering sectors and acts for a good mix of universities and research institutes, start-ups and major international players. Machester-based Graeme Moore directs the engineering team, while Jeremy Webster is the head of the chemistry practice and Bristol's Simon Kiddle leads the life sciences group. In Bristol, the arrival of former Withers & Rogers practitioner Andrew Mears bolstered the engineering bench while Paul Dunne's promotion to partner strengthened the firm's chemistry, nanotech and life sciences offering.

Reddie & Grose LLP boasts wide-ranging sectorial expertise, including the life sciences, electronics, engineering and telecoms sectors. The firm's main office is in London, where practice heads Jan Vleck, Julie Millburn and Nick Reeve are based, but the firm also has an office in Cambridge, where the fourth practice head Michael Roberts is located. The London-based Paul Loustalan, who specialises in advanced engineering, automotive, materials and consumer product-related work, made partner.

Venner Shipley LLP offers expertise in innovative technologies, such as driverless cars, genome editing and artificial intelligence. The prosecution of computer-implemented inventions, especially computer simulations, is an area of particular strength. The electronics and technology, engineering, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors are the firm's mainstays. Managing partner Jan Walaski directs the electronics and engineering practice, while Sian Gill is the head of the chemical and life sciences team and Ian Grey leads the mechanical engineering group. The group has offices in London, Cambridge, Guildford and Manchester.

AA Thornton was especially active in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, energy, electronics and IT sectors, with other highlights coming from retail, medical device, agriculture and aerospace clients. The group increased its weight in the market with the partner promotions of Alex Bone, Nikesh Patel, Marianne Privett and Nick South. Adrian Bennett is the head of the engineering, physics and mechanical devices group, while Mike Jennings directs the electrical engineering, electronics, telecoms and IT department and Craig Turner leads the chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical practice. Emily Cottrill joined Henkel.

Traditionally strong in mechanical engineering and physics, Barker Brettell LLP remains a go-to firm for clients from the automotive and aerospace sectors, but also offers an impressive track record in the life sciences, consumer goods, energy and university sector, both in contentious and non-contentious matters. Design rights instructions are another key area of strength. With a main hub in Birmingham in addition to its offices in London, Nottingham and Southampton, and an international presence in Munich and, since March 2019, in Stockholm, the group is able to attract prestigious domestic and international clients. Senior partner John Lawrence and managing partner Andy Tranter, both based in Birmingham, direct the practice.

EIP stands out through its longstanding expertise in parallel prosecution and litigation cases and is especially well versed in high-tech cases, most notably instructions from telecoms clients. The group continued to expand its already high-profile roster of direct clients and added a Denver office in April 2018, the second of its international offices after the opening of the Düsseldorf office in 2013. In the UK, the group of practice heads Jerome Spaargaren, Heather McCann and Matt Lawman has offices in London, Bath, Cardiff and Leeds. Pete Wilson joined from BT and of counsel Danny Butler joined from his own practice.

Elkington + Fife LLP is among the most renowned oppositions and appeals practices in the market, including extensive experience in petitions for review, with a strong electronics department and a powerful team specialising in the prosecution of chemical and pharmaceutical patents, most notably acting for major generics players. The practice's strength in the prosecution of patents for software and computer-implemented inventions is another clear asset. London's Richard Gillard directs the chemical and life sciences group while Sevenoaks-based Nick Ertl heads the electrical and mechanical group.

Gill Jennings & Every LLP acquired Beresford Crump LLP in spring 2019, thereby increasing its clout in mechanics-, physics-, electronics-, optics- and software-related instructions. The pharmaceutical and life sciences sector is a particularly active case generator, but the team's track record demonstrates its sector versatility. The group fields a busy contentious caseload, containing a significant percentage of EPO opposition cases, but also demonstrates strength in strategic patent portfolio development for which it offers a specially designed offering under the name ConsultIP. Managing partners Michael Lord and Stephen Haley direct the practice. Software and electronics expert Matthew Hoyles made partner. Chemistry specialist John Fisher joined from Carpmaels & Ransford LLP.

Maucher Jenkins offers an integrated Anglo-German practice and fields an especially strong caseload in the life sciences, both domestic and European and including medical devices and biotechnology-related work, with the telecoms and manufacturing sectors as other key activity centres. In late 2018 the firm added an office in Shenzhen to its international footprint. In the UK, the group is present in London, Farnham, Cambridge and Edinburgh. James Cross, Hugh Dunlop, Reuben Jacob, Holly Whitlock and Philip Treeby direct the practice. Fiona Kellas made partner.

Potter Clarkson LLP opened a Copenhagen office in autumn 2018, reinforcing its geographical focus on Scandinavia, and offers a strong oppositions and appeals track record on top of a solid and growing drafting and filing practice, especially in the life sciences, electronics and engineering sectors. The group also demonstrates strength in high-stakes transactional work. Stephen Smith took over as managing partner from Colin Baker in 2019. Gareth Probert joined HGF Law. The firm's main patent hub in the UK is in Nottingham.

Withers & Rogers offers a particularly deep bench specialising in electronics, computing and physics patents, but also impresses with its advanced engineering and life sciences and chemistry teams. Additionally, the practice demonstrates strength in design rights. Dave Croston in Leamington Spa, Nick Wallin in London and Richard Worthington in Bristol form the trio at the helm of the practice. In London, blockchain practice group head Philip Horler, chemistry specialist Greg Stepney, cell and gene therapy expert Justin Wilson and Diego Black, who specialises in computer-implemented inventions, made partner.

Appleyard Lees is especially active for clients from the life sciences, chemical, electronics, retail and pharmaceutical sectors. With a five-office presence in the UK, the group is one of the largest in the market and offers the full range of trade mark prosecution services, ranging from the drafting and filing of applications to the development of filing strategies and the representation of clients in contentious proceedings. Joanne King is the group's managing director, with biochemistry expert Simon Bradbury, medical device and healthcare specialist Bobby Smithson and software expert Ian Robinson as the key practitioners.

Beck Greener LLP shoulders an especially heavy caseload for pharmaceutical, chemical and life sciences clients, but is also very experienced in the prosecution of patents from the engineering, manufacturing, technology and telecoms sectors.  Physics and electronics expert Avi Freeman heads the practice, which includes newly promoted partner and chemistry specialist Catherine Jewell.

Dentons continues to attract prestigious clients which it regularly advises on the management and development of their European patent portfolios. The technology and medical device sectors account for a significant portion of the caseload, but the group also regularly acts for automotive, semiconductor, life sciences and manufacturing clients. Given the firm's global footprint, the team boasts a strong track record of highly international cases. Clients also profit from the firm's patent litigation offering. Justin Hill is the head of the practice.

Forresters demonstrates strength in the life sciences, chemistry, and technology and engineering sectors. The group fields a busy oppositions and appeals caseload, with instructions regularly involving clients of US law firms, but is also very active in application drafting and filing and conducting due diligences. In addition to its UK patent hubs in Southampton, where managing partner Lloyd Hoarton is based, London and Birmingham, the group also has a long-established office in Munich.

Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP was created through the merger of Haseltine Lake LLP with boutique IP law firm Kempner & Partners in May 2019. The practice has since been able to assist with transactional work and litigation in addition to having expertise in patent prosecution for electronics, engineering, life sciences and energy clients. Key practitioners include Andrew Dowling, Ashley Giles and Frances Wilding in London and David Brown in Bristol. Joseph Lenthall joined the Bristol office from Mewburn Ellis LLP.

Murgitroyd expanded its domestic footprint with the acquisition of IP boutique Chapman IP in Southampton and Cardiff, but continues to stand out through its international presence with offices in Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Switzerland, in addition to client service offices in the US and a patent searching facility in Nicaragua. The group offers three patent groups: mechanical, life sciences and chemistry, and high-tech and software, with the Aberdeen-based James D Brown, the Glasgow-based Russell Thom and the Milan-based Guido Zerbi as the respective practice heads. The oil and gas and pharmaceutical sectors account for a significant portion of the caseload, including supplementary protection certificates, designs, utility models, and oppositions and appeal proceedings. Steven Suer joined in Aberdeen from Graham Watt & Co LLP.

Swindell & Pearson Ltd regularly prosecutes cutting-edge patents, including patents protecting 5G technology, innovations regarding the internet of things, blockchain patents, and patents protecting technology in autonomous vehicles. The lion's share of the recent caseload consisted of instructions from technology and automotive clients. In a testament to the group's experience in working with academic institutions, the practice was appointed to the North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium. Paul Higgin in Derby directs the practice, but the group also has offices in Sheffield, Stafford, Stoke and Wolverhampton. Noel Sanders joined the Derby office as patent adviser after a longstanding career as an engineer at Rolls-Royce. Robert Sales retired.

Lewis Silkin incorporating Abblet & Stebbing is experienced in technology-, engineering- and life sciences-related patent prosecution. Name partner Graham Ablett, Tom Gaunt and Paul Williams are the key practitioners.