Full Profile
Ralph’s practice covers all aspects of intellectual property, both contentious and non-contentious, and all industry sectors. He has thus litigated patents, trade marks, designs, confidential information and licensing and other IP contractual disputes before the Patents Court, High Court and Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC). He has also worked with attorneys on a range of patent, design and trade mark matters before the European Patent Office, UK Intellectual Property Office and EUIPO and has regularly coordinated international IP litigation where multinational companies are involved, or the infringing activities extend beyond the UK.
Within the patent field, Ralph’s focus is on life sciences and engineering sectors (including aerospace), advising clients on matters such as freedom to operate, research exemptions, litigation strategies and contractual issues as well as conducting litigation itself. He also advises clients on transactional, portfolio management and regulatory matters, being the lead author for “The Pharma Legal Handbook – United Kingdom (2020), and carries out due diligence exercises on product acquisitions and fund raisings.
Over the course of his career Ralph has litigated patents as diverse as riflescopes, prenatal genetic tests, vanadium redox batteries, ultrasonic bonding of disposable nappies, porridge containers and DRAMs. Ralph has also advised on the contractual and IP protection and/or infringement of vessel designs, ejector seats, aircraft tail-fin logos, board games, software, cancer medicines, energy supplements and a genomic biomarker testing platform.
Ralph is a member of the BioLegis network of life sciences law firms. He is also recognised as a leading practitioner for patent litigation, and IP generally, in legal directories such as Chambers UK and Global, Legal 500, Managing IP Patent Stars and Intellectual Asset Management’s Patent 1000.
Experience
Patent litigation:
- Omnipharm v Merial (fipronil formulations for flea protection)
- Swarovski Optik v Leica (riflescopes)
- Illumina v TDL Genetics (genetic tests for foetal chromosomal abnormalities, e.g. Downs)
- Curt G. Joa v Fameccanica.Data (ultrasonic bonding of disposable nappies)
- Michael Dichand v Hydraredox Technologies Holdings Ltd (vanadium-redox batteries)
- Confidential (second medical use patents for cancer treatments)
- Confidential (catalysed particulate filters for NOx reduction in diesel vehicles)
Trade mark & design litigation:
- Eli Lilly & Others v 8PM Chemist (parallel importation dispute and damages enquiry for wrongful injunction)
- Confidential (enforcement of trade marks, and patents, against lookalike products)
- Utopia v BBP Marketing (design infringement/revocation action re beer glasses)
- Confidential (disputes concerning the design of plastic food containers)
- Portfolio management and opposition proceedings for various clients
Other matters:
- R v Secretary of State for Business (ex parte Napp) (judicial review)
- Sturrock & Robson v Flexsteel (IP related ICC arbitration)
- Summit Therapeutics (patent due diligence)
- Confidential (patent and contractual due diligence on purchase and licensing in of medicines)
- Confidential (defence of negligence claims against patent attorney firms)
Articles:
“Lidl ‘gin’ and bear it as territorial scope of interim interdict extended” (Duncan Batchelor and Ralph Cox; Lexology, 11 August 2021)
“Patently not dominus litis - Reactec Ltd v Curotec Team Ltd 2021” (Duncan Batchelor and Ralph Cox; Lexology, 27 July 2021)
Ralph Cox is a highly impressive patent lawyer- I would rate him as exceptional, and one of the very best I have worked with. His knowledge of the industry and the law is exceptional, and he is equally at home dealing with contentious and non-contentious work. Ralph manages somehow to be able to absorb and process all of the detail while also maintaining a high-level view of the case, transaction or advice at hand, which means he is able to provide user-friendly commercial advice to clients.
Legal 500 2021
