Meet the IP Professional: Matt Dixon – Leading IP Strategy Through Growth and Change 

Matt Dixon is Executive Chair at Beck Greener LLP and a former President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA). With more than three decades in the IP profession, he combines technical expertise, business leadership, and strategic insight to help innovative companies develop and protect intellectual property. 

Name: Matt Dixon 
Role: Executive Chair 
Firm: Beck Greener LLP 
Location: London, United Kingdom 
Areas of expertise: Patent strategy, IP leadership, business growth, engineering and physics-based technologies, innovation strategy 

From physics student to patent attorney 

Matt’s route into intellectual property began while studying physics at Imperial College London in the early 1990s. Originally from Yorkshire, he describes himself as “proudly comprehensively educated” and admits that, unlike many of his peers, he had little interest in pursuing a PhD after graduation. 

“At the time, practically everybody on my course was looking at doing further academic study,” he says. “I thought, ‘I want a proper job.’” 

A visit to the university careers service introduced him to a profession he had never previously encountered: patent law. 

“I filled out one of those career questionnaires, and it suggested two jobs, actuary or patent attorney,” he explains. “I’d never heard of patent attorneys, but the description sounded interesting.” 

After researching the profession and applying to firms across the UK, Matt joined what was then Frank B. Dehn, now Dehns. He qualified there and later received a Gill Prize for achieving the top mark in the UK patent examinations. 

Shortly after qualifying, Matt moved to Munich to help build the firm’s new office. 

“We spent about three and a half years there and had our children while we were in Germany,” he says. “It was a brilliant experience.” 

Building teams and businesses 

Matt’s career later moved into leadership and business development roles, including a period at IP21, where he helped establish a London office for what was then a start-up firm. 

“That was a really formative experience for me,” he says. “It was one of the first times I’d worked alongside someone thinking purely from a business perspective rather than just from an IP perspective.” 

He credits that period with helping him better understand how professional services businesses operate commercially. 

Matt later joined HGF, where he spent around a decade leading the engineering team as the firm expanded significantly across the UK and Europe. 

“When I started leading the engineering group, it was much smaller,” he says. “By the end, we had around 40 people across multiple offices, including Munich.” 

Following a period away from full-time leadership, Matt joined Beck Greener initially in a consultancy capacity before becoming Executive Chair in 2024. 

The role focuses less on direct client work and more on supporting the long-term commercial development of the business. 

“My job is really about maximising the commercial effectiveness of the firm,” he explains. “I’m not ‘the boss’ in the traditional sense. I’m there to guide, support and help shape the direction of the business.” 

Under his leadership, the firm has experienced strong growth, including the acquisition of another practice and significant organic expansion. 

Helping businesses understand the value of IP

Throughout his career, Matt has worked with companies ranging from early-stage start-ups to established multinational organisations. He believes the approach to IP strategy changes significantly depending on the stage of the business. 

“For start-ups, it’s often about getting maximum value from limited budgets,” he says. “You’re helping them build something investable before they may even have a product on the market.” 

That uncertainty, he explains, creates a unique challenge. 

“You’re trying to build a patent portfolio that could protect a future global business, but you’re doing it with start-up finances.” 

By contrast, larger organisations often have clearer commercial objectives and established markets. 

“With more established businesses, you usually know what the products are, who the competitors are, and where the revenue comes from,” he says. “The IP strategy becomes much more closely aligned to broader business strategy.” 

Matt has also seen the role of patent attorneys evolve considerably during his career. 

“Years ago, patent attorneys mostly spoke directly with technical teams,” he explains. “You’d spend hours discussing inventions with scientists and engineers.” 

Today, however, IP professionals are increasingly expected to communicate at board level. 

“You now need to explain intellectual property in commercial terms,” he says. “You have to answer questions about value, investment, and business impact, not just technology.” 

Leadership, mentoring and learning to listen 

When discussing leadership, Matt is candid about how his perspective has changed over time. 

“When I was younger, I probably thought having the best strategy or the best spreadsheet was enough,” he says. “What I’ve learned is that how people feel matters.” 

He believes successful leadership depends not only on sound commercial planning, but also on understanding how decisions affect colleagues and teams. 

“You can have the best plan in the world, but if people feel uncomfortable or dismissed, they won’t buy into it,” he says. 

That people-focused mindset also shapes how he mentors younger professionals entering the profession. 

“The most important thing I try to teach trainees is to be comfortable saying, ‘I don’t know,’” he explains. 

For Matt, honesty and intellectual curiosity are essential skills for any patent attorney. 

“You’re not expected to know everything,” he says. “The job is to understand quickly, ask the right questions, and then find the answer.” 

A changing global IP landscape 

While many of the day-to-day challenges within IP remain consistent, Matt believes one of the biggest long-term shifts has been the rapid rise of China within the global innovation economy. 

“The scale of Chinese engagement with intellectual property systems is enormous,” he says. “And the speed of change has been remarkable.” 

He compares China’s development to Japan’s transformation from low-cost manufacturing economy to global innovation leader, but notes that China’s transition has happened much faster. 

“The quality of innovation coming out of China has improved dramatically,” he says. “Once a country becomes one of the biggest users of the patent system, naturally it also becomes more invested in protecting intellectual property rights.” 

Matt believes this shift is already influencing how IP systems operate internationally, particularly in areas such as trade marks and designs. 

Outside the office 

Away from work, Matt enjoys live music and performs in a rockabilly band called Ronnie Ripple and the Rip Chords, where he plays rhythm guitar. 

“We don’t gig constantly, but I really enjoy it,” he says. 

He is also refreshingly honest about how he switches off from work. 

“I’m not one of those people getting up at 4am for a wheatgrass smoothie,” he jokes. “I watch Netflix, go to the pub, and go to concerts.” 

One recent highlight was seeing the Pet Shop Boys live in Birmingham, where Matt says his “dad dancing” received unexpected praise from fellow concertgoers. 

When it comes to walking, his favourite place remains close to his Yorkshire roots: Digley Reservoir near Holmfirth. 

Looking ahead 

Reflecting on his career, Matt believes one lesson stands out above all others. 

“How people feel matters,” he says. “That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned.” 

It is a philosophy that now underpins both his leadership style and his approach to working within the IP profession. For Matt, technical expertise and commercial strategy remain important, but building trust, understanding people, and communicating clearly are what ultimately make long-term success possible. 

LinkedIn: Matt Dixon LinkedIn Profile 
Firm website: Beck Greener LLP 

Meet the IP Professional is a PatWorld interview series exploring the people and perspectives shaping the intellectual property profession. Discover more interviews in the Meet the IP Professional hub, and find out more about PatWorld, a global IP search provider working with IP professionals worldwide to support informed patent, design and trade mark decisions, on our About Us page.