Joanne Roberts

Joanne is a European and UK Patent Attorney with over 18 years’ professional experience. She is active in the drafting and prosecution of European, British and international patent applications and has expertise in a wide range of subject matter in the biotechnology and life sciences fields. Joanne specialises, in particular, in gene-based diagnostics, epigenetics and personalised medicine; stem cell technologies; gene therapy; antibodies and aptamers; pharmaceutical formulations and dosage regimens; and vaccines and immunotherapies.

As well as handling patent drafting and prosecution, Joanne has extensive experience in co-ordinating patent matters for clients, including the management of large patent portfolios and associated third party and freedom to operate issues.

Joanne is experienced in opposition practice, both defending client’s patents and attacking third party patents, before the Opposition Division and Boards of Appeal at the European Patent Office.

A large proportion of Joanne’s work is for Japanese attorney firms and she regularly visits clients in Japan.

Before joining the profession, Joanne completed her PhD at the Babraham Institute of Cambridge University, studying intergenic transcription and chromatin remodelling of the human beta-globin locus during development. She continues to hold a strong interest in epigenetics.

Joanne joined J A Kemp in 2004 and became a partner in 2017. She enjoys an active role in training and mentoring new members of the firm.