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Band 1
Provided by Martin MacLean
Martin has over 20 years of intellectual property (IP) experience with particular expertise in patent portfolio management for corporates and government. He is top ranked in Band 1 of the Chambers and Partners UK guide; a position he has held for the last 15 consecutive years. In the latest edition, Martin is described by sources as “ an outstanding patent attorney” (2025). He is also recommended in The Legal 500, and has received praise for being “a pleasure to work with” (2023), “accessible”, “knowledgeable” and for his “outstanding, can-do attitude” (2021). He has been consistently ranked as a ‘World Leading IP Strategist’ in IAM Strategy 300 , and recognised in the inaugural IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders list, in which he is described as “an exceptional patent attorney who shares his expertise with ease” (2025). Ranked as a ‘Recommended Individual’ in IAM Patent 1000 in the last six editions, sources describe Martin as an “extremely astute attorney who needs no introduction” (2025), and commend him for being “an extremely knowledgeable, efficient and effective practitioner with a deep technical understanding. He is pragmatic, commercially minded and always delivers a high-quality work product that gets results, especially before the EPO’’ (2024), “deft touch in managing sprawling patent portfolios” (2021) and his “knowledge on the targeting of bacterial toxins” (2020).
Expertise
Martin has conducted well in excess of 100 European Patent Office hearings, with a success rate of approximately 90%. He has a strong biotech background (PhD in microbial engineering from Warwick University), and specialises in technologies such as the protein therapeutics, antibodies, vaccines, expression systems, diagnostic assays, and ‘green’ agrochemicals.
He has extensive high value A&M (£100 m+) due diligence experience, which he is able to combine with the above core aspects of IP management, to provide valuable advice that is both informed and balanced.
Martin’s principal practice areas include; drafting and global prosecution, defence and opposition, freedom to operate and strategic advice.
Martin is a co-author of ‘Intellectual Property Issues for Bacteriophages‘, a Springer publication (2020), pp. 1-19 Bacteriophages. This article was written in combination with Dr David Harper (CEO & Founder of Evolution Biotechnologies Limited), a leading world expert in phage technology, and addresses the key challenges (and myths) associated with securing patent rights in this tech space.
Martin is a member of the Life Sciences Committee for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA).
Provided by Chambers
Provided by Chambers
Martin always goes above and beyond and provides the best advice.
His client service is consistently outstanding. He is responsive, thoughtful and highly attuned to the fast-paced and often unpredictable nature of startup life.
Martin always goes above and beyond and provides the best advice.
His client service is consistently outstanding. He is responsive, thoughtful and highly attuned to the fast-paced and often unpredictable nature of startup life.