Anne-Marie Conn

Professional Qualifications:
European Patent Attorney
Chartered UK Patent Attorney

Academic qualifications
M.Chem. Chemistry, University of Oxford

Scientific background
Anne-Marie’s research during the final year of her M. Chem. focused on the synthesis of aluminium complexes in the +1 oxidation state and explored the formation of novel aluminium-element bonds for small molecule activation. See, e.g., Probing the Extremes of Covalency in M−Al bonds: Lithium and Zinc Aluminyl Compounds, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 22301-22306.

Experience
Anne-Marie works with both international conglomerates and growing SMEs. She helps clients develop bespoke patent strategies and make their IP work for them. Key subject areas for Anne-Marie include:

• Textiles
• Chemical engineering
• Drug delivery
• Medical technology

"Anne-Marie is far more than my outside counsel, she is my trusted team member. I can count on her to understand our technologies and business needs with minimal input, and depend on her insights to strengthen our foreign filings and develop creative solutions during prosecution."

In-house counsel, global brand

Textiles
A particular specialism for Anne-Marie involves inventions in the textiles field, from fibre manufacture and processing, to textile production, to finishing operations and articles incorporating textiles as well as complementary materials such as films and foams. Anne-Marie is a mentor at Fashion for Good. As a chemist, Anne-Marie particularly enjoys seeing through to grant those applications which relate to her scientific background and, of these, textile-related inventions form a large part. She has expertise in the prosecution of “green” inventions, particularly those relating to the recycling of consumer products with short life-spans.

Chemical engineering
Anne-Marie is also experienced in drafting and prosecuting (i.e., handling the grant procedure for) patent applications in the chemical engineering sector more generally. For example, she particularly enjoys work concerning recycling plants, such as those which process consumer-generated waste.

Drug delivery
Anne-Marie has worked for several years in the field of drug delivery products, most notably for the delivery of fragile molecules, such as certain proteins and nucleic acids. Her freedom to operate work has often closely involved such delivery systems. Partly as a result of the Covid pandemic, this sector is becoming ever more competitive and densely populated, with a range of organisations vying for space in the patent landscape.

Medical technology
Meanwhile, Anne-Marie’s drafting, prosecution and opposition work also covers pharmaceutical inventions. In that regard, she has a particular focus on biomarkers for differentiating patient groups. In addition, she has over the years garnered much experience of first and second medical use inventions in Europe and medical method inventions in the U.S, involving treatments for conditions from influenza to neuropathy. Anne-Marie has also handled several applications for consumer healthcare inventions, most notably for the use of new ingredient combinations in cosmetic products.

Anne-Marie writes on legal matters such as the Patent Prosecution Highway and International Preliminary Examination. She has also authored articles on consumer healthcare, consumer goods and pharmaceuticals.

In her spare time, she enjoys road cycling, relaxing with friends and travelling.