J A Kemp Recognised by IAM Patent 1000 as one of the Top Patent Prosecution Practices in Europe
This year’s IAM Patent 1000 says that “J A Kemp stands as one of the top patent prosecution practices in Europe, dominating the UK market and making a continental impact via its branch offices in Paris and Munich. It can handle the protection and defence of patents on a pan-European basis, and regularly does so for clients across the sector spectrum, but especially major companies from Japan and the United States.”
The guide goes on to recommend nine J A Kemp partners, noting outstanding testimonials from clients.
Mark Roberts, who heads the medical devices group has been praised for “his resourcefulness and tenacity in advancing clients’ interests, and the innovative approaches he takes to resolving difficult issues”.
Pat Campbell, who heads the biotechnology and life sciences group, has lately advised on some of the most ground-breaking inventions in the antibody field.
Ravi Srinivasan, head of pharmaceuticals, is praised as “an outstanding IP legal professional. His insights and attention to detail are second to none. He and his team are efficient and organised.”
Sarah Roques, who has been acting before the EPO for 30 years, has a fine-grained understanding of antibody issues.
Andrew Clark enters the IAM Patent 1000 this year on account of glowing reviews: “Andrew is simply the best foreign counsel I have worked with in Europe or elsewhere. I send all of my most complicated cases to him, and I wish he could work on all of my cases. He is highly technically proficient and thorough. His prosecution strategies are superior, and have guided us to allowance in many extremely difficult cases.”
Also newly entering the guide is Andrew Bentham, whose partnership with the firm is approaching the 20-year mark and he leads the plant science and agriculture group. Clients comment that “We rely heavily on Andy’s prosecution and opposition skills and experience, and also his uncanny ability to manage his talented team, such that working with Andy and his team is a smooth, highly productive and successful operation. Andy is a thoughtful and soft-spoken attorney, and he epitomises the adage, 'when Andy speaks, people listen'."
Dominic Forsythe, also a new ranking, is noted for his work with university spin-outs. Comments from clients included “It is my opinion that Dominic is the best patent practitioner, by a long way, that I have ever worked with for several reasons, including his technical depth of expert knowledge across multiple topics, his ability to understand and translate new ideas into words, and his efficient and quick responses to examiners’ reports.”
Engineering and IT head Nigel Price has been acting in the field for 35 years and “is incredibly well informed in nuances of EU law that are less well understood by others”.
John Leeming, meanwhile, heads the software practice group and has been drafting patents for 30 years, over which time he has helped many a start-up achieve greatness.