Baker Botts hires first patent litigation partner in London from EIP
US firm Baker Botts has hired Kathleen Fox Murphy as a partner in its London patent litigation practice. She joins from EIP, where she had been a partner since 2019, and brings experience in both life sciences and technology disputes before UK courts. Fox Murphy is the firm's first patent litigator in its London office.
4 August 2026 by Laura King
Kathleen Fox Murphy joined Baker Botts on 3 August. She began her legal career at Taylor Wessing (then Taylor Joynson Garrett), where she trained from 1997 and remained for a total of around 16 years, most recently as senior counsel. She moved to Browne Jacobson in March 2016 as partner and head of its London patent litigation team. In May 2019, she joined EIP as a patent litigation partner in London.
Fox Murphy’s practice covers patent litigation and strategy across the life sciences and technology sectors, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, telecommunications, electronics, and IT. She has advised on infringement and validity disputes, interim injunctions, multi-jurisdictional coordination, EPO oppositions, as well as competition law issues arising in the pharmaceutical sector and FRAND questions in relation to standard essential patents.
Fox Murphy has acted in a series of notable patent cases at all echelons of the UK courts, including representing Nokia in the UK RAND dispute with Amazon, as well as PanOptis in the UK SEP FRAND dispute with Apple. During her time at Browne Jacobson, for example, Fox Murphy represented Ericsson alongside Freshfields in the long-running Unwired Planet vs. Samsung, Google and Huawei case. She then took the client Ericsson with her to EIP, as well as client Sandoz.
Although as a UK solicitor Fox Murphy cannot represent clients at the UPC, she has nevertheless played a role in proceedings at the court, such as for Nokia in its UPC dispute with Amazon.
Bridging technology and life sciences
At EIP, Fox Murphy was part of a UK patent practice that has traditionally had a strong footprint in telecommunications and SEP disputes. At Baker Botts, she joins the firm’s global IP practice, which spans technology and life sciences work. Fox Murphy’s expertise aligns closely with Baker Botts’ focus on cross-border litigation.
Baker Botts has its roots in the US. It was founded in Texas in 1840, making it one of the country’s oldest law firms. It maintains two European offices in London and Brussels, with twelve offices in total across the Middle East, Asia and North America. The firm has around 700 lawyers, with over 165 attorneys and patent professionals dedicated to IP. Around 96 of those are patent attorneys. Currently, the firm does not have any UPC representatives. Fox Murphy is the first patent litigator to join the London office.
Christa Brown-Sanford, chair of Baker Botts’ IP department, describes Fox Murphy as a highly regarded litigator whose experience in technology and life sciences will be an asset. “Her command of UK and European patent proceedings, particularly in SEP and FRAND matters and interim injunctions, expands the experience we can bring to clients,” says Brown-Sanford.
The move comes as the UPC continues to attract a growing share of European patent litigation, prompting international firms to reinforce their London-based patent teams to coordinate UK proceedings with parallel disputes on the continent.
