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.

Life Sciences Bulletin

A review of topical EPO Case Law

Read the bulletin

Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation Summit

Join us in Philadelphia as we proudly serve as Platinum Partners

Find out more

Specialists

for the result you need

Photo: Mike Gilbert

Mike Gilbert

Partner Solicitor (UK)
Mike is an IP lawyer who advises clients in a wide variety of business sectors on issues including litigation and dispute resolution, IP strategy and risk limitation, due diligence projects and commercial and licensing transactions involving IP.
Photo: Monique Chu

Monique Chu

Partner Chinese and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Monique is a UK Chartered Patent Attorney and also qualified to practice as a Chinese Patent Attorney. She specializes in patent and has notable experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic related and mechanical inventions. Monique also has extensive experience in advising clients on design matters.
Photo: James Baker

James Baker

Partner | Canadian Patent Agent & Head of Chemistry & Life Science Canada
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.
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.

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

Article
- Tuesday, 24 September 2024

Deviation in recent caselaw from EPO Guidelines for mathematical methods

Recent developments in EPO caselaw, particularly decision T 1741/22, highlight a significant deviation from established guidelines on patenting mathematical methods. This decision raises questions about the protection of software and equipment for analysing received measurements, potentially impacting a wide range of industries.
Read more
Purple tomato
Article
- Friday, 30 August 2024

Time to ketchup on how the purple tomato is supercharging salads

The pictures on Instagram show bowls of fresh-looking caprese salad, with hunks of mozzarella, green basil, and vibrant tomatoes; red, yellow, and vivid purple. One of these tomatoes is not like the others. The purple tomato, from Norfolk Healthy Produce, gets its deep purple colour from high levels of anthocyanins in the fruit; the same chemicals are responsible for the lustrous hues of purple aubergines and blueberries.
Read more
Article
- Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Can my second medical use patent claim be supported by post-filed evidence?

So-called second medical use claims are a type of patent claim in the field of medicine. These claims are typically used to protect the use of a known substance or compound for a new and specific medical purpose. 
Read more

M&C Reacts

Show all
Monday, 26 August 2024

Break it down now: stubborn plastics broken down by microbes

Read more
Thursday, 15 August 2024

Combatting antimicrobial resistance

Read more
Wednesday, 24 July 2024

Taking Charge of Our Health: Medical Wearables

Read more
Tuesday, 9 July 2024

Celebrating a vaccine success

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