Charleen Rupnarain is a senior associate in the Patents Department at Adams & Adams. She holds a PhD in Cancer Genetics and an LLB degree. Charleen is an admitted attorney of the South African High Court and a qualified Patent Attorney.

Charleen specialises in Biotechnology and Life Science-related patent matters. She has a solid background in Intellectual Property Management in the public funding sector. In prosecution, her key South African clients include the University of Pretoria, the CSIR and the University of Kwazulu-Natal. Charleen is also active in prosecuting patent applications filed by international clients in Africa, particularly in the jurisdictions of ARIPO, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Botswana, Ghana and Kenya.

Charleen is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, a member of the South African Research and Innovation Management Association and a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law.