Stephanie Pilkington

Stephanie Pilkington

Consultant - Patent Attorney

A highly-regarded and experienced attorney - with a particular specialism in molecular biology - Stephanie’s clients range from start-ups and university spinouts through to established international corporations, where she is equally comfortable dealing with early-stage research and mature products and portfolios.

She has extensive expertise in both prosecution and oppositions at the EPO and regularly advises on filing and prosecution strategy, as well as oppositions and due diligence investigations. She has also advised on supplementary protection certificate (SPC) strategy in relation to small molecules and biologics and has prosecuted SPC applications both within and outside the UK.   

Her experience also spans litigation, including UK and European litigation on behalf of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals concerning the first RNAi therapeutic to gain regulatory approval, in which she led and co-ordinated the technical strategy across all European proceedings and oppositions at the EPO. 

Stephanie also has extensive experience in advising SMEs and academic technology transfer departments. 

Prior to joining Potter Clarkson in 1997, Stephanie gained valuable industry experience, working for Fisons Pharmaceuticals, then Astra AB, as a research biochemist.  

She became a partner in 2004 and served on the firm’s Executive Board.

 

Specialisms

Molecular biology, biochemistry, drug screening, personalised and stratified medicine, diagnostic and prognostic markers for cancer and other diseases, diagnostic assays, therapeutic strategies, microarray and nucleic acid technology, medical devices

Education

Stephanie read natural sciences (biochemistry) at Trinity College, Cambridge, before completing a PhD in molecular biology at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge.

Qualifications

MA (Cantab), PhD (Cantab), Intellectual Property Litigation Certificate, UK and European Patent Attorney

Memberships

Trustee Director of the Earlham Institute, whose mission is to unravel the scale and complexity of living systems so we can understand, benefit from, and protect life on Earth. Board member for Earlham Enterprises Ltd.

Awards & Recognition

IAM Patent 1000 - Prosecution

WWL: IP - Patent Agents & Attorneys

Interests

Stephanie enjoys sailing, including youth coaching; recreational cycling; music and family time. 

 

TESTIMONIALS

PhD molecular biologist Pilkington is hailed as “amenable, scientifically astute, flexible, prompt and conscientious." IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2021