The team at Elkington + Fife LLP is well-regarded for its ‘technical excellence, strategic foresight, and unwavering client commitment’ and has noteworthy capabilities handling matters in the life sciences and chemistry sectors, in particular. Richard Cooke is well-placed to handle oppositions and appeals in Europe, with experience at the UPC. Zachary Jelley’s focus areas include electronics and computer-implemented subject matter-related IP work. At the team’s helm are Richard Gillard, who harnesses almost 30 years’ experience in patent matters and significant EPO expertise, James Anderson, who has expertise in engineering-related patent cases, Daniel Portch, biotech specialist Glyn Truscott and Rob O’Callaghan whose workload includes patent drafting, prosecution and opposition matters. The team is based across Sevenoaks and London.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘I work with Zachary Jelley who is easy to work with, very professional, and I believe personally invested, it seems in much more than just delivering the task.’
- ‘Jens Grabenstein is an exceptional patent attorney - his deep understanding of tech is evident in the way he presents the fact patterns to our team and scientists. Jens dedicates the necessary time to fully grasp the disclosed tech, ensuring that the quality of the final product consistently aligns with our best practices.'
- ‘Zachary Jelley is very available, engaged and extremely intelligent. He is also prepared to listen when we need to adapt drafts for commercial reasons. I also work with Rob O'Callaghan who is excellent.’
- ‘Elkington + Fife LLP distinguishes itself through a combination of technical excellence, strategic foresight, and unwavering client commitment. The team demonstrates a consistently high level of expertise across a broad spectrum of technologies, with particular strength in the pharmaceutical sector.'
- ‘The individuals I have worked with at Elkington + Fife LLP consistently demonstrate a rare blend of technical mastery, strategic thinking, and genuine client focus. What sets them apart from competitors is not only their deep subject-matter expertise— particularly in the life sciences and pharma sectors - but also their ability to communicate complex legal and technical issues with clarity and precision.'
Key clients
- AbbVie Inc.
- Accord Healthcare
- Agco Corp
- Aktis Oncology, Inc.
- AIM Sport AG
- Alcon Laboratories Inc.
- Amgen Inc.
- Analog Devices Inc.
- Ansa Biotechnologies, Inc.
- Apeel Sciences Inc.
- Astex
- Balfour Beatty
Work highlights
Secured the grant of two key European patents for Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Successfully defended a key patent for the client.
Revoked key patent successfully for a generics company.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Richard Gillard; James Anderson; Daniel Portch; Glyn Truscott; Rob O’Callaghan
Other key lawyers
Jens Grabenstein; Oliver Kingsbury; Andy Nicoll; Zachary Jelley; Richard Cooke; Ellie Seymour