Our people
Joanna Thurston MChem, PhD, MRSC, CPA, EPA
Joanna is a patent attorney in our Life Sciences & Chemistry group. Joanna is an active member of our Higher Education and Home Care groups, and leads the Clean Technology and Batteries sector groups.
Joanna handles chemical inventions across the entire range of this field from biochemistry to physical chemistry. She has particular expertise in the areas of clean technology (in particular where it utilises electrochemistry), nanomaterials, textiles and in formulation chemistry.
Joanna advises clients of all sizes, and specialises in the provision of advice to the clean technology sector and to the chemical industry. Joanna has worked with some of the world’s largest FMCG companies, handling work in the food and personal care sectors. In addition, Joanna works with clients who are innovating in the areas of textiles, battery materials, fuel cells, photovoltaics, non-woven materials including paper and board, petrochemicals, display technologies, recycling, print, paint and coating technology and nanotechnology among others.
Joanna is a general chemist and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry and the Society of Dyers and Colourists. She is an active member of our Higher Education team, having experience in a university technology transfer team, she works with many UK and US universities and spin out companies and is a regular attendee at AUTM and Praxis Auril events.
Joanna is regularly invited to give talks on the subject of Intellectual Property at external seminars.
Education & background
Joanna obtained a first class degree from the University of Exeter, graduating top of her year. She then obtained a PhD in electrochemistry before entering the profession in 2002, where she trained in the chemical team of a private practice firm. Joanna qualified as a patent attorney in 2005, joining Withers & Rogers in 2008. During her training Joanna won two prizes, each for passing UK examination papers with the highest mark. In March 2023, she was registered as a representative before the new Unified Patent Court, one of the first European patent attorneys to be entered on the list of UPC representatives. Joanna has also been named as “one of the Top 250 Women in IP” by IP Stars.
On a personal note...
Joanna spends her spare time indulging her passions for yoga, textiles and science fiction. Other interests include swimming, and photography, in particular taking photographs of the stars.
