Biography

Hugh Goodfellow
Partner

B.A. (Hons.) (Biochemistry), MA, D.Phil., Chartered Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney.

Hugh finished his D. Phil. in molecular biology in 1995 which left him well-placed starting his career at a time when there were very few patent attorneys with a similar background. This experience of working at the bench affords him a rare perspective and is combined with great enthusiasm and passion for science. This is reflected in the approach that he applies when drafting cases, when prosecuting them before the various Patent Offices, and in a litigation setting when attacking or defending patents before the EPO or in the UK High Court.

Whilst qualifying, he cut his teeth under the expert tutelage of experienced attorneys at Carpmaels who had drafted and prosecuted many of the early biotechnology cases, and so became centrally involved at an early stage in a number of important multi-party EPO oppositions and appeals for sophisticated clients. Since then he has been responsible for establishing the filing strategy and so generating IP portfolios for a number of UK start-up companies, and has guided clients from early conception through financing rounds and subsequent public flotation.

His direct clients range from biotech companies in the UK and continental Europe, universities and research organisations through to large and long-established US companies. These experiences give Hugh the ability both to protect foundation IP as broadly as possible and to forecast potential future problems, both from the viewpoint of IP generation and freedom-to-operate.