Susan Kirsch
Partner
Head of Chemistry
Carpmaels & Ransford
BSc (Hons) (Biochemistry), PhD (Biochemistry), Chartered Patent
Attorney, European Patent Attorney
Susan leads the Chemistry team at Carpmaels & Ransford LLP and has over 25 years’ experience.
Susan has a very large opposition practice and frequently represents clients before the Opposition
Divisions and Boards of Appeal at the European Patent Office in both Munich and The Hague. She
was singled out in The Legal 500, 2013 for her success in such opposition proceedings.
Susan handles mainly chemical subject-matter, and has patent expertise in a diverse number of
technologies including consumer products, catalysts, polymers, food science and technology,
formulation chemistry, functional foods, stabiliser technology, flavours and fragrances, dyes and
pigments, emulsion technology, surfactant and surfactant systems and pharmaceuticals.
Susan has been involved in revocation and infringement actions in the High Court in the UK and
also litigation in a number of other jurisdictions, including saisie proceedings in Belgium and crossborder injunction proceedings in the Netherlands.
Susan joined Carpmaels & Ransford LLP in 2000 and became a partner in July 2005. She is
responsible for a number of portfolios for key clients including Johnson and Johnson and INVISTA
S.à.r.l. She is known for getting alongside her clients and working closely with them to ensure that
the client is provided with the best possible service and advice.
Before joining Carpmaels & Ransford LLP, Susan worked for Unilever PLC, initially as a scientist in
the Skin Research Department and then for approximately ten years in the Patent Department,
where she qualified as a European Patent Attorney and Chartered Patent Agent in 1994.
Susan is a member of the European, Chemistry and Food and Drug committees at AIPLA
(American Intellectual Property Law Association). She is also an active member and supporter of
the AIPLA Women’s network and regularly attends the AIPLA meetings. She is a tutor for the
European Qualifying Examinations and has tutored for CEIPI (Centre d’Études Internationales de la
Propriété Intellectuelle) in Strasbourg since 1998.
Susan enjoys spending her leisure time both with her family and also following her own leisure
interests. She has a keen, varied interest in music, regularly going to concerts. She is also enjoys
walking, especially hill walking and takes on a number of long distance challenge walks each year.