Anna Gregson - Mathys & Squire LLP

Anna Gregson has more than 15 years’ experience in providing strategic IP advice.

The “commercially savvy” Anna is recommended in the latest edition of IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world’s leading IP strategists, and in the latest IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders guide, receiving praise for delivering “the best possible result for her clients.” She is recommended in the most recent IAM Patent 1000 guide, in which she is noted for having “a pragmatic approach which is appreciated by business” who “always delivers on time with a high-quality work product”, and is “unwaveringly reliable and determined.” Anna is also recommended in The Legal 500, in which she has been praised for being “accessible”, “knowledgeable”, and for having a “really outstanding, can-do attitude” (2021).

Expertise

Anna specialises in strategic patent management, including drafting and prosecuting applications, as well as coordinating worldwide patent families. As part of devising comprehensive, multi-layered protection around her clients’ innovations, she is an expert in patent landscape searching, monitoring of third-party patents and freedom-to-operate analysis. She is renowned for her ability to immerse herself in clients’ businesses, working with them to identify opportunities to add value through new intellectual property, and to provide creative solutions to strengthen their existing portfolios. With her keen commercial focus, Anna has been instrumental in developing IP portfolios that are the foundation of high-value spin-outs and university-industry partnerships.

With a formidable background in biochemistry and biotechnology, her technical expertise enables her to provide specialist IP advice in all areas of biotechnology, including technologies such as cell and gene therapies, vaccine technologies, antibodies, viruses and virus-like particles, siRNA technology, biomarkers and diagnostics, expression systems, recombinant protein technology and therapeutics. She also has significant expertise in the fields of plant biotechnology, biopesticides and plant variety rights.

Anna is equally happy working with experienced in-house professionals and start-ups and spin-outs with limited previous IP experience. She has significant expertise in working with university and public sector clients, and is adept at balancing technical excellence, budget control, transparency and predictability to develop bespoke IP strategies to match her clients’ needs.

Academic

Anna obtained a first class MA honours degree in natural sciences, specialising in pathology, from Cambridge University. She also holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Manchester for research into the control of angiogenesis in the eye.

Memberships & organisations

Anna is a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the European Patent Institute (EPI).

Awards

Sectors

Agri-tech

Biotechnology

Life sciences & chemistry

Universities

“Anna Gregson drafts and prosecutes well-thought-out patent applications to achieve important protection, and ensures her patrons maintain this protection through fierce advocacy at the EPO.”

IAM Patent 1000 (2024)

“Anna Gregson couples a nuanced understanding of patent law with a deep knowledge of the biotechnology and life sciences industries to provide holistic and proactive strategic advice. She leaves no stone unturned in her analyses in order to deliver the best possible result for her clients.”

IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders (2024)

“Anna Gregson is a great choice for opposition and appeal work. She provides a pragmatic approach which is appreciated by business, and always delivers on time with a high-quality work product. On top of this, Anna is extremely personable and collaborative, so it feels more like she is part of the in-house team. Her responsiveness and ability to think strategically are appreciated.”

IAM Patent 1000 (2023)

“Anna Gregson is a smart, considerate, and reliable business partner to universities, SMEs, and multinational organisations. She exhibits a thorough awareness of the market and understands the importance of intellectual property to a company’s overall business plan.”

IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders (2023)

“Biotechnology ace Anna Gregson has made her name as a guiding light for university technology transfer organisations, but assists a wide breadth of clients including international corporations. Her loyal clients, whose needs she always puts first, find her unwaveringly reliable and determined.”

IAM Patent 1000 (2021)

“Commercially savvy UK and European patent attorney Anna Gregson is the ultimate safe pair of hands no matter how challenging the brief. She puts her clients first at all times and is a delight to work with.”

IAM Strategy 300 (2020)

Anna Gregson “is accessible, knowledgeable and provide a really outstanding, can-do attitude.”

The Legal 500 (2021)

“Our attorney at Mathys & Squire is absolutely outstanding. Anna is very commercially focused, very easy to deal with, very practically minded and also incredibly thorough. She has taken on full control of an extremely complex and important IP portfolio. She has coped very well with all the changes in our business over the past few months. I don’t have the same technology background as she has and she is able to explain the science clearly to me. I would rate her very, very highly.”

The IP Group

Anna is praised for being “simply outstanding. Professional, pragmatic, approachable and always on hand for advice.”

The Legal 500 (2020)

Latest articles by Anna Gregson

Mathys & Squire Partners have featured in IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2025

Fifteen Mathys & Squire attorneys recognised in IAM Patent 1000 2024

Beyond misconceptions: Exploring the patentability and challenges associated with AI-driven bioinformatics innovations in Europe