Rowan Freeland
Partner
Recent work
- obtained an interim injunction under a patent for a crystal form of an important dermatology product for LEO Pharma against Sandoz (upheld on appeal)
- acting for Conor Medsystems Inc in an action to revoke a patent owned by Angiotech Pharmaceuticals relating to a taxol-eluting stent (successful at first instance and on appeal: Conor settled before the House of Lords hearing)
- acting for a leading international pharmaceutical company in defending two actions for revocation and declarations of non-infringement of a number of patents covering the formulations and uses of a chemotherapy agent
- acting for CoreValve in litigation with Edwards Biosciences concerning a patent for a stent-mounted heart valve for use in percutaneous heart valve replacement
General experience
Rowan specialises in contentious and non-contentious intellectual property: most of his cases have a multi-jurisdictional aspect. His main focus is on substantial patent litigation for research-based pharmaceutical companies. He has also acted in patent actions for clients in other industries, notably medical devices, chemicals, electronics and telecommunications, as well as machine tools, oil drilling equipment, irrigation systems and corkscrews.
Background
Recommended as “A really smart operator", according to Chambers Guide and "fantastically brilliant" and with "an excellent understanding of IP issues".
Rowan is Secretary of the Intellectual Property Lawyers’ Association. He teaches the patent segment of the Oxford University Diploma in Intellectual Property Law. He lectures frequently in the US and the UK on all aspects of intellectual property law and has been invited to address plenary sessions of AIPLA and APAA.
Rowan joined the firm in 1980 and became a partner in 1988.