Expansion of litigation practice with new life sciences specialist
IP firm Carpmaels & Ransford LLP has expanded its litigation team with the hire of leading life sciences litigator Camilla Balleny from Pinsent Masons. Camilla brings with her Lucy Sewter, a specialist life sciences legal executive.
Carpmaels advises five of the world’s top 10 originator pharmaceutical companies on their most legally complex and commercially significant cases, including longstanding clients Novartis and Johnson & Johnson. Its Life Sciences Group has more recently added fast growing companies such as Gilead, Shire and Vertex to its roster. Camilla’s appointment comes as part of the firm’s commitment to offering these and other clients a fully integrated IP service at a time of great change in the IP industry.
Camilla Balleny has been a partner at Pinsent Masons for the last four years where she has focused on patent litigation and dispute resolution in the life sciences sector. Lucy has led the IP litigation support team at Pinsent Masons.
Prior to joining Pinsent Masons, Camilla and Lucy worked with Ian Kirby, now head of the dispute resolution team at Carpmaels, at the core of the patent and IP litigation team at Arnold & Porter, where together they acted for clients in litigations before the English IP and Patents Courts, Court of Appeal and in Europe.
Ian says: “It’s fantastic to be working with Camilla and Lucy again. Camilla’s expertise in the life sciences sector enhances our offering and makes her the perfect fit for this firm.
“Carpmaels is already highly regarded for providing its clients with strategic IP advice, and we are confident that our integrated litigation offering will ensure that we continue to lead the market at this time of change.”
Hugh Goodfellow, head of the life sciences group at the firm, adds: “Camilla’s reputation in the life sciences sector is impressive, and we’re thrilled that she has joined the firm. Our life sciences group is a leader in the European market and with our London base, where the life science Unified Patent Court will be located, we will be in the perfect position to offer an unparalleled service to our clients under the new system.
“There is no doubt that the introduction of the Unified Patent Court is a total game-changer for our industry. At Carpmaels we have ensured we are fully prepared for this change and we are on the front foot—ready, with our new litigation partners, to build on our existing reputation as the leading opposition practice before the EPO, by offering a fully integrated service."
