Sarah Roques

Sarah has over 25 years’ experience drafting, prosecuting and defending patents, primarily before the European Patent Office (EPO). She practices across a broad biotechnology subject matter base, including sequencing technology, genetics, gene delivery, vaccines, antibodies, diagnostic markers, personalised medicine, pharmaceutical formulation and dosage regimens and research tools.

Sarah has an extensive opposition practice, both defending and attacking, before the Opposition Division and Boards of Appeal at the EPO, notably on early cases relating to research tools such as PCR and more recently in relation to antibody therapeutics. She has also provided litigation support, particularly on cases where she has been handling related oppositions at the EPO.

A substantial amount of Sarah’s work is for US clients, prosecuting applications at the EPO and defending the resulting granted European patents in oppositions, as well as attacking third party patents. Sarah is a regular visitor to the US, particularly to the Bay Area. Sarah regularly gives talks on aspects of European practice, particularly relating to patenting of antibodies and opposition strategy.

She has provided advice to many small and medium-sized companies, particularly in the UK and Scandinavia, including filing strategies and portfolio reviews, drafting specifications, and coordinating and managing foreign filings.

Sarah joined J A Kemp in 1997, after working elsewhere in private practice since 1990. Sarah is ranked as an “IP Star” by Managing Intellectual Property. She became a partner at J A Kemp in 2002. She is also a member of the firm’s management committee.