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Leading life sciences IP experts

Technical and legal capabilities accurately matched to your needs

Intellectual property is a critical asset in the life sciences sector. With Marks & Clerk, you work with leading life science experts, whose technical and legal capabilities are accurately matched to your needs. People who understand your world and are experienced in identifying, protecting, enforcing and maximising the value of IP rights for life sciences businesses.

Technical and sector expertise

Marks & Clerk has a large team of leading life science experts. The size of our team means that we have extensive expertise in all life science technical areas, including small molecules, biologics, molecular biology, gene therapy, virology, plant biotechnology, vaccines, wounds, immunology, bioinformatics and diagnostic methods. 

We also have expertise in all other exclusivities particular to the life sciences sector, including:

  • supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) for medicinal and plant protection products
  • patent term extensions
  • regulatory exclusivities
  • plant variety rights.

Specialists

for the result you need

Photo: Monique Chu

Monique Chu

Partner Chinese and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Monique has notable experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic related and mechanical inventions.
Photo: James Baker

James Baker

Partner Canadian Patent Agent
James Baker is a partner and registered Canadian patent agent in the Ottawa office of Marks & Clerk Canada.

Upasana Patel

Partner Registered (SG) and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Upasana qualified as a Singapore Registered Patent Attorney in 2007 and as a Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney in 2012.
Photo: Will Nieuwenhuys

Will Nieuwenhuys

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney
Will has experience in a variety of technical fields, with particular expertise in small molecule organic and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Integrated team

We work collaboratively across different disciplines to achieve the best possible outcome

Our team includes patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, commercial lawyers and IP litigators. This combined expertise and experience means that we can provide every type of intellectual property service you need from the moment an invention is identified through to enforcement or defence of IP rights in opposition proceedings or litigation. We’re used to working collaboratively across different disciplines to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

As well as identifying, enforcing and defending IP rights, we carry out life science due diligence projects and commercial work, including when preparing for investment and IPOs.

Our team acts in high value disputes before the courts and patent offices, often in coordinated, multi-jurisdictional proceedings.

Clients

Our life sciences team acts for world-leading multinationals as well as start-ups, universities, public sector organisations, and established SMEs. Our clients include businesses from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food technology and agritech sectors.

“The group stands out for its particularly busy Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent filing practice and its longstanding experience in matters at the intersection of litigation and prosecution, making the team a popular choice for sophisticated matters, especially for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.”
The Legal 500, 2020

“Pharmaceutical multinationals flock to the firm with cross-jurisdictional litigation and transactions instructions, alongside routine filing and prosecution tasks”
IAM Patent 1000, 2020

Latest Insights

M&C
Article
- 19 October 2022

Preliminary opinion published in G2/21 (“Plausibility”)

As we reported previously, the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal is to consider the question of the admissibility of post-published evidence in the consideration of inventive step, in referral G2/21.
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Article
- 22 August 2022

Crystallising European practice on the patentability of polymorphs

Taking a new drug candidate from the initial discovery phase, through clinical trials, and then to market can be a lengthy process. In some cases, the maximum 20-year term of a patent for a new chemical entity (NCE) may not be enough to provide innovators with adequate protection at the later stages of the drug development process
Read more
Photo: Gavel and Justice Scale
Article
- 11 August 2022

Cook v Boston – practicalities relating to the Shorter Trial Scheme and costs budgeting

The Shorter Trial Scheme (STS) was set up with the purpose of providing parties with an avenue to achieve earlier, shorter trials for reasonably sized litigation at a proportionate cost. The judgment in proceedings between Cook and Boston contains a few practical points on the STS and other case management issues.
Read more

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