Murgitroyd patent attorney bolsters life sciences practice at HGF

Russell Thom began his career at Glasgow-based Murgitroyd in October 2000. He qualified as a European patent attorney and chartered UK patent attorney, and was appointed director of patents in 2008. During his tenure, he led the chemistry and life sciences group as well as the risk group while Murgitroyd was listed as a PLC. Following the private equity acquisition of Murgitroyd in 2019, Thom served as UK regional head and later as managing director of the patents group.

Thom’s technical focus lies in biotechnology, with particular experience in synthetic biology, nucleic acid sequencing, and peptide- and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. He also advises on diagnostic assays and medical devices. Thom holds a degree in medical biochemistry from the University of Glasgow and a PhD relating to protein structure determination. He completed the CEIPI Master of Intellectual Property Law and Management.

Kate Taylor, life sciences head at HGF, states that Thom brings “more than 25 years’ experience providing strategic intellectual property advice to life sciences clients, together with a reputation for delivering pragmatic, commercially focused advice across a broad range of technologies.”

Ongoing expansion in Europe

The appointment is the latest in a series of hires HGF has made across its European practice since receiving private equity investment in 2024. Earlier this year, the firm added two life sciences partners with in-house backgrounds: Frédéric Didelon joined the Basel office from Novartis, where he had spent almost 18 years, while Fergus Manford joined the Bristol office from Leyden Labs after more than two decades in the biotech sector.

In April, patent attorney Oliver Pooley joined the tech and engineering team in Birmingham from Barker Brettell, while Garreth Duncan strengthened the London chemistry and pharma practice with his move from D Young & Co. In September 2024, HGF also expanded its continental European footprint with two partners in Paris and one in Munich.

HGF now has over 100 patent attorneys, more than 50 of whom are UPC representatives. The firm operates from 25 offices across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Austria.

High-profile clients

Alongside its prosecution work for clients such as Fujifilm, Intel, Philip Morris, Samsung Electronics and Syngenta, HGF regularly acts in EPO oppositions and in infringement and nullity proceedings before civil courts. The firm represented Philip Morris in an EPO opposition concerning heat-not-burn technology and acted as a straw man in an opposition over CRISPR/Cas patents. It was also involved in the Xarelto litigation, representing Amarox/Hetero Lab against Bayer.

At the UPC, patent attorney Bernhard Ganahl, together with lawyers from Krieger Mes, has represented Expert Klein and Expert e-commerce in two disputes with Seoul Viosys that began at the Düsseldorf local division and reached the Court of Appeal.

Scottish roots

Thom’s former firm Murgitroyd describes itself as a full-service IP firm advising on patents, trademarks and design rights. It was founded in Glasgow in 1975 and now has a 21-office network. Its main offices are in Europe, including ten offices in the UK alone and additional offices in France, Germany, and Italy, among others. The firm also maintains support offices in other countries such as China and central America.

Murgitroyd appointed a successor to Thom back in March. Barry Moore is now the managing director of its patents practice. Moore a qualified  European patent attorney and Irish patent and trademark attorney with a background in physics. Murgitroyd has a 150-strong pan-European patent team, including some UPC representatives.