Boult Wade Tennant
Sector » Chemicals

Chemicals

Areas of focus:

    Agrochemicals
    Catalysts
    Dispersions and colloids
    Household goods
    Lubricants
    Polymers and plastics

The chemicals sector produces a huge variety of substances and products that interact with virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, to polymers and plastics, to paints and pigments.

Innovation in the chemicals sector lies not only in the development of new substances, but also in new and exciting applications of existing substances, as well as their methods of manufacture. Recyclability and environmental concerns are at the forefront of technological innovation in the chemicals sector, and patenting activity on “green” innovations has risen over recent years.

The chemicals team
The chemicals team at Boult brings together technical expertise across a broad range of specialisms, including synthetic organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and solid-state chemistry. Major industrial companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, university research departments and start-ups alike call upon our technical and commercial expertise. Because of the highly multidisciplinary nature of patent work in the chemical field, we frequently draw upon the experience of our colleagues working in the life sciences and engineering sectors to provide a seamless service for our clients.

Many of our staff have direct industry experience with clients, having completed secondments with major manufacturers. We work hard to develop and maintain longstanding relationships with our clients.

”We are fully invested in our clients’ work, having in many cases completed secondments with them and their in-house teams. We bring to all our clients in the chemicals sector an understanding of the client’s technology and commercial world.”

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Case study - secondments

Practical, client-side experience is vital in the chemicals space, and we regularly provide clients with secondments to their in-house teams.

For example, one of our team recently undertook a fifteen-month secondment to a multinational consumer goods company, advising on IP due diligence and freedom to operate. We also provided a patent attorney on secondment for over two years to a multinational chemical and sustainable technologies company providing patent support for various sectors of the business. This included managing a large global patent portfolio and providing strategic advice in relation to invention capture and challenging third-party patents.

These secondments not only reinforce knowledge sharing and integration between our team and our clients’ teams, but also provide our specialists with first hand industry experience that is critical to their ongoing patent careers.

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The chemicals sector produces a huge variety of substances and products that interact with virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, to polymers and plastics, to paints and pigments.

Innovation in the chemicals sector lies not only in the development of new substances, but also in new and exciting applications of existing substances, as well as their methods of manufacture. Recyclability and environmental concerns are at the forefront of technological innovation in the chemicals sector, and patenting activity on “green” innovations has risen over recent years.

The chemicals team
The chemicals team at Boult brings together technical expertise across a broad range of specialisms, including synthetic organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and solid-state chemistry. Major industrial companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, university research departments and start-ups alike call upon our technical and commercial expertise. Because of the highly multidisciplinary nature of patent work in the chemical field, we frequently draw upon the experience of our colleagues working in the life sciences and engineering sectors to provide a seamless service for our clients.

Many of our staff have direct industry experience with clients, having completed secondments with major manufacturers. We work hard to develop and maintain longstanding relationships with our clients.

What sets us apart
The depth and breadth of our technical expertise is critical to achieving success for our clients in the chemicals sector. We are collegiate in the way we work, meaning that we always put the best teams together for each individual matter entrusted to us by our clients.

We have particular experience in opposition and appeal proceedings before the EPO, with an enviable track record. We typically attend 50 to 70 patent hearings a year. As well as drafting robust, well thought out patent applications and prosecuting them through to grant, we excel at providing high-level strategic advice. We also have significant experience managing and prosecuting large patent portfolios.

Recent highlights

  • Providing drafting and global portfolio management services for MC2 Therapeutics.
  • Managing and prosecuting a large European patent portfolio for a multinational conglomerate creating innovative catalysts and absorbents.
  • Drafting and prosecuting patent applications for a UK-based agrochemical company and coordinating filing strategies worldwide.
  • Drafting and prosecuting applications covering small molecule pharmaceuticals and their medical uses, for a variety of UK and multinational companies.
  • Acting for a multinational chemical and sustainable technologies company in the successful defence of a European patent against a multi-opponent opposition.

Chemicals team

Partners

Adrian Hayes
Partner Reading
Edward Morse
Partner London
Dr Michelle Pratt
Partner London
Dr Oliver Rutt
Partner London
Dr Rohan Setna
Senior Partner London
Marcus Sims
Partner London
Daniel Weston
Partner London

Senior associates

Sarah Le Mesurier
Senior Associate London
Heather Ponsford
Senior Associate London

Attorneys

Dr Olga Bohuszewicz
Patent Attorney Cambridge
Claudia Bustamante
Patent Attorney London
Christopher Jones
Patent Attorney London
Olivia Murray
Patent Attorney London
Dr Jordan Waters
Patent Attorney London

Assistants and trainees

Anna Jones
Patent Assistant London

Insights

Is plastic equivalent to metal? The doctrine of equivalents at the UPC

In Washtower v BEGA, the UPC applied the Plant-e equivalence test to grant a preliminary injunction, showing its willingness to find likely infringement beyond literal claim scope.

Dr Michelle Pratt in conversation with Matthew Ridley

Matthew Ridley shares insights on UK design law reform, green tech innovation and why early-stage inventors should protect their ideas through strategic IP planning.

Boult is Tier 1 for Patents and Trade Marks in the Legal 500 UK for 2026

Once again Boult is recognised as Tier 1 for both patents and trade marks in the Legal 500 UK rankings for 2026.

Enlarged Board of Appeal Issues Ruling in G 2/24

The Enlarged Board of Appeal in G 2/24 upheld G 3/04, ruling that third parties intervening at appeal are parties as of right, not appellants and can't continue proceedings if appeals are withdrawn.

INSIGHTS