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

Bristows LLP

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Praised by clients as an ‘extremely experienced and very well-established’ team, Bristows LLP’s one-stop shop is notable for its capabilities in handling technology, life science and consumer products. The team is involved in cutting-edge work in SEP/FRAND cases, alongside pharmaceuticals, including important biologics and antibodies cases. On the transactional side, the team routinely handles IP deals including settlements, high value research collaboration and licensing deals, and IP aspects of corporate and JV transactions. Andrew Bowler and Myles Jelf jointly lead the patent litigation practice, the former is well-versed in coordinating global litigation and the latter is noted for his expertise in telecommunication and high tech matters. Matthew Warren leads the transactional side of the practice, his most notable work includes a landmark research collaboration and licence agreement between Oxford University Innovation and AstraZeneca. Claire Smith is another name to note on the transactional side. Liz Cohen’s strengths lie in the realm of life sciences, while James Boon is sought after by clients in the telecoms and high-tech sectors. Other patent litigation specialists include Gemma Barrett, Richard Pinckney, Robert Burrows, Dominic Adair and Brian Cordery.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Bristows has an extremely experienced and very well-established IP team within a full-service firm - providing excellent support to all aspects of a case.’

  • ‘Quality is at the heart of everything Bristows does.'

  • 'Stand-out partners are Myles Jelf and Richard Pinckney.'

  • ‘Myles Jelf, Richard Pinkney and James Boon are all fiercely bright and really know their stuff in respect of telecoms and high category technical litigation. They foster teams that work hard and deliver the highest and most exacting standards. Always a pleasure to work with.'

  • 'They are involved with most of the high-profile litigation in this area and have an impressive client base.’

  • ‘Bristows has an exceptionally strong team of patent litigators, with excellent individuals at both at partner and associate level. In my view it remains in the top patent litigation firms in the UK.’

  • ‘Very personal advice. Adapted to our very specific business.’

  • ‘They always try to find the best solution to our issues.’

Key clients

  • Novartis
  • Sandoz
  • Siemens
  • Philips
  • Teva
  • IPCom
  • Scientific Drilling International
  • Prysmian
  • AstraZeneca
  • Carrick Therapeutics

Work highlights

  • Advising on a critical, high profile patent deal between AstraZeneca and RQ Bio to license-in new antibodies (developed in collaboration with Oxford University) to produce treatments to protect vulnerable people against new variants of Covid-19.
  • Advised Novartis on high-profile patent litigation relating to blockbuster medicine Gilenya, involving successfully arguing (for the first time) that a patentee can apply for interim injunctive relief before patent grant.
  • Advised Siemens Gamesa in relation to two prominent UK patent litigation cases which formed part of a global battle (a so-called “clash of the titans”) between it and General Electric in the increasingly important field of wind turbine technology. Wind energy is a crucial part of the UK’s energy policy for the future.

Lawyers

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Myles Jelf
Hall of fameBristows LLP
Myles is Joint Head of the patent litigation department. He specialises in intellectual property matters with an emphasis on litigation. While his practice covers the full range of intellectual property rights it has focused in recent years upon high-tech patent litigation for multinational companies – his clients include Samsung, Google, Pratt & Whitney and ZTE. Myles is also part of Bristows' competition department with experience of handling competition disputes before the UK courts and the European Commission. His work within this department has given him considerable experience in the interface between IPRs and anti-trust issues, particularly in the telecoms sector where he has acted in a number of leading UK cases including Samsung v Apple, IPCom v Nokia / HTC, Unwired Planet v Samsung and Conversant v ZTE. This experience has meant Myles is at the front of the developing legal area of FRAND dispute resolution. Myles' post-doctoral level engineering training particularly suits him to the more technically demanding cases within his patent practice. Recent cases within this practice have focused on the computing, telecoms and computer gaming sectors. Myles also, however, acts for a number of industrial clients notably in the aerospace and robotic technology sectors. Myles is a qualified Solicitor-Advocate with full rights of audience before all the UK's civil courts. He is a member of AIPPI and a Board Director of EPLAW. His practice has an international nature, with the vast majority of cases in the last 10 years including the co-ordination of parallel cases in jurisdictions throughout the EU and the US. He has closely followed the development of the pan-European Unified Patent Court (UPC) throughout its gestation, attending and speaking at two of EPLAW’s Venice Patent Judges Congresses in the last five years.
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Brian Cordery
Bristows LLP
Brian specialises in intellectual property dispute resolution with a focus on patent litigation in the life sciences sector. Brian has more than 20 years’ experience of litigating patents for successful pharmaceutical products – predominantly for originators. He has also handled patent cases for other sectors including electronics and consumer goods. Brian is presently engaged in several projects relating to the global defence of the intellectual property for some of the world's best–selling pharmaceutical products. This involves the co–ordination of legal teams across the world to ensure that the optimal strategy is pursued at both global and local levels. He is also involved in several intellectual property cases in the English Courts across a broad range of industry sectors. Brian’s practice includes resolving disputes relating to biological medicines as well as small molecule drugs in disease areas including oncology, respiratory, and immunology. Brian is the co–author of an annual review of UK patent cases which is published annually in the CIPA Journal. He also teaches patent law on the Oxford University Diploma on Intellectual Property Law and Practice. He is the co-editor of the Kluwer Patent Blog. In 2018 and 2019, Brian was chosen by Who’s Who Legal as the Life Sciences Patent Litigation lawyer of the year and the Patents lawyer of the year.
Matthew Warren
Bristows LLP
Matthew is the head of Bristows’ Commercial IP group and advises on transactions involving the development, exploitation and transfer of intellectual property rights.His scientific background is of particular assistance when negotiating and advising on transactions involving new technologies. He has advised on a number of successful global licensing programmes for the exploitation of new technologies and has also advised in relation to international patent pooling arrangements.He works across many sectors but has particular experience in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medtech, electronics, software, telecoms, petrochemical, cleantech and other industrial sectors. Matthew's experience in negotiating commercial contracts for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medtech clients includes technology licensing agreements, R&D collaboration agreements, drug development and licensing agreements, clinical trial agreements and option agreements for licences. He also advises pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients on the commercial and intellectual property law aspects of manufacturing, distribution, co-promotion and marketing agreements.The negotiation of agreements to resolve disputes involving intellectual property rights forms a significant part of Matthew’s practice. This has included global settlements to end litigation across multiple jurisdictions involving complex intellectual property, licensing and financial arrangements.He advises on the intellectual property aspects of setting up joint ventures and other collaborations including in relation to the ownership and licensing of intellectual property and improvements. Matthew has particular experience advising on intellectual property issues relating to technical standards including FRAND terms for licensing standard essential patents.Matthew was involved in setting up the IP Transactions Course at the UCL Faculty of Laws, University College London and lectures on the course.
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Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Gemma Barrett
Bristows LLP
Gemma is an experienced patent specialist with a focus on advising clients in the chemical and life sciences sector in relation to patent disputes and strategy.  She has experience before the English Patent Courts and in the worldwide coordination of patent portfolios.Gemma is an experienced and trusted advisor for some of the world’s leading life sciences and chemical companies. She has more than ten years’ experience advising clients in patent litigation matters before the English Courts and providing strategic advice in relation to complex, multi-jurisdictional patent portfolios. He advice is technically excellent but also takes into account the wider commercial implications. Gemma’s focus is on the life sciences and chemical sectors and her 1st in biochemistry provides her with a sound understanding of such disputes.  Her experience involves small molecule pharmaceuticals, molecular diagnostics, biologics, antibodies, antibody technology and industrial chemical processes. Gemma has experience of litigating patents before the English Courts (including obtaining preliminary injunctions) and extensive experience of cross-border litigation within Europe and elsewhere in the world, including India and China. Gemma also coordinates worldwide litigation, working closely with multi-disciplinary teams in the defence and enforcement of patent portfolios. Gemma has developed innovative and successful strategies, often combining patent and regulatory law, to assist pharmaceutical companies in the enforcement of their rights. Gemma has considerable experience in domestic and international arbitrations (including ad hoc arbitration and before the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce). Gemma specialises in arbitration involving technical subject matter and many of her arbitration cases involve very substantial damages claims. Gemma is an experienced presenter and panel member. She is a co-editor of the EPO reports Bristows produces for the CIPA Journal, co-authored the UK chapter of AIPLA’s International Patent Litigation guide and writes on UK and EPO case law for a number of IP blogs.
Richard Pinckney
Bristows LLP
Richard specialises in IP disputes with a focus on patent litigation and the technology sector.His practice covers all aspects of IP disputes including enforcement and licensing strategies, FRAND issues and SEPs, freedom to operate, breach of confidence and trade secrets, as well as patent validity and infringement. A significant part of his practice involves the coordination of litigation before the UK Courts with parallel proceedings in other jurisdictions, particularly the USA and in Europe, as well as before international patent offices. As a solicitor advocate, Richard is qualified to appear before all courts in England and Wales.Richard has a background in engineering and his technical patent litigation experience includes the telecommunications, computer hardware and software, engineering, human computer interaction and LED lighting sectors. Richard has integrated his technical practice with a significant FRAND practice. He advises on issues arising in disputes relating to international technology standards and patent pools including contract, competition law, enforcement and licensing. Richard has acted in the leading FRAND cases in the UK for Philips, IPCom and Samsung. Richard is a member of AIPPI (Association for Protection of Intellectual Property), EPLAW (European Patent Lawyers Association) and LES (Licensing Executive Society) and is a regular speaker at international conferences on UK patent litigation and FRAND.
Claire Smith
Bristows LLP
Claire specialises in commercial and intellectual property transactions, most notably in the life sciences, technology, media and consumer product sectors.Claire advises on a wide variety of commercial and IP transactions (the large majority of which are cross-border) and on corporate and investment deals where IP is an important asset. Before becoming a lawyer, Claire spent a number of years working for Abbott Laboratories' medical device business. Since being at Bristows, Claire has also spent time seconded to the in-house legal team of a leading global pharmaceutical company. She is also a member of the UK Bio Industry Association’s Intellectual Property Advisory Committee.Examples of her recent experience include advising: pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and digital health companies on joint ventures, R&D collaborations, strategic partnerships and licensing deals (with commercial and academic partners) to bring novel treatments and devices to market leading pharmaceutical companies on acquisitions and disposals of rights in medicinal products and the sale of manufacturing and packaging facilities multinational companies on key COVID-19 projects, including collaborations relating to a multijurisdictional clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine, and setting up and operating a COVID-19 testing facility SMEs and international organisations on development, services, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements for a wide range of pharmaceutical, industrial and consumer products a fast-growing start-up on the IP and commercial arrangements relating to the creation, protection and exploitation of a new children’s character.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Andrew Bowler, Myles Jeff, Matthew Warren

Other key lawyers

Liz Cohen, James Boon, Robert Burrows, Dominic Adair, Brian Cordery, Gemma Barrett, Claire Smith, Richard Pinckney

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