Beck Greener LLP

Anna Hatt

A “chemistry ace” according to commentators, Anna Hatt impresses clients with her “sharp mind”, careful forward planning and firm technical grasp. Her skills are on show in a variety of fields, from aquaculture to semiconductors. Anna is a patent specialist with a background in chemistry which has blossomed into wide-ranging industry experience. Experienced in drafting, prosecution and opposition advice before the EPO and UKIPO, she is particularly valued by clients for a level of thoroughness and expertise that means they “really feel safe that everything and all angles of a case will have been properly considered.” Patent expert Anna enjoys handling a wide variety of subject matter, including food production and packaging, aquaculture, printing materials, polymers and semiconductor manufacture. Coming from a medical family, she also has a particular interest in medical devices. Anna assists clients with patent drafting, prosecution and opposition work and provides advice on patent infringement and validity. As market commentators have noted, she has an impressive success rate in opposition and appeal hearings, where her skill in finding gaps in the argumentation is invaluable. She is also highly experienced in representing clients at the EPO and UKIPO, where she’s demonstrated a keen understanding of the EPO’s new arrangements for videoconference hearings adopted under Covid. Her clients, many of which are based in the Nordic region, include companies from start-ups to household name multinationals, as well as an NHS trust. Anna also has a notable interest in patent education. A regular contributor to the CIPA Guide to the Patents Acts, the standard reference text for UK patent attorneys, she edits a monthly update on UK patent case law for the CIPA journal and has been recognised for this with a CIPA Journal Editor’s Award. In addition Anna designs and runs training courses on patent skills for the patent department of an important client and presents webinars on UK and European Patent law for specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Avi Freeman

Experienced in working with market leading companies from fields as diverse as optics, communications, computer hardware and software, and electronic and mechanical engineering, Avi also takes great satisfaction in assisting start-ups and young companies, especially when the IP infrastructure he has helped to create supports their growth. He also enjoys supporting international hi-tech companies, either directly or through local patent attorneys. Widely admired for his experience in the engineering, physics and electronics sectors, Avi has considerable expertise in advising on and obtaining patent protection for computer hardware and software. Valued by clients for his strong strategic sense, technical knowledge and real-world business skills, he prides himself on taking time to understand their products and deliver pragmatic advice, on time and to budget. Avi is skilled at drafting, filing and prosecuting cases at the European Patent Office and at the UK Intellectual Property Office, acting for multinational corporations and start-ups alike. He has comprehensive experience of post-grant procedures at the EPO, achieving a high success rate in oppositions and appeals. Avi also has a large caseload before international patent offices, particularly the USPTO, where he prosecutes applications on behalf of direct clients with the assistance of local counsel. In addition to his patent workload, Avi also advises on the protection of both registered and unregistered designs. His problem solving skills mean that Avi is often brought in by clients when value added advice is at a premium, or asked to take over troublesome cases from other firms. Active in thought leadership, Avi writes and publishes in the field of computer-implemented inventions, an area in which he is internationally recognised. He travels widely to the US, Asia and the Middle East, speaking and presenting on matters of European law ranging from general developments, like the European unitary patent, to the more specific, such as the European and UK approach to the protection of computer-implemented inventions. Avi, having been invited, recently chaired a round table on the subject of AI at the Asian Patent Attorneys Association Council Meeting.

Ben Muir

An expert in pharmaceuticals and biotech work, as well as chemicals and chemical engineering, Ben is a favourite with leading multinationals, who appreciate his breadth of international experience. Clients also value his deep knowledge and painstaking thoroughness, with one noting that “Ben Muir is highly skilled technically and legally diligent,” and describing him as “detail-oriented, and a pleasure to work with.” Ben’s practice is focused on the chemical, chemical engineering and life sciences sectors. His broad expertise encompasses air and gas separation, cryogenics, combustion, syngas, semiconductor manufacture, new chemical entities and chemical formulations, as well as pharmaceuticals and medical treatments and diagnostic methods, protein and nucleic acid synthesis and purification, and antibodies. Ben’s clients, which include a number of leading multinational corporations who instruct him directly, are full of praise for his understanding of their technology and the technical skill he’s gained over years of drafting applications for filing before the US, European and International Patent Offices. He also prosecutes cases before the European and International Patent Offices and consults on the prosecution of cases in the US, Japan, China, India and elsewhere. Ben regularly defends his clients’ patents and challenges competitors’ patents in opposition and appeal proceedings before the EPO. He also provides patent landscape, infringement and freedom to operate opinions, with experience in transactional and licensing work rounding off a broad practice. While Ben is much sought after by the world’s largest life sciences companies, he also enjoys working with smaller and medium-sized companies, and often handles all aspects of their patent portfolios. For many years Ben was a member of the Life Sciences Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), whose remit includes advising the UK government and other international bodies, providing training to its members, and publishing educational resources on IP matters in the life sciences field. Within Beck Greener Ben’s responsibilities include the Records and Renewals department. As the partner in charge, he ensures that the department runs efficiently, due dates are docketed and renewals are promptly paid.

Catherine Jewell

“Enthusiastic and committed” patent and trade mark expert Catherine Jewell is admired by clients for a mastery of the detail that allows her to present complex advice in a user-friendly way. Whether in the patent or trade mark sphere, Catherine impresses with her legal and technical skills and her professionalism. She has drafted and prosecuted patent applications for clients with diverse needs and budgets, representing large multinationals in prosecution, opposition and appeals at the European Patent Office and UKIPO, while also helping smaller clients to develop their products from concept to market, including drafting patent applications and advising on trade mark registrations. Catherine’s patent practice is focused on the chemicals field. During her time as a patent attorney she has worked with a wide variety of technologies, including energy applications such as photovoltaic systems, general organic chemistry, materials chemistry, ceramics and polymers, drug delivery systems such as self-assembling lipid-based formulations, and pharmaceutical chemistry. Catherine has handled inventions ranging from veneered floor tiles to epoxidation processes, siloxanyl polymers, zeolites and graphene coatings. Also experienced in trade marks, Catherine advises on strategies for handling, extending and maintaining international portfolios of marks. She conducts and advises on searches and defends her clients’ brands through opposition proceedings and the negotiation of settlement agreements. Catherine is qualified to practise as a trade mark attorney under the laws of both the UK and the Republic of Ireland, allowing her to continue to practise before the EUIPO in relation to European Union Trade Marks and Designs post-Brexit. Catherine is part of the team responsible for Beck Greener’s award-winning CSR function. This has seen her play a key role in overseeing the firm’s long-term transformation from a fully office-based working environment to a hybrid model with home-working. She also plays a leading role in implementing the STEM: Branching Out project, intended to help raise the profile of the legal profession among disadvantaged communities, and to broaden the appeal of careers in IP. Fully committed to thought leadership, Catherine is a regular lecturer at the UCL School of Pharmacy as part of their Masters degree in Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship, and is the joint author of “3D Printing Techniques in the Pharmaceutical Sciences – Intellectual Property Issues” in the Springer overview publication “3D Printing of Pharmaceuticals” (2018).

Deborah Selden

Deborah Selden is especially well known for her expertise in the chemicals and biotech sectors, where she is valued by clients for her “sharp mind” and deep understanding of their products and businesses. Deborah’s broad patent practice is founded on a background in chemistry, which – together with her acute business brain – helps her to “understand technical matters in depth and apply what is needed for success.” Experienced in working with a wide range of clients, from start-ups and individual entrepreneurs to multinational corporations, she has also developed a flourishing trade mark practice. Deborah’s technical background is in chemistry. Her practice spans a wide range of fields, from photovoltaic devices and printing techniques to carbohydrate synthesis, biotechnology, and a number of separation technologies, including air separation, chromatography and protein extraction. An expert in drafting and prosecuting patent applications for a variety of businesses, ranging from multinational corporations to small start-up companies, she enjoys helping her clients develop and protect their inventions, going the extra mile where necessary to achieve the results they need. In addition, Deborah has experience in prosecuting and defending oppositions to European patents, and providing infringement and freedom to operate advice to clients across a range of technical fields. Deborah also practises in trade marks. Here she has particular experience in the fashion and beauty sector, handling an international portfolio of marks for a well-known fragrance brand. This includes advising on strategies for extending and maintaining the portfolio, and conducting and advising on searches. Deborah is also regularly called upon to defend the brand in a number of jurisdictions, through opposition proceedings and the negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements.

Duncan Morgan

Duncan Morgan is a senior trade mark attorney with experience of a wide range of commercial, public and non-profit sectors. Clients value his “responsive, timely, swift and efficient service” and fantastic attention to detail. Known for his broad ranging expertise and practical advice, Duncan handles all aspects of trade mark and design work, from advising before applications are filed, right through to registration and enforcement before both the IPO and the courts. He serves clients in a variety of industries, from software developers, fashion designers and musicians, through to medical suppliers and computer manufacturers, regularly handling opposition, revocation and invalidity actions as well as infringement proceedings. Duncan is a senior trade mark attorney with over ten years’ post-qualification experience. In addition to providing a full range of attorney services, he is also a qualified IP Litigator with enhanced rights of audience before the High Court, allowing him to offer clients a more comprehensive and rounded service. He regularly handles opposition, revocation and invalidity actions in relation to trade marks, and advises on the infringement and enforceability of both registered and unregistered trade marks and designs in the UK and EU. Alongside enforcement work, and the day-to-day filing and prosecuting of trade mark and design applications, Duncan has extensive experience of negotiating and drafting settlements in a wide range of intellectual property disputes. He also regularly drafts and advises on licences, assignments and other commercial IP transactions. Duncan has represented a wide range of clients, including manufacturers and developers of computer software and hardware, publishers, clothing designers, bathroom manufacturers, medical suppliers, and some of the most famous names in the music industry. He has an extensive client portfolio, ranging from international companies to small start-ups and sole traders, who appreciate his “thorough, comprehensive analysis of complex legal problems” approachability, technical skill and “practical advice”. While the majority of his work is in the field of trade marks, Duncan has a growing practice in copyright, as well as in registered and unregistered designs law. Alongside his extensive practice in the field of UK designs, Duncan is an expert in prosecuting International design applications under the Hague Agreement through the World Intellectual Property Office in Geneva. Within Beck Greener, Duncan is responsible for coordinating IP News and updates, and regularly writes articles on all aspects of trade mark and design law around the world.

Ian Bartlett

Ian is a recognised expert in trade mark, designs, copyright and merchandising law, both in the UK and internationally, who has worked with leading brands from all sectors of the economy and has a particularly extensive following of media and entertainment businesses. The consummate litigator, he is valued by clients for his great communication skills, excellent judgement, creative thinking and for always going beyond the call of duty. The perfect choice for novel contentious work, Ian Bartlett “is in his element when disputes ratchet up, giving him the opportunity to showcase his perfectly pitched advocacy” according to commentators. Having trained as a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn, his background in High Court litigation, coupled with 30 years’ experience of trade mark prosecution, make him much in demand for trade mark, copyright and design hearings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and Appointed Person. He also runs cases before EUIPO (the EU trade mark and designs office) and their Board of Appeal, and works on cases referred to the General Court. Much of Ian’s work comes from large, well-known multinationals, including international publishers, major cosmetics brands, and some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. He also represents significant numbers of small businesses. His experience spans fields as diverse as accountancy, telecommunications infrastructure, domestic flooring, pharmaceuticals, price comparison websites and highway maintenance. As well as prosecuting and enforcing his clients’ intellectual property rights, Ian also helps them to maintain and build their portfolios, providing practical, commercial, legal advice that is carefully tailored towards their individual interests. Responsive and tenacious, he is noted as being “brilliant at adjusting his advice to the unique circumstances of each client.”

James Stones

To his clients, James Stones is “more than just a patent attorney; he is a business adviser.” The head of Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Engineering, he is widely admired for his “deep understanding of pharmaceutical technology and patent law." A patent attorney who “always goes beyond the call of duty” for his clients, James focuses on the chemical, pharmaceuticals, medical and chemical engineering sectors, and has extensive experience in cryogenics, refrigeration, ‘green’ energy, medical devices and adhesives. With a “great success rate at opposition hearings,” his strength lies in the creation, management and defence of global patent portfolios for a range of high-profile companies. As head of Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Engineering, James is especially well known for his experience in the pharmaceuticals and medical sectors. Here, his work includes new therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and GI-related indications, together with novel techniques for the site specific delivery of drugs, as well as implantable medical devices and packaged gases. His chemical practice is also extensive, and focuses mainly on sustainable energy technologies, including ‘green’ and ‘blue’ hydrogen production, oxyfuel combustion, synthesis gas production, and carbon capture and storage. Additionally, he has extensive experience in the fields of gas separation by adsorption and cryogenic distillation, polymers and adhesives. James undertakes original drafting work for a wide range of international and domestic clients, from individuals to multinationals, including both innovator and generics companies. He prosecutes applications through patent offices worldwide and has an enviable record of success in opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO. He enjoys being involved from the creation of an idea to the launch of the product, and regularly undertakes ‘invention harvesting,’ where clients’ projects are reviewed to extract potentially patentable subject matter. James is also a visiting lecturer at the UCLs School of Pharmacy, lecturing on the IP aspects of setting up a new pharmaceuticals business as part of its MSc course entitled ‘Pharmaceutical formulation and entrepreneurship’. At Beck Greener, James is responsible for the Corporate Social Responsibility function, which has seen him introduce a number of successful environmental initiatives as part of the ‘greener Beck Greener’ project, to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint. He also oversees the firm’s award-winning outreach work in schools to promote careers in STEM and the IP profession. James is a STEM Ambassador with the firm’s community partner, STEM Learning UK, and an Ambassador with Heart of the City, a charitable organisation dedicated to helping SMEs implement sustainability and community-based projects.

John Hull

John Hull, who consistently impresses clients with his “technical and legal skills” and “utmost professionalism,” works mainly in the chemical sector, along with the fields of biotechnology, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering. Patent specialist John Hull has worked with many leading multinationals, particularly those operating in the global chemicals sector, though he also enjoys providing his brand of pragmatic, commercial advice to small and medium-sized UK companies, attracting plaudits for his business acumen and willingness to go the extra mile. Also known as a skilled and experienced patent litigator, his advocacy skills and technical knowledge have drawn plaudits from clients. John has over 20 years’ experience, working mainly in the chemical sector. His practice focuses on the specialist areas of polymers, catalysts, medical devices and scientific instrumentation. He has also advised extensively on pharmaceuticals, chemical engineering, packaging and mechanical devices. As well as prosecuting cases at the European and UK Patent Offices for a variety of multinational corporations, John has comprehensive experience of handling oppositions and appeals at the European Patent Office, with a high success rate. Qualified to conduct IP litigation before the UK courts, he has also run litigation before the IPEC. John enjoys working closely with his clients from early stage development right through to product launch, gaining in the process an outstanding grasp of their products and business drivers. This involves assessing the patent landscape, providing freedom to operate opinions, giving robust commercial advice, and drafting and prosecuting new patent applications. Always keen to be at the forefront of developments within the industry, John is a contributor to the Guide to the Patents Acts, published on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), the standard reference text for the UK’s patent attorneys. He also helps provide a monthly update on UK patent case law for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys journal.

Jonathan Markham

Responsive, commercially-aware and astute, Jonathan Markham wins praise from clients for understanding their business needs, building trusted relationships and providing practical advice. Experienced in a wide range of technologies, from semiconductors to software, he is the partner responsible for Beck Greener’s new business IP initiative. An experienced patent attorney, Jonathan loves technology and innovation, and enjoys working with different clients, from inventors and SMEs to multinationals. Having started his career at Dyson, he is particularly interested in helping innovative and disruptive British technology firms to achieve their goals by harnessing their ingenuity and protecting their ideas. Jonathan also oversees our new business IP initiative, which offers free practical advice to individuals and businesses at an early stage in their IP journey. Jon’s experience encompasses a wide range of technologies, including mechanical devices, semiconductors, electronics, telecommunications, computing and software, as well as medical imaging, consumer goods and AI. His sector knowledge is equally broad, though he is especially well known for his comprehensive understanding of the optoelectronic, automotive and aeronautical industries, where his familiarity with advanced vehicle technology and low carbon transport is particularly notable. Jon is aided by a background in physics; the research for his PhD, which was commercially sponsored, related to novel organic semiconductors for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Clients repeatedly praise Jon’s pragmatism, and value the “close working relationship” he builds with their businesses, his high service standards and the great level of detail that goes into his reports. Whether he is working with an individual inventor or SME, or a world-leading multinational, his approach is always the same – to grasp their business drivers and tailor his advice accordingly. Jon provides a full range of patent services, including offering robust commercial advice on all aspects of patent protection, as well as drafting patent applications and prosecuting them worldwide.

Nick Bebbington

Highly experienced and strategically astute, Nick is well known for obtaining patent protection for clients in some of the most rapidly changing and challenging areas, including software inventions in the business and Fintech fields. A former software engineer, Nick is recognised as an expert in patent drafting and prosecution, and designs, in areas as diverse as consumer electronics, broadcasting devices, renewable energy, oil exploration, artificial intelligence and Fintech. Much in demand for his pragmatic and innovative advice on patent strategy, he is appreciated by clients for his responsiveness and practical understanding of their business drivers. An expert in strategic IP advice, Nick is regularly called upon to advise large companies at C-suite level on developing firmwide patent strategies and to lead invention harvesting sessions (identifying potentially patentable inventions developed by the firm’s engineers). He also focuses on portfolio management and patent drafting and prosecution throughout the world, as well as advising clients on freedom to operate searches and helping them to obtain design protection for their products globally. Nick’s clients span a broad range from large multinational corporations to SMEs and start-ups. He is experienced in helping small entities to build focused and commercially relevant patent portfolios within typically tight budgetary constraints, to protect their investment in their technology. As companies expand, Nick’s commercial skills can help them to enter new markets and maximise the value of their business going forward. Nick’s major areas of work include consumer electronics, set-top boxes and digital broadcasting devices, as well as high-tech electronic testing, control and communications systems. He also has extensive experience in cleantech, including renewables and battery storage technology, smart grids, and control and optimisation systems. On the mechanical side, Nick has worked with composite materials and oil exploration products and processes. He also has extensive experience in the computing and software-related fields, including AI, the Internet of Things and Blockchain.

Rowland Buehrlen

According to his clients, “if you are embroiled in a fight, there is no one better than Rowland Buehrlen.” The experienced trade mark attorney is known for his keen insight into trade mark litigation and prosecution, perceptive intellect and sharp advocacy skills. The head of our office in Alicante Spain, close to the EUIPO, he is particularly experienced in EU trade mark filings, along with trade mark opposition and infringement proceedings. Rowland has over 24 years’ experience of trade mark practice. During this time, he has represented clients, ranging from individual artists and entrepreneurs, to multinational giants, in a diverse range of industries. Whether he’s working for food producers, clothing manufacturers, financial service providers, international salon businesses, world famous rock bands, or manufacturers of domestic appliances and home entertainment equipment, his advice is always “swift and practical” as well as “pragmatic, sensible and diligent” according to clients. Qualified to practise as a trade mark attorney under the laws of the Republic of Ireland, as well as the UK, Roly has continued to appear post-Brexit before the EUIPO in relation to European Union Trade Marks and Designs. Fluent in both French and German, the head of our Alicante office also regularly represents clients before the EUIPO’s Board of Appeal, and has had some of his cases cited in EUIPO’s own guidelines. Others have been referred to the General Court where several have been cited in subsequent decisions. Appreciated by clients as a good person to have on your side in hard fought cases, Rowland particularly enjoys the most challenging disputes, such as trade mark opposition and infringement proceedings. As an experienced advocate, he regularly represents his clients at hearings before the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the Appointed Person, making detailed legal submissions and cross-examining witnesses, here his track record has been outstanding, with a CITMA Review from 2019 listing him amongst the top 10 trade mark attorneys and solicitors by numbers of appearances at hearings.