We are delighted that the firm was top-ranked for UK Patent Prosecution in the latest IP Stars handbook. Eight of our partners were named as IP stars and a number of partners, senior associates and associates received individual recognition as rising stars.
Patent Editorial 2018
Carpmaels & Ransford is Managing IP’s UK Firm of the Year (2018) for patent prosecution. “Carpmaels is easily one of the finest IP firms in the world,” says a client. The firm has established itself as one of the leading lights in chemistry and life sciences patent protection work in Europe, though it also has expertise in technical fields such as advanced engineering and medical devices. The general view in the market is that the firm has been successful in its strategy to move away from being seen as a traditional patent and trade mark attorney firm. The number of disputes it is now handling, some of which have reached the English courts, is testament to its one-stop IP shop offering. “They have some bright young lawyers,” one rival admits. “A pretty impressive firm,” another rival adds. According to a client, the firm has “a highly experienced team with a creative approach to solving challenging IP problems.”
Some of the notable recommended European patent attorneys include Gary Small, Bruce Cockerton, Daniel Wise, James Warner, Mark Chapman, Cameron Marshall, John Brunner, Susan Kirsch and Hugh Goodfellow. “Every member of the team that we have worked with is absolutely top-notch in his or her area of expertise,” says a client. “The team at Carpmaels is phenomenal. They are knowledgeable, extremely friendly and incredibly responsive,” another adds. Susan Kirsch is rated by market commentators as one of the best in the market for EPO proceedings, and she is featured in Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP (2018). A client appreciates that she “always answers [enquiries] within a short time”. Another client recommends Susan Kirsch because she “advocates forcefully and effectively in opposition proceedings”. Some of the key IP lawyers in the firm are David Wilson, Jake Marshall, Camilla Balleny and Ian Kirby. Jake Marshall specialises in IP transactions. Jennifer Antcliff, Isobel Barry and Stephen Duffield are among the rising stars in the firm. Life sciences patent star Harvey Adams and Simon Llewellyn joined the firm in 2018. Simon Llewellyn, who specialises in patent litigation, is also an associate to watch. Associates John Fisher, Paul Kaufman and Christopher Hoggett are also commended for their work. Matthew Georgiou was promoted to partner in 2018.
Clients pick out more practitioners for praise. Ian Kirby is a “smart” lawyer who is “always unruffled” during litigation and he impresses clients with his “clear thinking”. Daniel Wise is a “down-to-earth” patent attorney who provides “solid support” to his clients. “Jake Marshall helped us in a rather complicated negotiation and he was able to provide effective solutions yet simple enough as to not complicate things more during the negotiation,” a client explains. Bruce Cockerton is “able to see the full picture” and the way he leads his team when prosecuting several patents is “remarkable”. “John [Brunner] provides quality service at a reasonable price,” says a client. “Cameron [Marshall] is, in my opinion, the premier biotech patent attorney in Europe,” remarks one client, who adds: “He is thoughtful, creative and responsible. A team player who helps to ensure positive, focused results.”
“Matthew [Georgiou] is one of the hardest working practitioners I know. He provides flawless advice,” says a client. Camilla Balleny provides “outstanding litigation advice” while James Warner is “one of the most knowledgeable chemical practitioners in Europe”. Jennifer Antcliff demonstrates an “excellent” understanding of the technical issues and the “ability to get into deep detail of both the science and legal points”. The client adds: “Pleasure to work with and collaborative with other external advisers and experts.” Isobel Barry’s “attention to detail is absolutely remarkable and this is reflected in the quality of her drafting”. Cameron Marshall led on the case for Merck Sharp & Dohme before the EPO Board of Appeal which saw the revocation of Shionogi’s HIV drug patent. The firm also acted for Abraxis Bioscience in an SPC application dispute with the UK IP office on the interpretation of Article 3(d) of the SPC Regulation, a case which was referred to the CJEU. Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences are among the companies the team advises on SPC protection in Europe.
Trade Mark & Copyright Editorial 2018
Carpmaels & Ransford can put together a solid team to assist brand owners with contentious and non-contentious trade mark matters. A client notes that the firm provides a “pragmatic, business-oriented service”. The firm is no longer a traditional firm of patent and trade mark attorneys, having bulked up its IP litigation and transactions practice in recent years to challenge the established law firms. Roger Lush is head of trade marks. He is supported by a team of European trade mark attorneys and IP lawyers including Jonathan Day, who a client describes as “outstanding, incredibly responsive and practical”. Another client also appreciates Jonathan Day’s “succinct communication” and “reasonable” billing. Head of disputes and litigation star Ian Kirby can seamlessly switch from patent litigation to trade mark and design disputes. One client notes: “Ian Kirby is thoughtful and always composed.” Transactions leader Jake Marshall delivers a “first-class” service to clients. Some of the firm’s attorneys are also suitably qualified to handle litigation. Lara Elder is a rising star in the soft IP team.
