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Emily is a patent litigator with particular expertise in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

Emily has nearly a decade of experience handling patent litigation in the life sciences sector. She specialises in advising major global life sciences companies on technically complex and business-critical disputes, often involving large patent portfolios. She has advised clients in relation to products in a broad range of fields within life sciences, including genetic diagnostics, DNA sequencing, small molecules and monoclonal antibody-based therapies.

As well as litigating in the UK Patents Court and Court of Appeal, Emily provides strategic advice on pan-European and global patent litigation, including where cases involve proceedings before the European Patent Office and challenging regulatory and competition issues. She has attended and advised on significant patent trials in the US and on litigation experiments.

Alongside her practice, Emily is active in the legal and IP community. She is part of the leadership team of the London Chapter of ChIPs and speaks regularly about the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the IP sector. Emily also coordinates the pro bono work of Herbert Smith Freehills' IP team in London, and speaks regularly to students interested in STEM careers.

During her career at Herbert Smith Freehills, Emily has been based in the London, Milan and Tokyo offices. Emily's international experience and her dual qualifications in law and biological sciences mean she is readily able to grasp highly technical material and the international dimensions of multijurisdictional disputes.

Emily has been recognised as Rising Star 2023 - UK in the IP Stars rankings by Managing IP.

Accolades

  • Rising Star, IP Stars, 2018-2023
  • "Key Lawyer", IP and Life Sciences, Legal 500 Italy 2023
  • "Superb", Life Sciences and Healthcare, Legal 500 UK 2024

 

Background

Emily graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, specialising in Neuroscience having studied a range of subjects including biochemistry, chemistry, cell biology and physiology. She carried out research projects at the Medical Research Council’s Mitochondrial Biology Unit in Cambridge, and at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States. In 2016 she was awarded a Distinction in the University of Oxford’s Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice.

Emily is admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and is a solicitor advocate with rights of audience in all civil proceedings in the UK. She is also admitted as a solicitor in Ireland.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • Ariosa on a multi-jurisdictional multi-patent dispute concerning its Harmony® non-invasive prenatal genetic test, including a defence of patent infringement proceedings in the UK Patents Court and Court of Appeal
  • Foundation Medicine, Inc on a multi-jurisdictional patent dispute concerning its next generation sequencing-based companion diagnostic for the analysis of tumor alterations, FoundationOne®Liquid CDx

  • Biogen in a pan-European patent dispute relating to Tecfidera®, a treatment for multiple sclerosis

  • Gilead in the successful defence of a UK Patents Court and Court of Appeal action concerning its blockbuster Hepatitis C treatment, Sovaldi® (for which our team was awarded IP Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2017 and Transatlantic IP Team of the Year at the American Lawyer Transatlantic Legal Awards 2017)
  • Biogen, Roche and Genentech in a UK Patents Court action relating to MabThera®, a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, follicular lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
  • Roche and Sanofi on other multi-jurisdictional patent disputes
  • A global pharmaceutical company engaged in ICC proceedings concerning the termination of a co-promotion agreement in Japan.