Natalie Vaughan

Natalie is a UK and European Patent attorney in our life sciences team. She advises clients at every stage of the patent lifecycle, including invention capture, drafting, prosecution, and opposition proceedings as well as advising on due diligence/freedom-to-operate projects. Natalie works with a diverse range of clients and has particular expertise in supporting start-ups and SMEs, helping them with drafting and prosecuting applications that are integral to their business.

Natalie also manages and prosecutes patent portfolios across key jurisdictions worldwide, including Europe, the US, China, Japan, Korea, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and other South American countries.

Qualifications

Natalie holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (with Industrial Placement Year) from Durham University and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Bath. During her undergraduate studies, she spent 12 months at a pharmaceutical company, focusing on increasing recombinant antibody expression in mammalian hosts. Her doctoral research investigated ubiquitin-dependent mechanisms in cell cycle regulation.

Natalie joined Mewburn Ellis in 2019 from another patent attorney firm. She qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2021 and as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 2022. In 2022, she obtained the Intellectual Property Litigation Certificate under the IPReg Rules and is authorised to represent clients at the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

Women’s Health & Microbiome

Natalie is a member of our Women’s Health and Microbiome teams and is passionate about innovations in these fields. She has particular strength in filing and prosecution strategies for microbiome-based inventions.

WoMEn’s Committee

Outside of patent work, Natalie is a member of our WoMEn (the Women of Mewburn Ellis Network) committee. She actively advocates for women at Mewburn Ellis, helping with organising charity outreach, fundraising, and educational events to support and champion women and allies across the firm.

Memberships and Affiliations

Natalie is a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), and The Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi).

Recommendations and Feedback

"I first reached out to Mewburn Ellis in 2019 with nothing more than an initial idea. Over the past six years, and with the exceptional guidance of Natalie Vaughan, that idea has evolved into a clear technological vision and strategy that underpins our entire company. Throughout three funding rounds and our expansion toward commercial progression in the US and Brazil, Natalie and the Mewburn Ellis team have been invaluable partners. Their insight, responsiveness, and strategic support have played a defining role in shaping CroBio’s journey. We truly look forward to continuing to grow the company alongside our friends at Mewburn Ellis."- Ross Mulhall PhD, Co-founder and CSO at CroBio

"Natalie takes a thorough and creative approach to managing our patent portfolio and shaping filing strategy. She always explains complex issues in a clear manner, making her advice easy to act on and highly valuable."- Ole Kaasbøll, CSO at Tribune Therapeutics.