J A Kemp

Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Partner, European and UK Patent Attorney

Graham works across a diverse range of biotechnology and life sciences subject matter, particularly focusing on immunology and its applications in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, allergy and autoimmune disease. He has extensive patent drafting and prosecution experience for inventions relating to antibodies and related immunomodulatory agents, advanced therapies including peptide, nucleotide, gene and cell therapies, and vaccines and personalised medicine / diagnostics, particularly in the oncology field.

Graham handles European, British and foreign patent applications for a range of clients worldwide, including major US and European pharmaceutical companies, as well as smaller enterprises particularly in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He has acted in European Patent Office (EPO) oppositions and appeals for a range of technologies including antibodies (e.g. the blockbuster Opdivo), and has experience of coordinating contentious EPO proceedings with parallel litigation in the UK, Germany and elsewhere.

Earlier in his career Graham was seconded to work in-house at Circassia, at that time a start-up. As a result of this experience and subsequent work with other SMEs, Graham has a detailed understanding of the IP needs of businesses from the inside. He has expertise in global patent portfolio management and considerable experience of freedom to operate and due diligence issues, and how these develop at different stages in a company’s growth. Graham has assisted numerous clients with preparations for fundraising (grant and seed applications, plus Series A, B, C), as well as for licensing deals, collaborations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and other transactions up to and including IPO, most recently in connection with IO Biotech’s successful launch on NASDAQ.

Graham leads the J A Kemp team handling Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) and related regulatory issues for pharmaceutical and agrochemical products, in particular for antibodies and other biologics (biopharmaceuticals). He has extensive experience advising on patent term extension issues worldwide and has co-ordinated complex SPC filing and prosecution strategies across the EU/EEA for numerous drugs, including involvement with court-level appeals in numerous jurisdictions.

Before joining the profession, Graham studied Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at Oxford University, including a period investigating the immunology of diabetes at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Graham stayed in Oxford to complete his PhD in immunology under Professor Richard Cornall, at the Nuffield Department of Medicine headed by Professor Sir John Bell. As part of his PhD project, Graham also spent time working with Professor Chris Goodnow at the Australian National University in Canberra.

As a native of St. Helens, Graham’s interests outside the office include rugby - especially the 13-a-side variety.

Graham joined J A Kemp in 2005 and became a partner in 2015.

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA); Member of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (EPI)

University of Oxford, Masters Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry; University of Oxford, DPhil in Immunology