Mark graduated with a BSc Honours degree in biochemistry from the University of Sheffield and went on to complete a PhD at the same institute in the field of enzymology. He joined Symbiosis in 2017 and became a director in 2020.
Following his entry into the patent profession in 2006, Mark has specialised in Chemistry gaining considerable experience in protecting and maintaining the worldwide commercial interests of private corporate clients and publicly quoted multinational corporations. The range of his biochemical/chemical knowledge and client base means he has worked with a diverse range of chemical and life science technologies.
His work involves drafting new patent applications and prosecuting them in multiple jurisdictions across diverse subject areas. Of particular relevance, Mark has represented clients to obtain patent protection in diverse areas including: pharmaceuticals, including sustained release formulations; influenza vaccines; medical devices such as drug eluting stents; small molecule chemistry; catalysts; speciality polymers; nanoparticles; DNA analytics; semiochemical molecules and the use thereof in pest management; pesticides and pesticide resistant crops; microbicidal compounds and compositions; and plant-derived medicaments and extraction processes.
Mark is also an experienced advocate, having established a case law precedent at the EPO for synergistic combinations of substances that has since been used successfully by third parties during examination and opposition. He regularly attends European Opposition and Appeal proceedings, working directly alongside in-house legal counsel and technical teams to establish practical and robust strategies that maximise his clients’ positions within highly competitive industrial sectors. He focuses on providing practical and commercially minded solutions to a variety of IP-related challenges.
Mark is based in our Sheffield office.