Philip Towler

Background

Philip is a UK and European Patent Attorney and a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford, where he obtained an Honours Degree in Natural Sciences (Chemistry). He joined the firm in 1988 and became a Partner in 1998.

Type of clients and client work

Philip acts for a variety of clients from start-ups and SMEs to multi-national corporates. He handles patent work in all areas of chemistry, including pharmaceuticals, polymers, chemical processing and manufacture, chemical engineering, pigments, electronic materials, food & beverages and surface coatings. He also maintains a thriving trade mark practice with clients inter alia in the packaging, medical, chemical, automotive, building, financial and computing/software sectors.

Expertise

He has substantial experience in representing clients in all kinds of contentious and non-contentious proceedings relating to both patents and trade marks at the UK IP Office, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union IP Office (EUIPO). In particular, he has acted for clients in many contested opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO.

Qualifications and Memberships

• European Patent Attorney, 1993
• UK Chartered Patent Attorney, 1994
• UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, 1994
• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law, Queen Mary College, University of London

• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
• Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
• European Community Trademark Association
• International Trademark Association

• Basic Litigation Skills Course, 2017
• Authorised Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) (2023)

Higher Education

MA, Natural Sciences (Chemistry), University of Oxford, 1988

His studies at Oxford included a year’s research into laser-induced ultrafast electron spin resonance techniques.

Other

Philip has given public presentations to various forums in relation to both patent and trade mark matters.

He has also been recognised as a “Global IP Star” in the Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars 2018 edition and as a “Patent star” in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions.

Philip was recommended in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Legal 500 directory. He was also highlighted as a “key lawyer” in The Legal 500 2022 edition.