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Chris Thornham
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Chris Thornham  Associate
+44 (0)20 7111 2552
chris.thornham@sjberwin.com

Chris Thornham is a senior patent lawyer within the Intellectual Property Group. He acts in disputes across the full range of technologies. Notable reported cases include:

  • Hoechst Celanese v. BP Chemicals (silver-impregnated ion-exchange resins: trial, appeal & account of profits);
  • Mod-Tap v. BI Communications (electrical line testers: registered design trial);
  • Sara Lee v. Johnson Wax (toilet rim liquid dispensers: trial & appeal);
  • Kirin-Amgen v. Roche & HMR/TKT (erythropoietin hormone made using recombinant DNA technology: acted in trial, amendment proceedings & appeal);
  • Apotex v. GSK (paroxetine hydrochloride anti-depressant drug: interim injunction, trial & appeal);
  • Dendron & Others v. Univ of California & Boston Scientific (medical devices for treating brain aneurysms: interim hearings & taking evidence in the US using s1782 proceedings);
  • Ranbaxy v. Warner-Lambert (atorvastatin cholesterol-lowering drug, Court of Appeal); and
  • Lupin v. Servier (perindopril ACE inhibitor used to reduce high blood pressure).
Chris works with patent agents and overseas patent lawyers supporting co-ordinate disputes and advice in Europe (e.g. national court cases in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Spain and Norway) and elsewhere in the world (most notably the US). In recent years he has worked with clients and European patent practitioners on patent filing strategies and has supported a number of oppositions, appeals and third party observations in the European Patent Office. Chris advises clients at product development stage and prior to launch, providing patent (non)infringement and (in)validity opinions and co-ordinated advice throughout Europe where necessary. Chris also advises companies and investors on patent matters in transactions, such as acquisitions, investments and public offerings. Chris is a member of SJ Berwin's Pharmaceuticals Group and also the TMT Group. Chris has a Cambridge University Natural Sciences degree (having studied chemistry, physiology and physics) and he qualified as a lawyer in 1996. In 2003 Chris spent time in Washington DC and California gaining US patent practice experience. Chris speaks regularly at conferences on patent issues. He writes regularly for intellectual property journals and sits on the Editorial Board of Patent World.