Robert Docherty PhD EPA MBA
Director & Patent Attorney
- York, Leeds
- t: 0113 204 1198
- m: 0795 179 6279
Expertise
Rob is a life science patent attorney with over 25 years’ experience handling patent applications on behalf of a diverse range of clients from universities to start-ups to global pharmaceutical companies. He has a degree in biological sciences, a PhD in microbial biology and 10 years’ research experience in the USA, University of Oxford and University of Manchester with an MBA obtained from Leicester De Montfort University.
Rob is experienced in the following technical areas: plant-related inventions (including the protection of plants e.g., poppy, cannabis, plant genes and plant derived products); RNA silencing in relation to cardiovascular disease, inhibition of complement activation and neurodegenerative disease; protection of biosimilars and drug repurposing; modified release pharmaceutical formulations; biomarkers and the protection of treatment regimens; antibodies and antibody drug conjugates; vaccines; gene therapy and orphan diseases.
How do you help clients?
- I help start-up companies from the UK manage patent portfolios for university clients that are robust and attractive for licensees.
- I provide my clients with pragmatic patent filing strategies and assist in the preparation of patent attorney opinions for listing on AIM.
- I regularly provide due diligence and freedom-to-operate advice to clients in relation to licensing, acquisition and AIM listing.
- I also advise clients in relation to cost effective patent filing strategies which use the Patent Prosecution Highway to expedite grant and applying for patent term extension of pharmaceutical formulations.
- I am experienced in opposition procedures before the European Patent Office and the Australian Patent Offices and in hearings at the UK IPO.
Experience
- Preparation of patent attorney opinions.
- Due diligence in relation to client acquisition.
- Creation of robust patent portfolios that are attractive to licence.
- Co-ordination of patent filing strategies to align business and IP strategy.
- Freedom to operate advice.