James Smythies

James is a European and UK Patent Attorney based in our London office.

James drafts, files and prosecutes UK and European patent applications, whilst also handling large patent families across many other countries. He also has experience in opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office.

James’ work spans the full scope of life sciences, although he has particular experience handling cases relating to genomics, CRISPR, antibodies and other biologics, diagnostics, bioinformatics, and sequencing technologies.

James works with a number of large companies, including major global players in the sequencing and botulinum toxin cosmetic fields. These fields have become increasingly contentious which has led to James handling a number of Third Party Observations and Oppositions before the EPO, whilst also being involved in inter partes proceedings in foreign jurisdictions.

James also enjoys working with smaller companies and technology transfer organisations, where James has developed expertise working closely with scientists in order to understand technical aspects of new inventions. James has experience helping university spin-out companies to develop global patent portfolios that are tailored to enable the achievement of their specific commercial objectives. In particular, through working with startup companies in the diagnostics field, James has developed strong experience navigating the variable and complex global patent ineligibility landscape in respect of diagnostic inventions.

James obtained a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester (his degree included a year spent at Thomas Jefferson University in the USA) and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. James’ DPhil studies centred on the investigation of transcription factor binding site selection through the utilisation of cutting-edge next-generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatic analysis.

James joined J A Kemp in 2017 and became an associate in 2022.