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Who We Are

J A Kemp is a leading firm of European Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.

The technical and legal knowledge that we apply to the protection of our clients’ intellectual property is outstanding in its breadth and depth. With around 100 science and technology graduates in the firm, including 50 PhDs, no area of science or technology is outside our scope. Our patent attorneys have collective in-depth expertise in patent law and procedure across the world.

Our offices are located in London, Paris, Oxford, Cambridge and Munich. Our clients are based throughout the world.

We are ranked in tier 1 by all major legal and intellectual property directories.

What we do

Our European and UK Patent Attorneys draft, file and prosecute patent applications in Europe and worldwide. J A Kemp has a global reputation for its expertise in handling patent oppositions and appeals before the European Patent Office. We also obtain patent protection in national markets, including the UK. We add value to our clients’ business by advising on patent strategy and the management of patent portfolios in individual countries, regionally or worldwide.

Our trade mark specialists advise on trade mark selection and strategy. J A Kemp is known for its track record of success in filing, defending and opposing trade mark applications in Europe and throughout the world. We are adept both at securing trade mark protection in national markets and at managing filing and prosecution programmes on a regional or global scale. We also handle all aspects of design protection within Europe and worldwide.

J A Kemp not only has the sector specialist attorney capabilities required to secure and protect the most complex IP portfolios, but we also provide dispute and litigation expertise.

What we do

What our clients say

I have been impressed by the depth of knowledge across the team in terms of managing trade mark processes and advising on specifications and multi-jurisdictional issues.
Legal 500, 2022
J A Kemp stands as one of the top patent prosecution practices in Europe.
IAM Patent 1000, 2022
The different functions of the company link together well, providing a seamless service to clients
Legal 500, 2024
Outstandingly good tactically, strategically and operationally.
IAM Patent 1000, 2021
One of the most reputable firms in the UK.
WTR 1000, 2022
The firm listens to the needs of customers and delivers the solution in the best possible way.
Chambers and Partners, 2021
Direct and to the point. The team are knowledgeable regarding both UK and EU trade mark law.
Legal 500, 2022
Undoubtedly one of the United Kingdom’s top patent prosecution shops: efficient, organised and highly effective.
IAM Patent 1000, 2023
They are exceptionally thoughtful and resourceful in their approach to handling difficult patent prosecution issues.
Managing Intellectual Property, 2023
The J A Kemp team is very strategic and thinks through the best possible position for its client.
Managing Intellectual Property, 2023

Our commitment to environmental responsibility

In early 2023, J A Kemp attained accreditation for ISO 14001 (Environmental management system) and ISO 50001 (Energy management system).

ISO 50001 provides a framework of requirements for us to:

Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy
Fix targets and objectives to meet the policy
Use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use
Measure the results
Review how well the policy works
Continually improve energy management

ISO 14001 provides a framework for improving our environmental performance through more efficient resource use and waste reduction.

J A Kemp is committed to only considering buildings that meet a very high energy and environmental standard. Our London and newly opened Cambridge offices are both accredited to meet Building Research Established Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM). They have a raft of environmental/energy efficiency features designed into the build, including:

Solar Panels
Heat recovery systems to reduce energy consumption when heating/cooling incoming fresh air
LED digital lighting systems controlled by occupancy sensor
Building management system (BMS) to efficiently manage mechanical plant
Individually controlled room air conditioning
Leak detecting
Planned preventative maintenance regimes to maximise the mechanical plant efficiency
Wild gardens

Our London and Cambridge offices are located immediately adjacent to train stations to encourage energy-efficient transport and have secure bicycle storage and showers. We also offer staff interest-free loans to purchase travel season tickets.

For several years, we have been taking steps to minimise our waste. For example, we have operated almost paper-free and have used refillable glass bottles for water in our meetings (as opposed to disposable plastic bottles). We have also partnered with an environmental consultant to manage our waste streams and ensure minimal waste is sent to landfills.

J A Kemp has been included in the second edition of Legal 500’s UK Green Guide 2024. The guide puts a spotlight on law firms around the globe which have been able to showcase a contribution to the green transition and reflects the breadth of mandates in this space. The UK guide showcases 40 law firms engaging with sustainability within the UK. J A Kemp is one of only two patent and trade mark firms to be included.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

At J A Kemp, we are committed to promoting and sustaining cultures and working practices which promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in our workplace. We believe that these attitudes not only contribute to the collective creativity and quality that is valued by our clients, but also generate a supportive and welcoming workplace for our employees. Our partners have agreed D&I commitments reflecting our determination to take positive steps to improve in this area and we have a dedicated diversity and inclusion group responsible for implementing EDI initiatives across the firm, as well as a steering group at partner level to consider EDI policy. We are signatories to the IP Inclusive Charter.

To help monitor our progress, we conducted a survey during 2023 to collect EDI data from our staff, including data on age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic group, disabilities, neurodiversity, religion/faith, caring responsibilities, type of school attended, and eligibility for free school meals (a benefit available in the UK to those from low income backgrounds).

Two open-day events are held each year at J A Kemp for potential trainee patent attorneys to enable prospective applicants to discover more about what it is like to work as a patent attorney. We reserve places at each open-day for those from under-privileged backgrounds.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We also regularly review our recruitment practices to ensure our trainee positions are open to all. Those involved in our trainee interview programme have received interview training to help reduce unconscious bias. CVs are redacted to remove information that may reveal information such as the gender and ethnicity of the candidate before review by decision-makers.

The firm has enhanced maternity and paternity benefits in place. We recognize that returning to work after maternity leave represents a particular challenge and have put in place additional support mechanisms, including a mentoring scheme, to support women both whilst they are pregnant and on their return to work. We also have flexible and hybrid working policies.

To support our employees’ mental health, we have a qualified team of internal mental health first aiders and access to external counselling via an enhanced employee assistance programme.

All our offices are wheelchair friendly, with accessible toilets on each floor.

Partnership D&I commitments

At J A Kemp we are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within our firm. Our partners’ D&I commitments set out our determination to take positive steps to improve in this area:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone, regardless of background or characteristics such as sexuality, race or gender, has the opportunity to succeed. We will further embed a culture in which all people are respected and valued and can contribute to the future of our firm.
We recognise that improving D&I needs more than just words – we will continue to build and maintain a community within J A Kemp that is inclusive, respectful and welcoming to all.
We will raise D&I issues on our partnership agenda and will continue to dedicate management time to improving D&I.
We will make space for and listen to the views of everyone at J A Kemp.
We will continue to strive for fairness and ensure equal opportunity, both in our recruitment processes and for our existing staff.
We will continue to learn about D&I issues so that our actions to improve D&I at J A Kemp can evolve.

Partnership D&I commitments

Our commitment to charity and community support

J A Kemp attorneys work with a range of organisations in London, Oxford and Cambridge, providing free IP support and guidance to individuals, teams and startups to help them develop their ideas into commercially viable business propositions. Some of these partnerships are long-standing while others are offered on an ad hoc basis. We make available about a hundred hours of fee-earner time each year, free of charge, to support innovation in the communities in which we operate.

Each year the firm also supports a number of charities and community organisations that have been put forward by members of staff. In the last year, these included the charities and causes below.

Our commitment to charity and community support

Christmas Jumper Day: Save the Children’s annual event which raises money for children who need it most.
Jeans for Genes: raising awareness of the daily challenges faced by those living with a genetic condition and raising money to fund projects that make a tangible difference to the lives of those affected.
Jimmy’s Cambridge: a community-based charity providing both support and housing to people who are rough sleeping.
Linacre Institute: a social mobility charity that aims to give students from disadvantaged backgrounds the confidence to apply to leading universities and the skills to thrive there.
MacMillan Coffee Morning: helping everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can, by providing physical, financial and emotional support.
Oxford’s UNIQ Summer School: an access programme which invites students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds to spend a taster week learning what it’s like to study at the university.
Oxfordshire Toy Bank: helping children who may not be able to afford gifts at Christmas.
Wear It Pink: helping make life-changing breast cancer research and support happen.
Whitechapel Mission: serving the homeless and marginalised since 1876 – including a day centre, skills training and career advice, activity programmes and specialist support for complex needs.

What our people say

Ekaterina Kaliteevskaya

Ekaterina Kaliteevskaya

Trainee Patent Attorney
Thomas Compton

Thomas Compton

Associate, European and UK Patent Attorney
Hiro Shimazaki

Hiro Shimazaki

Associate, European and UK Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator
Flick Kendrick

Flick Kendrick

Associate, European and UK Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator
James Egleton

James Egleton

Associate, European and UK Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator
Felix Laing

Felix Laing

Associate, European and UK Patent Attorney
Olivia Wilson

Olivia Wilson

Trainee Patent Attorney

Read all staff stories

Outreach work

As part our outreach efforts in 2023, J A Kemp collaborated with a number of charities to improve access for students from underrepresented backgrounds to highly selective universities. In particular, the firm partnered with the Linacre Institute, a social mobility charity that aims to help students from some of the most disadvantaged postcodes in northern England win places at leading universities and give them the skills to thrive there. We also worked with the University of Oxford on the UNIQ summer school, which provides UK state-school students from diverse backgrounds with the opportunity to spend a taster week learning what it is like to study at the university. We are continuing to work with these charities in 2024, having recently extended our support of the Linacre Institute’s mission by providing financial support and launching our first mentoring programme for the charity’s alumni who are now embarking on their university studies. We are also supporting EnterpriseWOMEN this year, a programme from the Cambridge Judge Entrepreneurship Centre dedicated to early-stage women researchers and entrepreneurs who aspire to establish or have new businesses, especially in science and tech.

Outreach work

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Who We Are

What we do

Social activities

Our commitment to environmental responsibility

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

Partnership D&I commitments

Our commitment to charity and community support

What our people say

Outreach work