Search

Contact Us
Language
English 日本語

Search

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.

Antimicrobial resistance

IP strategies in the fight against AMR

Visit our AMR hub

Specialists

for the result you need

Mike Gilbert

Partner Solicitor (UK)
Mike is an intellectual property lawyer who advises clients in a wide variety of business sectors on issues including intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution, IP strategy and risk limitation, due diligence projects and commercial and licensing transactions involving intellectual property. He works closely with the firm’s patent attorneys to develop comprehensive strategies for parallel disputes.

Monique Chu

Partner Chinese and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Monique Chu is an accomplished UK and Chinese Patent Attorney with over 20 years of experience in intellectual property. Monique works with a diverse range of technologies, including chemistry, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and mechanical inventions.
Photo: James Baker

James Baker

Partner | Head of Chemistry & Life Science Canada | 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. She specialises in patents and registered designs, and works with multi-disciplinary clients.
Photo: Will Nieuwenhuys

Will Nieuwenhuys

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Will has experience in a variety of technical fields, with particular expertise in small molecule organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. His work often involves representing clients before the European Patent Office (EPO) and advising on patent strategies across participating member states.
Photo: Gareth Williams

Gareth Williams

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Gareth is a partner in the Cambridge office of Marks & Clerk, and has over twenty years of experience in IP. His technical background is in human molecular biology and genetics, having obtained a doctorate which was funded as part of the Human Genome Project.

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.

“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

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.

“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

Show all
Quick read - 11th July 2025

Bacteriophage therapy in the AMR armoury

Read more
In depth - 20th May 2025

Sustainabili-three to watch

Read more
Quick read - 25th April 2025

Tackling Eczema with Technology

Read more

We're proud to be a part of:

One Nucleus

One Nucleus is a not-for-profit Life Sciences & Healthcare membership organisation based in Cambridge.

Find out more

Bionow

Bionow is a membership organisation that supports the life sciences sector in Northern England.

Find out more

Stay informed

IP insights direct to your inbox

Subscribe