Mewburn Ellis strengthens the firm with five new partner promotions

Leading European Intellectual Property firm promotes five members of its team to the partnership within its engineering and life sciences teams in the UK and Germany

LONDON – Intellectual Property firm Mewburn Ellis today announces the appointment of Anna Mudge, Ben Boyd, Daniel Brodsky, Isobel Stone, and Urs Ferber as new members of the partnership, taking effect on 1st April. Complementing this cohort is the promotion of Alex Burns to IP Director.

Anna Mudge leads the firm’s Advanced Therapeutics team which focuses on cell and gene technologies. She has particular expertise in CAR T cell therapy, gene therapies, viral delivery techniques, and antibody technologies, and assists her clients through all stages of the patenting process, from original drafting and global IP strategy to EPO oppositions and freedom-to-operate projects. She works with a wide range of biotech organizations including multinational companies, SMEs, start-ups, and universities, predominantly based in the UK, the USA, and Singapore. Anna joined the firm in 2015, qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney in 2019. She is named as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars 2022 and 2023.

Ben Boyd is experienced in patent drafting, prosecution, opposition, and freedom to operate work, primarily in mechanical engineering fields such as renewable energy, marine engineering, mining, aerospace, and consumer goods. He also regularly handles design filings and advises on design infringement and validity issues. Ben works with a range of clients from individuals to multinationals, both within the UK and overseas. He joined the firm in 2018, qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 2021 and a European Patent Attorney in 2022. Prior to joining Mewburn Ellis, Ben worked in Australia and is a qualified Australian patent attorney. 

Daniel Brodsky is a UK and European patent attorney working in the fields of electronics, software, and engineering. He handles a range of patent work, particularly the drafting and prosecution of UK, European, and PCT applications, as well as patent prosecution in a variety of jurisdictions such as the US, Japan, and China. Daniel also regularly advises clients on FTO and patent-landscaping projects and has experience in examining and opposition division oral proceedings at the EPO. Daniel works with a mix of different clients, including local start-ups, universities, and engineering companies, as well as multi-national corporations. He joined the firm in 2015, qualifying as a UK Chartered Patent Attorney in 2018 and as a European Patent Attorney in 2019.

Isobel Stone has a technical background in advanced materials, and diverse professional experience across a range of sectors including biomedical materials and devices, carbon and related nanotechnologies, structural and functional ceramic materials, and construction materials and technologies. She has extensive experience in original drafting and patent prosecution coupled with a strong interest in contentious matters, and she regularly represents clients in opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO. Her clients range from individual inventors and SMEs to multinational corporations, encompassing local UK-based, Japanese, and US-based organizations. Isobel joined the firm in September 2015, qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney in 2019. She is recommended as a key lawyer in the 2024 edition of Legal 500.

Urs Ferber has experience in original patent drafting and prosecution at the EPO and DPMA (German Patent and Trade Mark Office), principally in the engineering and medical technology sectors. He regularly represents clients in opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO and DPMA. Urs has a special interest in optics and microscopy. He works with a range of clients from start-ups to listed companies, primarily across Germany, Switzerland, France, the USA, Japan, Korea, and China. Urs qualified as a German Patent and Trademark attorney and as a European Trademark and Design Attorney in 2015. He qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2016 before joining the firm in 2020.

Alongside these partner appointments comes the promotion of Alex Burns to IP Director. Alex handles patent applications in the electronics, physics, computer software, and engineering sectors, with a particular interest in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications for computer-implemented inventions. Within this field, Alex specializes in technology relating to cybersecurity, cryptography, and artificial intelligence, in particular its application to fields such as bioinformatics and digital health. In addition to drafting and prosecution work, Alex has extensive experience handling oppositions at the European Patent Office, representing both patent proprietors and opponents. His opposition experience also extends to handling opposition appeals at the European Patent Office.

Richard Johnson, Chairperson at Mewburn Ellis, said: “These promotions embody the strength of our international market offering at Mewburn Ellis. Taken together, they ensure we are equipped with the skills and ambition required to anticipate and exceed the needs of our clients within the Life Sciences and Engineering sectors both now and in the future.

“We are continuing to see more innovative activity and market transformation in areas such as advanced therapeutics, biomedical materials, renewable energy, and future mobility, and those at the cutting edge need strategic partners who they can trust to protect innovation and power success at all stages of the product lifecycle. We are fortunate in that regard to have a fantastic team with the deep technical expertise and business and commercial acumen to turn intellectual property into a strategic advantage.

“I congratulate Anna, Ben, Daniel, Isobel, and Urs on their promotion to partner and Alex for becoming IP Director. Their expertise, experience, and skill set will be of enormous value to our client base.”

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