How I can help your business

• Provide strategic IP advice across all areas of chemistry - with particular depth in pharmaceuticals, small molecule chemistry and food chemistry
• Advise on Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs), Patent Term Extensions (PTEs) and regulatory exclusivities to maximise product lifecycle value and support long-term commercial planning
• Coordinate international patent prosecution and portfolio strategy across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring consistent technical and procedural handling that aligns with your global business objectives

Overview & Expertise

Will Nieuwenhuys is a Partner in Marks & Clerk’s London office and a member of the UK LLP Board. He has more than 20 years’ experience covering all aspects of patent practice, including drafting, UK and European Patent Office (EPO) prosecution, portfolio management, and freedom‑to‑operate reviews. He has significant experience in EPO oppositions and appeals, representing both patentees and opponents, and is recognised for providing clear, strategic direction in technically and procedurally complex disputes.

Will’s technical expertise spans small molecule organic and pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as food chemistry. His pharmaceutical work covers a broad range of therapeutic areas, with particular experience in direct‑acting antiviral nucleoside analogues, anti‑sense oligonucleotides, antibody‑drug conjugates, and chemotherapeutics. His experience in these areas helps clients protect valuable R&D outputs and navigate IP issues across diverse technologies.

He advises on Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs), Patent Term Extensions (PTEs), regulatory exclusivities, and loss‑of‑exclusivity (LOE) issues, providing practical guidance that supports long‑term product lifecycle planning.

Will holds a First Class MChem in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. He joined Marks & Clerk in 2003, qualified as a Chartered and European Patent Attorney in 2007, and became a Partner in 2010. He speaks fluent German and conversational French.

Client Work & Case Experience

• Gilead Sciences — Advising on patent portfolios relating to direct‑acting antivirals, including Sovaldi®, Harvoni®, Epclusa®, and Vosevi®. Work includes coordinating prosecution and strategic portfolio management across multiple jurisdictions.
• Daiichi Sankyo — Leading teams responsible for international patent filings and prosecution, and advising on associated rights including SPCs, PTEs, and related regulatory matters. Ensures consistent handling of technical and jurisdictional requirements across global portfolios.
• Food and beverage sector — Managing patent portfolios in food chemistry for a global ingredients manufacturer, covering sweeteners, starches, and fibres. Also advising a major brewer on the development and protection of protein‑ and fibre‑rich ingredients derived from upcycled spent grain.