Lee joined Greaves Brewster in 2021 as a Director specialising in biological and life science technologies, especially cell and gene therapies.  He is a Chartered UK Patent Attorney, a European Patent Attorney and a Higher Courts Patent Attorney Litigator.  He has a degree in Physiological Sciences and a DPhil in Reproductive Endocrinology, both from the University of Oxford.

Lee moved to Greaves Brewster from the UK Biotech company, Celixir, where he was the Global Head of Discovery Science and Intellectual Property.  He was not only primarily responsible for all IP strategy and management but also for discovering advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapies, for serious diseases, especially heart disease and cancer.  He pioneered an innovative approach to early-stage drug development in which discovery and IP were integrated and focused on only developing patentable medicines.  This approach involved careful invention identification, an up-to-date and thorough understanding of the competitive landscape and conducting preliminary patentability and freedom to operate (FTO) searches before testing ideas.  As a part of Celixir’s science Executive team, he was also heavily involved in all aspects of the company’s drug development from discovery and patenting through in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical experiments, pharmaceutical development and clinical manufacturing to regulatory interactions and first in human clinical studies.

Lee enjoys leveraging his unique in-house experience to provide clients with tailored and pragmatic IP solutions which focus on the client’s technology and business requirements.  He can provide a complete patent service from invention identification and drafting through prosecution to EPO opposition, appeals and litigation, as well as due diligence, and patentability and FTO analyses.  He can provide insightful advice on how best to develop a complete IP portfolio that meets the needs of shareholders and Board members and is attractive to potential investors and collaborators.  He understands the complex issues surrounding drug discovery and development and where and how IP most appropriately fits within a company’s drug development plan.  He is singularly positioned to provide start-ups and SMEs with effective advice on how best to integrate IP with discovery and to protect all aspects of drug technology, as well as to make sensible suggestions relating to other aspects of product development.

Lee started his career at another private practice firm where he became a Partner and handled a variety of biological and life science subject matters.  He has particular expertise in genes, proteins, gene and viral therapies, cell therapies, regenerative medicine, stem cells, therapeutic cloning, neurological diseases, molecular biology, CRISPR, multiplex assays and diagnostics, and nucleic acid sequencing, especially nanopore sequencing.

A testimonial in Legal 500 has described Lee as

“Lee Chapman has very strong expertise and is a safe pair of hands in the cell and gene therapy space.”

Lee is an enthusiastic metalhead and regularly attends gigs and festivals.  His love of science extends to sci-fi TV shows and movies and he welcomes light hearted discussions around a top five or a top ten.  He and his wife can usually be found walking their dogs on the local beach.