Christopher Pierce

PartnerPatent Attorney

Christopher has an honors degree in chemistry from the University of Manchester. He qualified as a British Patent Attorney in 2006 and as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. He joined the partnership in 2017.

His practice is focused on supporting client’s needs in patent prosecution and in contentious matters before the European Patent Office. He particularly enjoys defending his client’s patents in opposition proceedings and running offensive EPO oppositions against competitor positions.

He also provides litigation support before the Dutch courts. He believes that a broad range of experience across the full life of patents from inception through opposition and into litigation aids in dealing with and pre-emptively addressing issues for his client’s patents, as well as helping to identify such problems in adversaries’ patents.

Christopher supports a range of clients including local start-ups, SMEs and multinationals; handling high-value cases at the European Patent Office up to the Boards of Appeal.

His work is predominantly in the technical fields of chemistry and mechanical engineering, with many years of experience prosecuting and defending patents for consumer goods produced by multinationals.

  • REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
    • Prosecution of IP rights.  Opposition proceedings and appeals before the EPO and re-examination, reissue and appeal proceedings before the USPTO. Evaluating patentability and advising on patenting strategy, drafting of patent applications and representing clients before the various patent offices.
    • Competitor and market analysis. Monitoring and analysing competitors’ patenting behaviour and providing freedom to operate advice and product clearance. Representing clients in oppositions, re-examination and appeals before the EPO and USPTO against third party patents that may impede the client’s freedom to operate.
    • IP counselling. Based on thorough IP portfolio analyses, providing IP portfolio management and strategy advice, offering IP valuation advice and IP pledging services to maximise return on investment and detect financing opportunities.
  • PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
    • Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
    • Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (EPI)
    • European Patent Litigators Association (EPLIT)
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • European Patents Handbook, CIPA (1990-2010) Co-Editor
  • ADMISSIONS
    • Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, UK
    • Patents Court, UK
    • European Patent Office (EPO)
    • UK Intellectual Property Office
    • European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

Assistant details

Visit us

Visiting address:

Rembrandt Tower, 30th Floor
Amstelplein 1
1096 HA Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Postal address:

P.O. Box 94361
1090 GJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

The facts

Languages

English, Dutch

Education

European Patent Attorney, 2008

UK Registered Patent Attorney, 2006

University of Manchester (Chemistry with Patent Law BSc,. with honors, 2002)

Admission

2006