Meet the IP Professional: Jane Wainwright – Coaching Confidence in IP

Jane Wainwright is a former patent attorney and equity partner who now works as a coach supporting IP professionals. After 23 years in private practice, including leadership roles at Potter Clarkson, she founded her own coaching business to help individuals across the IP sector navigate career progression, leadership pressure and personal growth.

Quick Profile

Name: Jane Wainwright
Role: Executive and Leadership Coach
Organisation: Starry Eyed Pragmatics
Location: UK
Areas of expertise: Coaching IP professionals, leadership development, career progression, strengths and values work, team and group coaching

From patent attorney to coach

Jane spent 23 years in the patent profession, beginning as a trainee and progressing to equity partner and Head of Biotech at Potter Clarkson. She also served on the executive board. Alongside her technical work, she increasingly found herself drawn to leadership and people development.

While a partner, she set up a leadership development programme for junior partners preparing for equity. The programme included coaching and training in areas not typically covered in attorney qualifications, such as finance and HR. As part of the first cohort, Jane undertook coaching herself.

That experience proved pivotal. Coaching helped her develop her leadership style and think differently about how she supported others. Encouraged by her own coach, she undertook formal coach training. Over time, she realised that coaching was the work she most enjoyed.

Leaving the profession after more than two decades was daunting. But she describes the move as a way of giving back to a profession that had shaped her career. Today, she works primarily with IP professionals, combining sector understanding with independent perspective.

What IP professionals bring to coaching

Jane is careful not to oversimplify the issues her clients face. While there are recurring themes, every coaching relationship is different.

Career progression and promotion feature strongly, particularly for those aiming for equity partnership. Many want to develop executive presence, authority or confidence in leadership roles. Others are balancing professional ambition with family life and personal commitments.

She also sees a strong perfectionist tendency within the IP profession. High standards are essential, but perfectionism can become exhausting. A key part of her work is helping people recognise when “good enough” really is enough.

At senior levels, challenges can become more isolating. Partners and firm owners often lack safe spaces to discuss pressures or uncertainties. Conversations with peers may feel commercially sensitive. Coaching provides an independent, confidential environment where they can explore concerns openly.

Coaching versus training and mentoring

Jane draws a clear distinction between professional training, mentoring and coaching.

Training focuses on learning the technical and legal aspects of the job. Mentoring involves sharing experience and advice from someone further along the path.

Coaching, by contrast, is not about giving answers. It is about asking the right questions and creating space for reflection. The client does most of the talking. The coach facilitates exploration and problem-solving, helping the individual find their own solutions.

For Jane, the value lies in enabling people to think clearly about what matters to them. She works extensively with strengths and values. By understanding personal values, clients can assess whether their work aligns with what matters most to them. Where there is misalignment, they can consider changes.

Similarly, identifying strengths helps people “job craft” within their role. Someone strong in relationship building may thrive in business development. Someone with exceptional attention to detail may excel in professional standards or training roles. Aligning work with strengths often increases both effectiveness and satisfaction.

Pressure, vulnerability and progression

Jane believes coaching can be valuable at many career stages, but particularly at the senior end.

As responsibility increases, opportunities for open and vulnerable conversation often decrease. Prospective partners may hesitate to share concerns with existing partners. Established partners may worry about appearing uncertain in front of peers.

Coaching creates space for honest reflection without judgement. It can also help individuals understand the realities of business ownership before stepping into partnership. This preparation can make leadership transitions smoother.

She also challenges assumptions about the cost of coaching. While it requires time, she sees clear commercial benefits. Greater confidence, stronger client relationships and improved performance in areas such as oral proceedings can outweigh the investment.

Growth on both sides

Coaching has shaped Jane’s own development as much as it has her clients’.

Through her training and practice, she came to recognise and address her own imposter syndrome. Seeing the impact of her work on others has strengthened her confidence. Measuring the difference she makes for clients has been more tangible than measuring her own achievements in isolation.

What motivates her most is witnessing change. She describes the satisfaction of seeing someone move from confusion or stress to clarity and action. Promotions, improved confidence or simply a renewed sense of direction all bring a visible shift.

For Jane, that moment when “the spark” appears makes the work worthwhile.

Life beyond IP

Outside work, Jane describes herself as someone who does “lots of different things, but nothing” — a reflection of varied interests rather than inactivity.

She enjoys time with her cockapoo, long walks and camper van adventures. Travel is a particular passion, especially visits to Disney parks and cruises, which she describes as her “happy place”. She also experiments with 3D design, digital illustration and creative projects.

Closer to home, a favourite regular walk is at Shipley Country Park near Ilkeston, a 5.5km route through fields, trees and reservoirs. It is a simple routine that offers space and perspective.

Ready to be coachable

For IP professionals curious about coaching, Jane offers a clear message. Coaching can be for anyone, but it requires readiness.

Being “coachable” means being open to change and willing to put in the work. Without that commitment, coaching may not be effective. With it, the possibilities can be significant.

After more than two decades in the patent profession, Jane’s focus has shifted from drafting and prosecution to personal development and leadership growth. Yet her aim remains aligned with the profession she knows well: helping people perform at their best, in ways that are sustainable and true to who they are.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janewainwright/
Website: https://www.starryeyedpragmatics.com/

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