Ian MacLeod

Ian is a European and UK Patent Attorney. He has extensive experience of coordinating the drafting, prosecution and defence of large global patent portfolios. Having helped his clients obtain the grant of commercially important patents, he frequently defends them at the European Patent Office, including in multi-party cases up to the Boards of Appeal. He is also experienced in handling multi-jurisdiction litigation actions across Europe and around the world. In addition, Ian advises on complex freedom to operate and infringement analyses and assists with licence negotiations.

Ian handles a wide range of biotechnological subject-matter, with particular expertise in complex biological products. A large part of his practice focusses on prosecuting and defending applications and patents directed to vaccines, cell therapies, and gene editing products and methods. He also has a special interest in the microbiome and bacterial products and has published articles and webinars on IP issues in this field.

Ian joined J A Kemp in 2020 after working for over ten years at another top tier firm. Before joining the profession, Ian studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, specialising in Genetics, and undertook a PhD at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research. His PhD research characterised the toxic polymerisation of mutant neuroserpin, which causes a rare dementia, through the development and utilisation of a Drosophila model of the disease.

Ian is based in the firm’s London office.