Robert Barker

Robert has experience in dealing with patents across the chemical field, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food chemistry, biofuels, tribology and lubrication, and energy storage.

He has spent over two years on a part-time secondment to a FTSE 100 spin-out company specialising in sustainable packaging. Robert’s secondment involves regularly engaging with, and providing advice to, key stakeholders across the business, from R&D engineers to senior executive decision-makers. Through his secondment experience, Robert is very familiar with the requirements and expectations of in-house counsel.

Robert has conducted several opposition proceedings at the EPO (both offensive and defensive) in the chemical field. He also has particular experience in preparing freedom-to-operate and due diligence analysis relating to fine chemicals.

In addition to his patent work, Robert also specialises in the registration and enforcement of designs.

He holds a first-class master's degree in Chemistry from Oxford University where he researched the synthesis of fluorescent organic probes for the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

Prior to joining EIP, Robert briefly worked at the John Innes Centre as a biological chemist, working on extraction and manipulation of natural products.