Our People Callum McGuinn

Callum is experienced in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications in the chemistry and materials fields before the European Patent Office and worldwide. He represents clients in oppositions and appeals at the EPO and conducts extensive freedom to operate analyses. 

Areas of Expertise

• Polymers and polymer manufacture, particularly polyethylene
• Energy Storage particularly battery materials, predominantly lithium ion battery materials
• Fuel cells
• Catalysts
• Inorganic materials, in particular glasses and alloys
• Small-molecule pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, antibody-drug conjugates and cancer therapeutics

Clients

Callum works with a number of large multinational chemical companies including polymer manufacturers, consumer products companies and speciality chemicals companies, as well as smaller local clients.

Background

Callum has a Master’s degree in chemistry from Oxford University, which included a year of research focusing on spectroscopic and computational studies of small gas-phase transition metal clusters. He joined Mewburn Ellis LLP in 2012, qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney in 2016. He completed a three-month secondment to a US law firm, gaining insight into US patent practice, and previously spent two days each week on secondment to a multinational chemical company. Callum became a Partner in 2021.

Opposition highlights

Callum has worked on over 16 oppositions, here are some cases:

EP 2139906, Nova Chemicals v Sasol - Defence of a patent for a catalyst used to make alpha-olefins (important molecules for making plastics). The patent was maintained by the Opposition Division and Nova Chemicals won on the appeal T 2260/16.

EP 1549699, Unilever v P&G - Defence of a patent for a dissolvable PVA film used for detergent “liquitabs” – the patent was maintained in amended form by the Opposition Division and also maintained on appeal T 0014/17.

EP 3279978, Johnson Matthey v ECOPRO - Attacking a patent for a lithium-ion battery cathode active material. The patent was fully revoked by the Opposition Division, which was a complete success for our client Johnson Matthey.

Recommendations

Named as a "Rising Star" in the Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars 2018 - 2021 and is listed as a "recommended lawyer" and "key lawyer" in the 2022-2024 edition of The Legal 500.

"I have worked with Mewburn Ellis for almost 30 years, and with Callum for the last 5 years. Since then I have relied on Callum’s skills as a patent attorney to secure success during prosecution and opposition at the EPO. The quality and consistency of the work of Callum and the team at Mewburn Ellis has been essential to developing Nova’s strong IP portfolio in Europe and I have very much enjoyed working with them". Scott Chisholm - Nova Chemicals