About Paul Abbott

Paul is a highly-regarded intellectual property litigator with a particular focus on disputes of a technical nature (often concerning patents) and those involving cross-border aspects. 

Paul has particular expertise in the life sciences and biotech fields. He has acted for several major players in the sector in patent and/or commercial disputes, including AstraZeneca, Becton Dickinson, Danisco-DuPont, Heraeus Medical and Merck Sharp & Dohme. Paul has a First Class Masters degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.

Paul also handles major matters in other fields, his experience including cases on aerospace engineering, industrial chemicals and mobile telephony. Aside from his core patents practice, he has extensive experience of technical trade secrets disputes, and and also acts in commercial contract disputes and in matters concerned with competition law issues.

In 2019 Paul won two awards at the Euromoney LMG Europe Rising Stars Awards, in the Europe-wide Intellectual Property category as well as the UK country category.

Paul has a varied pro bono practice. He regularly appears in appeals at the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals. He has also worked on high-profile cases concerning State pension rights (at the UK Supreme Court) and PIP (at the Court of Appeal).

Recent work

• Representing AstraZeneca in, among other matters, proceedings concerning the blockbuster drugs Crestor (rosuvastatin), Faslodex (fulvestrant) and Symbicort (budesonide / formoterol).
• Representing Becton, Dickinson & Company in, among other matters, Court proceedings concerning a patent relating to IV catheters.
• Defending a major smartphone brand against multi-SEP assertions in the UK and advising on FRAND/competition defences.
• Representing Heraeus Medical in proceedings concerning alleged breach of confidence by Zimmer Biomet in relation to bone cement products.
• Advising Continental in patent litigation relating to standard-essential patents.
• Advising Volvo Trucks in pan-European competition follow-on damages litigation. 
• Representing Merck, Sharp & Dohme in Court proceedings concerning a patent relating to antibodies which target IL-23.
• Representing ABPI and EFPIA as written intervenors in the Lyrica (pregabalin) patent case before the UK Supreme Court.
• Defending a global aerospace company in high-value ICC arbitration proceedings concerning an alleged breach of confidence.
• Representing Danisco-DuPont in, among other matters, patent litigation proceedings against Novozymes concerning industrial enzymes.