UPC Series: Opt-outs at the UPC

Tim Hewson, Abel and Imray

Tim joined Abel + Imray in 2001 in is based in Abel + Imray’s Bath Office. Before becoming a consultant and subsequently Of Counsel, Tim was a Partner of the firm for five years.

Almost all of Tim’s patent work is in the biotechnology and related fields, and includes work for universities and start-up companies as well as larger international corporations. He handles a substantial amount of prosecution work at the EPO, and he has recently worked on inventions in the areas of bioinformatics, screening assays, antibodies, diagnostic methods, expression vectors and the use of recombinant gene technology in tissue engineering and screening technologies. He has been extensively involved in prosecuting applications relating to inventions arising from bioinformatics analysis of nucleic acid sequences, and has experience of searching of gene sequence databases. Tim has also advised on IP ownership issues.  Tim’s interest in the UPC system is not as a litigator; he manages Abel + Imray’s team of paralegals responsible for European validation and has a keen interest in making the introduction of the UPC as painless, smooth and cost-effective as possible for both his firm’s attorneys and support staff and for clients.

Peter Thorniley, Venner Shipley

Peter is a partner in Venner Shipley’s electronics and engineering team. With a background in theoretical physics, Peter has enjoyed a practice which consistently engages with the cutting edge of technology.

Peter has extensive experience supporting patent prosecution strategies of multinational corporations. He also has a strong background supporting the university sector and spin-out companies arising from this area. As well as prosecuting applications in the UK and Europe, he has extensive experience managing international portfolios, particularly in the US, China, Japan, Korea, Canada and Australia. He is proactive in providing commercial as well as legal insight, and has extensive experience of freedom-to-operate and due diligence processes. He has also worked to support clients involved multi-jurisdictional patent litigation.

As well as being a Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney, Peter holds the University of Strasbourg’s diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe.