Topic: European Patents for IP Paralegals

Join Barker Brettell for an informative CLE session covering the evolving landscape and current best practices for obtaining European patent protection. Focus will be given to European patent filing and understanding paralegal and attorney roles in patent workflows. The new Unitary Patent option and the Unified Patent Court will also be discussed in depth. Cost savings strategies, opt-outs, assignments, and additional talking points will also be covered. Fun IP facts and trivia will be included to keep things lively and interesting.

Speakers: Anne Bate, Yvonne Johnson, and John Lawrence

Anne Bate has worked as a patent paralegal and patent team manager at Barker Brettell for over 40 years, more than 30 of which have been spent working alongside John Lawrence. Anne manages Barker Brettell's team of patent paralegals, ensuring they are up to date with new laws and rules as and when they come into force, as well as encouraging the team to partake in training and development in using web-based filing systems such as ePCT and EPO Online Filing 2.0. Anne played an active role in setting up and promoting the Barker Brettell Euro-IP hub to US-based clients and firms.

Yvonne Johnson is Managing Partner at Barker Brettell and is an experienced patent attorney within the field of chemistry and life sciences, having worked in the patent profession for over 25 years. She also has broad experience working within the healthcare and medical fields, including pharmaceutical formulations, and is adept at navigating excluded matter rules in Europe in the fields of therapeutic, surgical and diagnostic methods. She is recognized for providing pragmatic and commercially focused advice.

Yvonne's areas of expertise, in addition to Chemistry & Life Sciences are:

• Patent oppositions and Appeals
• Patent drafting and strategy
• Patent prosecution and portfolio management
• Patent validity and opinion work
• Unitary Patent

John Lawrence is a senior partner at Barker Brettell and has over 40 years’ experience as a patent attorney and acts for a diverse range of clients, from startups and SMEs to large global corporates. John has deep and varied experience in writing and prosecuting patents in advanced engineering, aerospace, lasers and optics hardware, medical devices and implants and software controlled telemedicine/robotic surgery, and medical IT systems. John heads the Aerospace sector as well as leading the firm’s secondment initiative.

John’s areas of expertise include:

• Computers & Electronics
• Design Patents
• Mechanical Engineering
• Patent Oppositions and Appeals
• Patent drafting and prosecution
• Physics & Materials

Remote attendance only.

• Member Cost: Free
• Non-Member Cost: $15

CLE credit has been applied for this session.

Please RSVP by June 9, 2025.

Sponsored by: Intellectual Property Sectional

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mark Ness at markjness.mn@gmail.com.