Programme Speakers
Catherine Rohll
Catherine is a scientist by original training and has both a degree and PhD in biological subjects from Cambridge. Before re-training as a solicitor, Catherine spent six years working for the Research Councils (first SERC and then BBSRC). She qualified as a solicitor in 2000 and joined Manches' Technology & Media Department in the same year.
Catherine specialises in non-contentious intellectual property and commercial law and advises both private and public sector clients on a wide range of issues relating to the protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights and other commercial issues. Her practice falls into two main sectors: life sciences and technology transfer. On the life sciences side, Catherine advises clients from start up companies (including many university spin-outs) and biotechnology companies to the UK affiliates of multinational pharmaceuticals on issues including in and out licensing of IP, research and development agreements, clinical trial and clinical manufacturing agreements and the manufacture, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In relation to technology transfer, Catherine advises a number of universities and research councils (and their institutes) on matters including IP policies/revenue sharing agreements, collaborative research agreements, European framework agreements, licensing out of IP (to spin-out companies and others), conflicts of interest and freedom of information. Catherine is a regular attendee at Unico conferences and has recently been assisting Unico in its work with the charities commission and HMRC to clarify the consequences of recent changes to charity and tax law on industrially sponsored research in universities.
