Rob graduated with an honours degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Portsmouth and subsequently obtained his PhD at the University of Essex in yeast molecular biology. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Texas at Dallas, University of Oxford and University of Manchester. Rob has an MBA from Leicester de Montfort University. He is a Director and joined Symbiosis in 2010.
During his time in the patent profession he has helped start-companies from UK and EU Universities and managed patent portfolios for University clients that are robust and attractive for licensees. He also provides his clients with pragmatic patent filing strategies and has assisted in the preparation of patent attorney opinions for listing on AIM. He regularly provides Due Diligence and Freedom to Operate advice to his clients.
Rob has particular experience in protecting nucleic acid based therapeutics, for example in relation to RNA interference and gene therapy in relation to cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases, controlled release pharmaceutical formulations to provide effective hormone replacement, the protection of plant related inventions, such as protection of plants and plant derived products, the protection of biosimilars such as growth hormone and vaccines against infective agents. More recently he has been advising 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.
Rob is experienced in Opposition and Appeal procedure before the European Patent Office and the Australian and New Zealand Patent Offices and has attended interviews at the US Patent Office.
Rob is based in our York office.