John Lawrence |  |
John is one of the firm’s most experienced partners and is an expert in computer-related/software inventions, engineering, physics, and medical technologies. His clients range from small-to-medium companies to multinationals. Opinion work for due diligence investigations, for pre-litigation contentious issues, and European Patent Office (EPO) hearings, are areas that are active for John, along with client portfolio management and counselling, and patent drafting and prosecution. He is especially interested in the difference between EPO and US patent law practice.
John leads one of the firm’s hi-tech groups and also one of the chemistry/medical/biotech groups, mentoring others as well as doing the work himself. His technical experience covers a wide range: telecommunications, computer networks, signal processing, imaging, software, semiconductors, optical and ultrasound sensors, micromachining techniques, mains signalling, magnetron sputter ion plating systems, printers, tape drives, medical devices, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, drug delivery implants and other drug delivery systems, and automotive technologies from disc brakes to suspensions to electronic components. John also has a chemical side to his practice and has worked with inventions in the fields of brewing, biotechnology, immunological assays and polyclonal antibody production techniques, metallurgical alloys, and superconductor and semiconductor compositions and catalysts.
John has an Honours Degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge (hence the wide range of technologies), worked for a time on semiconductor technology at a major research establishment, joined Barker Brettell in 1984, won the Gill Prize as the best candidate in his year in his UK examinations in 1988, and has a Certificate in European Law. He became a partner in the firm in 1992. John has experience in two private practice firms of patent attorneys, has been seconded to an in-house patent department in the telecommunications area, and has handled litigation at the Patents County Court several times, hearings at the UK Patent Office and many appeals and oppositions at the EPO.
Outside of work, his family take up his time that he used to give to playing rugby, coaching his son at football training being one of the highlights of the week.
