Dr Penny Gilbert > Powell Gilbert LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Powell Gilbert LLP
85 FLEET STREET
LONDON
EC4Y 1AE
England

Work Department

Intellectual property.

Position

Partner specialising in advising on IP rights including patent litigation, licence disputes and freedom-to-operate issues, primarily in life sciences. Particularly experienced in advising on multi-jurisdictional patent litigation strategy. Has represented clients before UK High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, European Patent Office, UK Intellectual Property Office and on references to the CJEU and EFTA court. Solicitor advocate and qualified mediator.

Career

MRC research student 1982-85; Departmental demonstrator, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University 1985-86; technical assistant Bristows 1986-87; trained Bristows 1989-91; qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) 1991; partner Bristows 1998; founding partner Powell Gilbert LLP 2007;  Solicitor (Ireland) 2016; UPC Representative 2023.

Memberships

Past president and present advisory board member of European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW), AIPPI, LSLA, IPLA, LES, Editorial boards: Bio-Science Law Review, LSIPR and Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

Education

Colfox School, Bridport; Brasenose College, Oxford (MA Biochemistry; DPhil Molecular Biology); College of Law, London (CPE; LSF); Bristol University (Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice).

Lawyer Rankings

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)

(Hall of Fame)

Penny GilbertPowell Gilbert LLP

Providing its clients with a ‘combination of outstanding legal, technical and strategic competence’, Powell Gilbert LLP is highly capable of advising on the full gamut of patent issues arising from a multitude of technically complex sectors, particularly the life sciences sphere. The group frequently appears before the courts on very significant and market-leading cases. Penny Gilbert, who is a pre-eminent practitioner in the spheres of pharmaceuticals and biotech litigation, and Simon Ayrton, who deploys his extensive experience to assist a panoply of clients with FRAND disputes, as well as patent infringement and validity proceedings, jointly lead the practice. Zoë Butler is recommended for her strengths in multi-jurisdictional disputes, while Alex Wilson, who is fluent in French and German, represents notable clients in a range of matters relating to pharmaceuticals, semi-conductors, medical devices, and explosives. Bethan Hopewell leverages her background in molecular biology to handle issues arising from the life sciences sector, and Ari Laakkonen contributes his particular expertise in electronic patent litigation and licensing disputes. Other recommended lawyers include Tim Whitfield, Peter Damerell, Tom Oliver, Siddharth Kusumakar, Joel Coles, Tess Waldron, Rajvinder Jagdev, and Bryce Matthewson.

London > Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare

(Hall of Fame)

Penny GilbertPowell Gilbert LLP

Powell Gilbert LLP has developed a market reputation for high-profile IP litigation and advisory work and is praised for its ‘unparalleled collective knowledge in the life sciences patent litigation field’. Penny Gilbert leads the team and has amassed considerable experience in UK and European patent litigation. Zoë Butler’s board practice extends to patent entitlement disputes. Bethan Hopewell frequently represents clients in technically complex proceedings concerning issues such as therapeutic nucleoside analogues. Tim Whitfield, who divides his practice between London and Dublin, is frequently called upon to co-ordinate multi-jurisdictional patent litigation campaigns.