Elizabeth Crooks

About

Elizabeth is involved in all areas of patent protection, including working closely with companies to identify inventions, drafting patent applications and prosecuting them to grant. She has extensive experience of prosecution in patent offices worldwide, including in particular, Europe, Japan, China and South Korea.

Elizabeth works with her clients to propose patent protection strategies, including invention capture and patent portfolio management. She also provides advice on third party patents/ applications including patent landscaping and providing infringement and validity opinions.

She has particular experience in opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office.

Elizabeth works in all areas of chemistry including pharmaceutical chemistry. She has particular experience in working in the area of industrial chemistry, particularly on low Global Warming Potential fluorocarbons, materials for films and coatings, polymers, catalysts, solvents, refrigerants, foam blowing agents, security markings, propellants and large scale synthetic processes.

Elizabeth works for a variety of companies, from universities and spin-out companies through to blue-chip multinational corporations.

Accolades

'IP Star' for Patents - Managing IP, IP Stars, 2024

The rigorously business-minded Crooks does superb work for those in the field of high-performance chemicals and consumer products. She thinks tactically to make all the right moves to protect key inventions, and ensures her patrons’ rights remain protected through her masterful handling of opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO. Lately she has showcased her expertise on behalf of AdvanSix, for whom she successfully defended a key patent before the Opposition Division. - IAM Patent, 2024

"Elizabeth Crooks has keen problem-solving abilities, creative use of case law, and practical and pragmatic approaches to addressing patent issues with an eye towards underlying business needs of her clients set her and her team apart from the peers." - The Legal 500, 2023

"Crooks boasts vast technical expertise in the chemical field, from industrial through consumer applications. Alongside her easy familiarity with drafting in that sphere, Crooks is also an accomplished hand at EPO oppositions and took on 12 hearings over 2021. Names she has represented there include Honeywell, Ball Corporation and AdvanSix Resins & Chemicals." - IAM Patent 1000, 2023

"Crooks is a force of nature in opposition proceedings before the EPO and specialises in industrial chemistry and consumer products." - IAM Patent 1000, 2022

"Elizabeth Crooks is a smart and passionate advocate and many in my company have repeatedly commented on how lucky we are to have her on our side." - The Legal 500, 2022

'Recommended' in IAM Patent 1000 2021 edition.

Managing IP has acknowledged Elizabeth as an ‘IP Star’ for Patents in their 2022, 2021 and 2020 IP Stars Handbook.

Elizabeth has been acknowledged by a client in Managing IP, IP Stars 2017 edition as having an "excellent ability to think on [her] feet”, adding that she "has delivered outstanding results in terms of obtaining and defending key patents".

‘Recommended’ in Managing IP’s 2016 Patent Handbook

Elizabeth is named as part of the team who are noted as "all brilliant and make a fantastic life sciences and chemistry team that displays real confidence". - The Legal 500, 2016

Credentials

Qualifications

Chartered UK Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
IP Litigator - Patent
Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) (2024)
PhD Chemistry - University of Southampton (1998)
BSc (Double Hons) Chemistry and Biochemistry - University of Southampton (1995)

Memberships

Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
The Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (EPI)

London

Qualifications

Memberships