Dr Joel Coles > 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 intellectual property litigation. He is an experienced patent litigator who has worked on a number of the recent leading cases in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields. His strong life sciences background has been of particular relevance for his recent work relating to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare technologies, including vaccines, small molecule drugs, biologics, DNA sequencing, and genetic engineering. In particular, Joel has represented clients before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in two of the leading cases relating to the validity and infringement of second medical use (Warner-Lambert v Actavis) and biotechnology patents (Regeneron v Kymab). He has also worked on a number of electronics and mechanical engineering patent cases, and has experience of handling multi-jurisdictional patent actions. In addition to representing clients in litigation before the UK Patents Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, Joel has represented clients in European Patent Office opposition proceedings, and advises on patent litigation strategies, freedom to operate, and patent term extensions, including supplementary protection certificates.

Career

Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) 2011; Powell Gilbert 2011 – to date; Partner 2022; Solicitor (Ireland) 2016; UPC Representative 2023.

Memberships

AIPPI, EPLAW

Education

MBiochem (Biochemistry), Oxford University; PhD (Biochemistry), Cambridge University; LLB, BPP Law School; Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice, Oxford University.

Lawyer Rankings

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

Praised by clients for its ‘deep bench’ strength, Powell Gilbert LLP’s expertise spans numerous technical sectors, from pharma and medical devices to telecoms and electronics. The team handles an array of high-profile and complex litigation, two examples being Regeneron v Kymab and Unwired Planet v Huawei. Joint practice head, Penny Gilbert specialises in the life sciences field, which means she is regularly sought out by clients from this sector, while other practice head Simon Ayrton is recommended for his experience in handling heavyweight technical dispute resolution. Tim Powell is well-versed in representing a variety of clients in multijurisdictional patent litigation, with Zoë Butler’s strength in technology-related IP disputes, further bolstering the practice. Bethan Hopewell advises clients on issues arising from international technology standards, patent pools and associated licensing issues. ‘Impressive’ Ari Laakkonen’s broad range of experience encompasses FRAND obligations, licensing disputes, as well as general strategic advice. Peter Damerell specialises routinely assists clients on complex disputes that involve various technologies, with Tim Whitfield recommended for his pharma expertise. Alex Wilson, Siddharth Kusumakar, Tom Oliver, Joel Coles and Tess Waldron are also recommended.