Nick Sutcliffe

Nick is a highly accomplished and versatile UK and European patent attorney with deep expertise in the life sciences sector. 

He provides strategic guidance across the full spectrum of patent activities, from meticulous pre-drafting consultations and precise application drafting to robust global portfolio management, prosecution, and appeals. Nick’s proactive approach is tailored to the commercial needs of his clients to ensure that the best results are achieved.  

Nick’s comprehensive experience spans both defensive and offensive European oppositions and appeals, as well as rigorous due diligence and freedom-to-operate analyses. 

With a proven track record of successfully planning, securing, and defending high-value IP rights, Nick provides invaluable insights and impactful strategies to tackle complex IP challenges that consistently deliver value for his clients.

Areas of Expertise

• Cell and Gene therapy
• Regenerative medicine
• Food technology
• Biological therapeutics
• Next-generation drug modalities
• Diagnostics and biomarkers

Clients

Nick has a wide range of clients in the life sciences field, from universities to spin-outs and start-ups, SMEs, charities, and research institutions.

Background

Nick gained a BSc (Hons.) degree in biochemistry from the University of Bristol in 1990, then a PhD from the Department of Biochemistry at Leicester University in 1995. Nick worked in industrial R&D before joining Mewburn Ellis LLP in 1997. Nick qualified as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney in 2001 and joined the partnership in 2003. In 2015, he was awarded a Higher Courts Litigation Certificate.

Opposition highlights

Nick has worked on over numerous opposition cases in the life sciences sector, including: 

EP14858383: Defensive opposition for Upside Foods for a patent covering broad enabling technology for lab-grown meat. The patent was maintained with only minor amendments. 

EP94926324, T2311/09: Offensive opposition for Cambridge Antibody Technology covering anti-eotaxin antibodies. Nick succeeded in getting the patent limited to narrow claims which did not cover the client's product. The decision was maintained on appeal and this decision was subsequently cited by the Enlarged Board in decision G01/15.  

EP14824390, T2125/21: Nick acted for Philochem in defence of a platform technology patent for DNA-encoded libraries against a well-resourced opponent. The opposition was rejected, and the paten maintained as granted. This result was confirmed on appeal. 

EP02734056: Nick acted for an anonymous party in an offensive opposition to a patent covering phagemid vectors. The patent was revoked in its entirety by the Opposition Division.

EP06752497: Nick acted for a US law firm in a defensive opposition of a patent covering methods of SNP analysis. The patent was maintained as granted. 

Recommendations

Nick has been recommended in IAM Patent 1000 consistently since 2012. In the 2018 edition, he was heralded as a “local hero” for his work filing applications for Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer arm of the University of Cambridge. In the 2020 edition, Nick is recognised for “his keen insight in the field of antibodies and recombinant proteins”.

“Nick is the agent to go to for an accurate, unbiased opinion. He has an impressive ability to digest written material and draft claims with pertinent questions for the inventors without the need for hours of meetings.” - IAM Patent 1000, 2021

He has also been recognised as an 'IP Star' in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars every year since 2014.