Elkington + Fife LLP is praised for housing some of ‘the very best UK and European patent attorneys’, who expertly handle oppositions and appeals before the EPO. The department also excels in electronics patent drafting, as well as the handling of the entire lifecycle of pharmaceutical-related patents. Richard Gillard is a key name of note in the chemistry and life sciences department, while Nick Ertl has expertise in patents surrounding medical imaging and sensors, display technology, electronic circuits, domestic appliances, and telecommunications equipment. James Anderson has notable experience in the engineering sector and is also well versed in the mechanical and materials arena. Bio-technology expert Glyn Truscott and electromechanical specialist Ellie Seymour are other active group members. The team is divided between the firm’s London and Sevenoaks offices.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Elkington + Fife are among the very best UK and European patent attorneys. They offer a very personal service. Their individual touch makes them excellent to work with.’

  • ‘Glyn Truscott and Richard Gillard are excellent. Richard is a go-to for EPO oppositions.'

  • ‘The team is extremely professional and knowledgeable. They manage our workload very efficiently and keep us informed. The communication is excellent. Admin and attorneys alike are all consistently good.’

  • ‘The patent attorneys and the admin that we have worked with are all extremely personable. There are many firms that could do the job. What makes Elkington stand out is that the people are all lovely to work with! Added to that, the patent attorney we work mainly work with is very responsive and able to turn quality work around quickly.’

  • ‘We use this practice for drafting highly technically-complicated inventions requiring advanced electronic engineering knowledge. Elkington + Fife's ability to deliver high-quality product for a fixed reasonable cost and in a better than average timeframe is unmatched. They are not wholly reliant on a key partner but have the breadth of attorney coverage that allows them to continue to deliver, even when one individual is unavailable.'

  • ‘The individuals with which I work, including Oliver Kingsbury and Rob O'Callaghan, provide strategic advice, with options that recognise the time constraints of an in-house counsel. This is added value by not merely describing the legal situation but providing concrete choices with prospects of success to help guide a decision in the most efficient means possible.’

  • ‘The individuals with which I work dig in without overcharging to provide solid advice.'

Key clients

  • AbbVie Inc.
  • Accord Healthcare
  • Agco Corp
  • AIM Sport AG
  • Alcon Laboratories Inc.
  • Amgen Inc.
  • Analog Devices Inc.
  • Apeel Sciences Inc.
  • Astex
  • Balfour Beatty
  • Bayer
  • Beam Therapeutics
  • Benuvia Therapeutics, Inc.
  • Bial
  • Celleron Therapeutics
  • Corning Incorporated
  • Coventry City Council
  • Dana Farber Cancer Institute
  • Deka Research & Development Corp.
  • Essex Bio-Technology Limited
  • FLARM Technology
  • Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems Limited
  • Graphene Composites Limited
  • IBM
  • Imagination Technologies
  • Infineon Technologies AG
  • FabricNano Limited
  • Fujifilm
  • Gritstone Bio
  • Kiniksa
  • Jazz Pharmaceuticals
  • Malvern Panalytical B.V.
  • Merck Pharmaceuticals
  • Merck KGaA
  • Microline Surgical Inc.
  • Milliken & Company
  • Morphosys / HIBio
  • Mundipharma
  • Nascent Biotechnology Inc.
  • NantKwest, Inc.
  • Nestlé
  • NHS
  • Novartis
  • Ossifi-Mab
  • Oxford Cancer Biomarkers Ltd
  • Pacific Biosciences
  • Philips
  • Pfizer
  • Polpharma
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Prothena Biosciences
  • ReNeuron
  • Sandoz
  • Sanofi
  • Samsung
  • Senti Biosciences
  • Serimmune Inc.
  • SLAMCore Ltd
  • Solvay
  • Strategic Support Ltd
  • Takeda
  • TempEasy Limited
  • Teva
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • The Dow Chemical Company
  • Thrive Earlier Detection
  • Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
  • u-blox AG
  • Universal Quantum
  • University of Kent
  • Valink Therapeutics
  • Versuni
  • Viatris
  • Visterra
  • VitaFlo
  • Xylem Inc.
  • Zymeworks

Work highlights

  • Assisting Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with drafting and prosecution work.
  • Assisting Infineon Technologies AG with drafting and prosecution.
  • Represented Viatris in EPO opposition-appeal proceedings resulting in revocation of Novartis patent protecting the combination of everolimus and exemestane for treating HR+ breast cancer.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Richard Gillard, James Anderson, Daniel Portch, Glyn Truscott, Rob O’Callaghan, Erik Scheuermann

Other key lawyers

Richard Cooke, Jens Grabenstein, Ellie Seymour, Paul Brookes, Oliver Kingsbury, Lee Mullen, Mark Scott, Nick Ertl