INTERVIEW

How did you learn about the Patent Attorney profession and what inspired you to become a (European) Patent Attorney?

My career started as an R&D scientist within my company around 2001. A lot of my work involved seeking IP protection and I always loved working with the Patent Attorneys from our IP group. They were always so helpful, friendly, supportive, and super-super smart. They understood what we were doing as scientists, but also what the business needed. About 15 years ago I was thinking about what to do next in my career. I decided that a move to patents would be a huge challenge but a great opportunity. I wanted to see if I could do the same kind of job, and be the same kind of colleague as those Patent Attorneys I'd worked with. I was lucky that an opening came up in my company’s IP group, and I’m still there now.

Most people know that Patent Attorneys help clients obtain a patent. However, what other tasks are you responsible for? 

It’s so much more than just patents. I work with the R&D leadership teams to understand their needs and articulate that into our IP strategies. I work with the R&D scientists to understand what's important to them, what innovations they're making, and why those innovations are important to the business. I work with our marketeers and supply chain to understand what our competitors are doing on the ground and what their reaction will be when we launch our innovations in the marketplace. Using all that information we put together a plan and a strategy to build the most appropriate IP protection to ensure our innovations endure in the marketplace when they launch. And that IP strategy isn't just about patents – it’s about using every tool we can to protect our innovations. We use designs, trade secrets, know how protection, contractual frameworks, trademarks, and whatever else is appropriate to build a fortress around the investments we make in R&D.

If you had to split your role into science, law, and business, what is the proportion of each?

I'd say they were pretty equal but if I had to order them it will be mostly science, then business, then law.

What does the team structure at your workplace look like?

Pretty flat. I'm part of an in-house patent group and that group is part of our legal department, although my main clients are, of course, in R&D. One of the great things throughout the organisation is that there isn't much hierarchy. Decisions are made because people know what choices to make and not because of their work level.

What does your average workday look like?

A lot of emails. We work in a global group so basically the queries never stop coming in. I've moved into a leadership role so most of my time is taken up with strategy, contractual matters, contentious issues, and M&A. I don’t do nearly as much of the day-to-day drafting and prosecution that I used to. At the moment my days are pretty long because clients and colleagues in the east need to be fitted in during the early morning, those in the west fit into the evenings, and the day-job goes in the middle!

What would a dream workday as a (European) Patent Attorney look like for you?

I get a huge amount of satisfaction from closing off complex matters whether they relate to patents, agreement matters, litigation, opposition or whatever. So, my dream day would be spent communicating to the business the conclusion - hopefully successful conclusion - of those kinds of issues.

What is the most exciting aspect of being a (European) Patent Attorney for you?

Not knowing what each day will bring. The job isn't just about patents, it's about the whole scope of intellectual property from conception to enforcement, everything in between, and a lot beyond that too. When I passed my exams, a colleague said “Congratulations, now the learning starts!”, and they were right. Every day I learn something new, and that's a pretty exciting thing to be able to say about a job.

What are your least favourite tasks?

I'll be honest - I don't like drafting. I can do it and I'm good at it, I guess, but I think I can add more value in other ways.

Does your job allow you to have time for your hobbies? Do you have any side projects related to patents?

Yep sure, it's important to make time for these sorts of things. I love skiing, and ski instructing, so that’s something I try to do a lot of. I've always felt that if you can teach somebody to do something, it means you can do it well yourself. I feel the same thing about my profession and my personal ability to perform. That's why me and my good friend (and fellow Patent Attorney) have set up our own training company (eqetraining.com) to help European Patent Attorneys pass the EQEs. It's something I love doing and EQE results time is honestly one of the most rewarding points in the year as we hear from our candidates about their successes and, in some cases, continue to help them if things haven't quite gone to plan.

If you could start your career over, would you change anything?

Not much. I could have joined the patent profession sooner, I suppose. But having said that, I think that my time as an R&D scientist has massively helped me be a better Patent Attorney too.

If the Patent Attorney profession suddenly disappeared tomorrow, what else would you do?

I'm probably too old to be a stuntman now so… I think I'd go into arbitration. Working on contractual negotiations over the years has really helped me understand that there is almost always common ground between parties. I think working in arbitration would be a great way to use my skills in this area and help, in some small way, to resolve conflict.

What advice would you give someone that wants to become a European Patent Attorney?

Talk to as many Patent Attorneys as you can. That's what I did when I thought about joining the profession and every single one of them was incredibly helpful. We love talking about our profession and always want to encourage people to join us.

What do you think about the future outlook of our profession? With more and more available software, do you think the work of European Patent Attorneys will change in the next 10 years?

I suppose it might. Companies are always claiming to be able to automate tasks that demand skilled professionals. However, I don't think those sorts of tools will ever replace Patent Attorneys. I’m not dismissing them, but my expectation is that they will more be used to free up our time to do the work that really adds value.