• Our People
  • Global Presence
  • Regions
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Americas
  • Offices
    • Canada
      • Ottawa
      • Toronto
    • China
      • Beijing
      • Hong Kong
    • France
      • Paris
      • Sophia Antipolis
    • Luxembourg
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • UK
      • Aberdeen
      • Birmingham
      • Cambridge
      • Edinburgh
      • Glasgow
      • London
      • Manchester
      • Oxford
  • Client liaison
    • Japan
    • Korea
  • Expertise
  • Services
    • Patents
    • Brands & Trade Marks
    • Designs
    • Litigation & Dispute Resolution
    • Commercial IP & Contracts
    • Due Diligence
    • Freedom to Operate
    • EPO Patent Oppositions
    • European Patent Validations
    • Anti-counterfeiting
    • Open Source & Third Party Code
  • Sectors
    • Energy & Environment
    • Life Sciences
    • Agritech
    • Medical Technologies
    • Chemistry
    • Transport
    • Entertainment & Creative Industries
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Retail
    • Universities & Research Bodies
    • Start-ups & Spin-outs
    • Digital Transformation
      • 3D Printing
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Data & Connectivity
      • Extended Reality
      • Industry 4.0
  • About Us
    • Working with us
    • Awards
    • Corporate & Social Responsibility
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Careers
  • Insights
    • M&C Reacts
    • Beyond Brexit - UK & EU trade marks
    • Covid-19
    • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
    • All publications
  • Contact Us
Marks & Clerk logo (magenta)
Marks & Clerk logo (magenta)
Contact Us
Language
English
Our People
Global Presence
Regions
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Americas
Offices
  • Canada
    • Ottawa
    • Toronto
  • China
    • Beijing
    • Hong Kong
  • France
    • Paris
    • Sophia Antipolis
  • Luxembourg
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • UK
    • Aberdeen
    • Birmingham
    • Cambridge
    • Edinburgh
    • Glasgow
    • London
    • Manchester
    • Oxford
Client liaison
  • Japan
  • Korea
Expertise
Services
  • Patents
  • Brands & Trade Marks
  • Designs
  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution
  • Commercial IP & Contracts
  • Due Diligence
  • Freedom to Operate
  • EPO Patent Oppositions
  • European Patent Validations
  • Anti-counterfeiting
  • Open Source & Third Party Code
Sectors
  • Energy & Environment
  • Life Sciences
  • Agritech
  • Medical Technologies
  • Chemistry
  • Transport
  • Entertainment & Creative Industries
  • Food & Drink
  • Fashion & Retail
  • Universities & Research Bodies
  • Start-ups & Spin-outs
  • Digital Transformation
    • 3D Printing
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain
    • Data & Connectivity
    • Extended Reality
    • Industry 4.0
About Us
  • Working with us
  • Awards
  • Corporate & Social Responsibility
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
Insights
  • M&C Reacts
  • Beyond Brexit - UK & EU trade marks
  • Covid-19
  • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
  • All publications

Simon Portman

Of Counsel

Europe
Cambridge

Get in contact

+44 1223 345520 sportman@marks-clerk.com
vCard

Simon specialises as a commercial contract lawyer for technology companies. He works for clients in the electronics, bioscience, defence, software, nanotech and creative industries, advising companies ranging from small start-ups to big multinationals as well as individuals, public bodies and charities. Nordic clients form a significant part of his practice, notably Finland and Norway. Simon also spearheads the firm’s memberships of the Finnish British Chamber of Commerce and the Norwegian British Chamber of Commerce; he is a member of Trondheim networks UT and T-AI; and Helsinki digital transformation network Spatial8.

He advises on a wide range of contracts, including licenses, R&D collaborations, manufacturing agreements and procurement documentation. On the regulatory front, he has advised on compliance with clinical trials legislation and novel food applications, as well as freedom of information and data protection issues.

Simon has co-written two business textbooks, Commercial Issues for Life Science Companies and Intellectual Property: the Lifeblood of your Company and has contributed articles to numerous publications, including the Financial Times, Patent World and Managing Intellectual Property. He regularly gives seminars and workshops at pharmaceutical conferences in the UK and internationally. He was also part of a UK IPO steering group putting together policies and contracts suitable for R&D collaborations in China

He heads the firm’s Extended Reality team and in that capacity supplies specialist advice and training to members of XR organisations such as Immerse UK and XR Nation.

Prior to joining Marks & Clerk Law in March 2009 Simon trained at a London law firm (where his training included secondment to the petrochemical industry) and subsequently worked at one of Cambridge’s leading commercial practices. Simon spearheads the Cambridge branch of Marks & Clerk Law. He is a member of the industry groups One Nucleus and Cambridge Network.

Simon has been recognised as a leading practitioner in Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences 2019 and a rising star by Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars, 2018. 

Simon is a Guest Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, teaching IP within the MPhil in Therapeutic Sciences.

Representative Clients

Alzheimer Scotland

Daal Noise Control Systems

IOmet Pharma Limited

Downing College, Cambridge

DS Smith Packaging Limited

Languages

  • English

Specialist in

  • Commercial IP & Contracts
  • Extended Reality
  • Entertainment & Creative Industries
  • Life Sciences

Qualifications

Qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales (1997)

Legal Diploma, London Guildhall University (1995)

BA Literae Humaniores, Oxford University (1990)

Search our people

Latest Insights

Insight
- 26 April 2022

World IP Day 2022: Welcome boosts for innovation on both sides of the pond

It is important to remember that, as crucial and valuable as intellectual property protection is, it is not much use without a steady stream of innovation it can be applied to.
Read more
Insight
- 22 April 2022

Sounds simpler than it is?

Creative output in many media, be it radio, TV, film, animation, video games or XR content, often has to go through the sound post production phase during which all or part of the audio element is created and added to the visual.
Read more
Insight
- 04 March 2022

Money for nothing? Not quite.

Grant funding and other financial assistance schemes available for U.K. creative start-ups.
Read more
Marks & Clerk logo (white)
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice
  • Cookies
  • Legal Notices
  • Lexology
  • Mondaq