Carpmaels & Ransford LLP

Life sciences

Hugh is the Managing Partner at Carpmaels & Ransford and a Partner in the Life Sciences team.  He has a large prosecution practice, spanning Europe and beyond, and he is a regular visitor to the European Patent Office (EPO), handling many oppositions and appeals. He has pan-European expertise in the filing and prosecution of supplementary protection certificates nationally, as well as considerable experience before the European Court of Justice, including the widely cited Queensland (C-630/10), Neurim (C-130/11) and Abraxis (C-443/17) referrals.

Hugh has an “expansive practice” (IAM Patent 1000) with clients ranging from large and long-established global companies (e.g. Janssen, Takeda, Bristol Myers Squibb, Regeneron and Vertex) through to growing biotech companies (e.g., Akari, Radius Health, Hubrecht Organoid Technology, Translate Bio and Westway Health). During his career, he has been responsible for establishing the filing strategy and generating IP portfolios for a number of start-ups, guiding some of these clients all the way from early conception, through financing rounds and subsequent public flotation. His particular area of current focus includes biologics – in particular, therapeutic antibodies, complex immunology, biosimilar defence work and stem cell technology. Collectively, these experiences have developed Hugh’s ability to consistently and successfully protect foundation intellectual property and forecast potential future problems from the viewpoint of both IP generation and freedom to operate. Hugh has been noted as a “top-tier advisor” who “seamlessly links the firm’s prosecution division with its dispute resolution arm” (IAM Patent 1000).

Hugh received his BA (Hons) in Biochemistry and his MA and DPhil from the University of Oxford. His experience at the bench was spent investigating mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer cells. In addition to his work at Carpmaels & Ransford Hugh is a trustee for the UK charity Pancreatic Cancer Action.

BA (Hons) and MA Biochemistry (University of Oxford) DPhil (University of Oxford) Chartered Patent Attorney European Patent Attorney European Patent Litigator