UK & European Patent Attorney
European Patent Litigator
BSc, PhD, CPA, EPA
Catherine worked in the telecoms industry before joining the IP profession at a top tier firm in 2000, qualifying as a Chartered and European Patent Attorney in 2004. She spent several years in a major pharmaceutical company, managing their entire mechanical IP portfolio, before joining Mathys & Squire. Catherine is able to advise at all levels on IP and related matters.
Expertise
Catherine’s practice areas include creating and managing IP portfolios, drafting, prosecution, post-grant matters, licensing, freedom to operate/infringement & validity, litigation and other disputes. She has significant experience of opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office. Catherine is experienced in a wide range of technical fields, but works predominantly in healthcare, engineering and telecommunications. She specialises in medical devices and related pharmaceuticals, as well as healthcare and hygiene, optics, engineering, semiconductors, telecommunications and electromechanical devices.
Academic
Catherine has an honours degree in physics and a PhD for research into optical spectroscopy of wide band-gap semiconductors, both from the University of East Anglia. Her research focused on technology related to semiconductor structures emitting light in the blue region of the spectrum, which had significant worldwide commercial implications.
Memberships & organisations
Catherine is a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and European Patent Institute (EPI).
Recent work
Catherine specialises in prosecution and also post-grant matters including oppositions/appeals and infringement & validity opinions. She works with several large corporations advising on clearance issues for their products and processes and has recently attended a number of successful hearings to resolve particular matters of concern.
Sectors
Cathy “excels in: 1) understanding the business needs, 2) learning the technical details, 3) capturing relevant law, 4) persuasive communication both on paper and in person, 5) listening to and countering third parties in real time.”