Charlie specialises in patent litigation and has a particular interest in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, stemming from her background in biochemistry and molecular biology. She has represented clients in complex patent litigation before the Patents Court (High Court) and Court of Appeal and arbitration arising from licensing disputes. She also works closely with lawyers, patent attorneys and regulatory advisors in multiple jurisdictions to coordinate multinational patent litigation strategies for clients. She has an excellent understanding of the different legal and regulatory systems within Europe and further afield and provides strategic advice that takes into account the broader global landscape.

Within the life sciences sector, Charlie has advised on disputes relating to small molecule pharmaceuticals, antibodies and antibody engineering technology, gene cloning and cell-based expression systems, drug delivery systems, formulations and dosage regimens. Charlie has also acted for clients in the fields of consumer goods, shipping, software and agriculture.

Some of Charlie’s work highlights include:

• Sandoz & Polpharma v Biogen – patent revocation and infringement proceedings in the Patents Court relating to anti-JCV antibody testing patents prior to launch of Tyruko®, Sandoz’s biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri® product for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
• Lilly v Novartis; UCB v Novartis – European patent revocation and infringement proceedings relating to IL-17AF antibody patents.
• Advising the licensee in a contractual dispute under an arbitration clause in a licence to a cell expression system used in the manufacture of an antibody-drug conjugate for cancer therapy.
• Parainen Pearl Shipping & Ors v Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi – Patents Court case on exhaustion of patent rights, application of the Schutz v Werit test of manufacture/repair, implied licence and estoppel.
• Accord v Medac – invalidity proceedings in the Patents Court relating to a patent claiming a concentrated methotrexate formulation.
• Novartis v Focus, Actavis & Teva – litigation in the Patents Court and Court of Appeal concerning a transdermal dosage regimen patent for rivastigmine (Exelon®) and global coordination of parallel litigation and EPO opposition.
• Coordinating multinational patent litigation strategies for a number of blockbuster pharmaceutical products in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Africa, with experience ranging from obtaining a record number of preliminary injunctions against infringing generic products in India to multiple parallel section 1782 discovery proceedings in the US.

Charlie regularly publishes and speaks on UPC topics and co-hosts a UPC podcast (‘You, me and the UPC’). She is a previous winner of the Young EPLAW UPC Mock Trial, competing against patent litigators across Europe.

She is also one of the authors of Bristows’ annual Patent Review of the Year and Biotech Review publications, is actively involved in Bristows’ Diversity & Inclusion group and co-heads Bristows’ Families & Carers Network.

Charlie is a member of CIPA Life Sciences Committee and the IP Federation.