Monika Rai

Partner, Solicitor and European Patent Attorney
London
European Patent Litigator

Monika is a life sciences specialist with a track record of achieving successful outcomes for clients in challenging cases. She has particular expertise in contentious proceedings at the European Patent Office, often involving multiple parties, and in advising on strategically significant patent portfolios. She regularly provides freedom to operate and validity opinions and has also coordinated and advised on major IP due diligence projects.

With a background that is legal as well as scientific, and by combining a strategic approach with attention to detail, Monika has built a reputation for her advocacy in EPO examination and opposition proceedings. She has represented some of the world's most innovative organisations in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector in technical areas including cancer immunotherapy, microbiome therapeutics, gene therapy, therapeutic nucleotides and peptides, personalised medicine using AI and machine learning, antibody discovery and diagnostics. She also advises clients harnessing the power of biotechnology and microbiology in the agriculture, food and cosmetics sector.

Monika joined EIP from a position as partner at another UK IP firm. Her professional experience spans over fifteen years and includes private practice firms in the UK and India as well as in-house experience supporting the biologicals and biopharma teams at a global healthcare company.

Erfahrung

  • Representing a leading diagnostics company in EPO oppositions and due diligence projects relating to various biomarkers and assays. This included representing them before EPO Opposition Division and Board of Appeal in achieving revocation of Bio-Rad patent EP1504266 relating to HCV and HIV assays.
  • Representing Seres Therapeutics before EPO Opposition Division in opposing EP2575835 relating to microbiome therapy in the name of University of Tokyo.
  • Representing Sanofi in EPO prosecution of gene therapy portfolio and in opposing Silence Therapeutics patents EP1857547 and EP2258847 in the field of RNAi.
  • Defending EP2569633 in the name of General Hospital Corporation and Dana Farber Cancer Institute against 5 oppositions, obtaining grant of divisional EP3023788 and related EPO prosecution in the field of neoantigen cancer vaccines.
  • Defending EP1639112 in the name of Genzyme Corporation relating to Novel beta-actin promoters.

Ausbildung und Qualifikationen

  • UK Chartered Patent Attorney, 2013
  • European Patent Attorney, 2010
  • Solicitor (England and Wales), 2008
  • Indian Patent Attorney, 2004 and Advocate, 2003
  • 2002 — 2003
    LLM (Intellectual Property), London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
  • 1999 — 2002
    LLB, Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi
  • 1996 — 1999
    BSc (Hons) Botany, Zoology and Chemistry, University of Delhi

Beruflicher Werdegang

  • 2020 — present
    Partner, EIP
  • 2016 — 2020
    Partner, Mathys & Squire
  • 2014 — 2016
    Associate, Mathys & Squire
  • 2012 — 2013
    Consultant, GlaxoSmithKline
  • 2008 — 2012
    European Patent Attorney, Olswang
  • 2007 — 2008
    Technical Assistant, Kilburn & Strode
  • 2004 — 2006
    Advocate, Groser & Groser

Sprachen

  • Hindi

Zusätzliche Informationen

CIPA Council Member 2021-2023