Garreth Duncan is a partner at HGF with 28 years of experience in the patent profession. His practice spans a broad range of chemical technologies, including pharmaceuticals, food chemistry, petrochemicals, agricultural chemistry, polymers, chemical synthesis and manufacturing processes.
Duncan has extensive experience advising clients in the life sciences sector, handling patent applications covering new active substances, formulations, combination therapies, second medical uses and manufacturing processes. His work includes drafting and prosecuting patent applications before the EPO, UKIPO and patent offices worldwide, as well as advising on opposition and appeal proceedings, freedom-to-operate assessments, validity opinions and patent due diligence exercises.
He is particularly recognised for his expertise in supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and other forms of patent term extension. Duncan regularly advises clients on SPC strategy and manages the filing and prosecution of SPC portfolios across Europe for major pharmaceutical and plant protection products. He also has significant experience advising on regulatory exclusivity and other forms of regulatory-based protection within the pharmaceutical sector.
Year joined firm: 2026
- Life sciences IP
- Patent
- Supplementary Protection Certificates / Patent Term Extension
- Agriculture
- Chemical
- Food and beverage
- Life sciences
- Pharmaceutical
- MChem, Oxford University (1997)
- Certificate in Intellectual Property, Queen Mary College (1999)
- European Patent Attorney (2002)
- Chartered Patent Attorney (2005)
- EPI (European Patent Institute) – admitted 2002
- CIPA (Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys) – admitted 2005
