Philip Cupitt is a patent attorney at Marks & Clerk whose work spans engineering, software, telecommunications, medical devices and artificial intelligence. From the value of rigorous patent searching to the evolving role of AI, Philip believes technology can enhance the profession, but human understanding, judgement and communication remain fundamental. Quick Profile Name: Philip CupittRole: Partner, […]
14th October 2026
Philip Cupitt is a patent attorney at Marks & Clerk whose work spans engineering, software, telecommunications, medical devices and artificial intelligence. From the value of rigorous patent searching to the evolving role of AI, Philip believes technology can enhance the profession, but human understanding, judgement and communication remain fundamental.
Quick Profile
Name:Philip Cupitt Role: Partner, Patent Attorney & UPC Representative Firm / organisation:Marks & Clerk Location: Birmingham, UK Areas of expertise: Patents, software, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, medical devices, electronics, mechanical engineering, standard essential patents, freedom to operate and EPO oppositions
Finding a career at the intersection of technology and law
Philip’s route into intellectual property was more accidental than planned. After completing his PhD in 2002, he was considering a range of career options when he came across a somewhat mysterious advertisement for a “graduate trainee”. The recruiter behind it was working on behalf of several patent attorney firms, and once Philip learned what the profession involved, it immediately appealed to two longstanding interests. “I obviously liked technology. I studied engineering and I’ve always been interested in technology, but I had also thought earlier about doing a law degree.” Patent law offered an opportunity to bring the two together.
More than two decades later, it is the constant exposure to new ideas that continues to make the profession interesting. Philip is fascinated by how things work, whether that means understanding software, an electrical product or a mechanical device, and patent work provides an almost endless supply of technologies to investigate. “There’s a never-ending flow of new technologies to learn about and understand.”
That breadth is particularly evident in his work across fields such as telecommunications and medical technology. His interest in the latter began early: Philip’s mother was a radiographer and explained radiography to him when he was young, while his PhD also had links to medicine. Telecommunications offers a different example of technological complexity. A device as familiar as a mobile phone brings together huge numbers of innovations and patents, from communications technologies to hardware. For Philip, gaining an understanding of what is happening behind technology that most of us simply take for granted remains one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
Making patent advice understandable
Technical knowledge is only part of being an effective patent attorney. One of the biggest lessons Philip has learned during his career is the importance of communicating outside what he calls the “patent bubble”. Advice written in the language best suited to a patent office may make perfect sense to another attorney, but it may be far less useful to an inventor or business leader trying to make a commercial decision. “The key to everything is trying to explain things in a way that someone outside the patent bubble can understand.”
For Philip, clients should understand not only what their attorney is doing, but why. That means clearly explaining the available options and, where appropriate, being prepared to recommend a course of action rather than simply presenting a list of possibilities. He returns to this point when considering what distinguishes genuinely useful legal advice from advice that is technically excellent but difficult to apply. The best advice, he believes, should be easy for the client to understand and digest, and attorneys should also be prepared to “get off the fence” and say what they would do if they were in the client’s shoes. Ultimately, the purpose is to give clients enough clear information and guidance to make better decisions.
Why searching matters before decisions are made
Patent searching is one area where Philip sees considerable value in getting the right information at the right stage. For patentability, he believes businesses and inventors should understand the prior art before committing to the cost of filing and pursuing a patent application. Preparing an application is only the beginning of that investment: prosecution and, eventually, maintaining granted rights all have associated costs. A good understanding of the prior art can therefore help a business assess both the likely scope of protection and whether proceeding makes commercial sense.
It can also improve the resulting application. Once the relevant prior art is understood, an attorney can take it into account when drafting, which Philip believes can lead to a more focused application that is better prepared for examination and potential future challenges. Freedom to operate searching is equally important. “Businesses shouldn’t just launch products without having undertaken their due diligence to know what the patent risks are.” That applies not only to launching a new product, but also when taking an existing product into a new market. Identifying potential risks earlier can help a business make informed decisions rather than encounter an unwelcome problem after significant investment has already been made.
For Philip, however, the quality of a patent search cannot be measured simply by the number of documents returned. The searcher needs to understand the brief, the technology and where to look, and just as importantly, they need to recognise which results are genuinely relevant. “You can tell quite easily when looking at a patent search whether or not you think the searcher has understood what they’re looking for and looked in the right places.”
It is an area where he specifically values experienced search professionals. Philip says that when he asks PatWorld to carry out searches, he trusts the analysts to understand the brief, apply an appropriate strategy and surface the most relevant documents. That makes the results more useful because an attorney is not left working through large volumes of material with little relevance to the question being asked.
As search technology continues to develop, Philip also sees opportunities for AI to support experienced searchers, particularly when dealing with very large volumes of patent information or language barriers. However, he believes the human element remains central: understanding the invention, developing the right strategy and recognising what is genuinely relevant all depend on technical knowledge and professional judgement.
AI and the changing IP profession
Philip has been considering AI’s impact on the IP profession for several years. In 2019, he wrote about how the technology might develop, and one of the biggest changes since then has been the emergence of highly capable general-purpose AI tools.
He had expected much of the development to come through specialist patent-specific systems but has been surprised by how useful general-purpose tools can be in supporting aspects of patent work. That does not diminish the role of specialist technology; instead, it has broadened the range of tools available to professionals. Philip also highlights security as an increasingly important consideration when deciding which systems can appropriately be used for confidential work.
Looking ahead, Philip sees the most effective model as one in which AI supports professionals rather than replaces them.
“What I think is effective is to have humans being assisted by AI rather than being replaced by AI.”
AI may help reduce the time spent on certain tasks, allowing attorneys to focus more attention on judgement, strategy and client communication. For Philip, however, the human relationship remains fundamental: businesses are run by people, and the most meaningful interactions still come from people communicating directly with one another.
Protecting innovation in the age of AI
AI presents another challenge for Philip in his work: protecting AI-related inventions themselves. One difficulty is the age of the legal framework. UK and European patent law was developed at a time when today’s computing capabilities would have been difficult to imagine, and as a result Philip believes AI innovations can face obstacles to patent protection that do not necessarily apply in the same way to inventions in other technical fields.
He would like to see the law evolve, but recognises the difficulty of legislating for technology that is moving so quickly. Changes made today could themselves become outdated as AI develops. It is a delicate balance: creating a framework capable of protecting modern innovation without introducing hastily drafted rules that create fresh problems in the future.
Life beyond patents: family, guitars and rediscovering the 1980s
Away from work, family life takes priority. Philip enjoys spending time with his two children, whether that means taking them out, watching films together or simply playing video games. He has also been introducing his seven-year-old son to television from his own childhood, with Knight Rider among their recent choices. Philip admits that some elements have dated better than others, although the programme still holds up surprisingly well.
Music is another longstanding interest. Philip has played guitar for most of his life and, as his children have grown a little older, he has found more time to return to it. Rock and indie feature heavily, but his tastes are broadening again as he rediscovers music from his childhood, including some songs that might once have been considered embarrassing by his teenage self. “Wham is one example that I’m willing to admit to.” Listening again decades later, he has found that much of the music has stood the test of time.
His favourite guitar at the moment is a PRS, an instrument he had wanted since seeing one in a guitar-history book as a teenager. Earlier this year, he finally bought one.
Interestingly, Philip does not think being a guitarist has particularly changed how he approaches intellectual property. Instead, the influence has worked in the opposite direction: being a patent attorney has changed the way he looks at guitars. Patent records can reveal the stories behind familiar instruments and technology, including the inventors involved, the innovations that succeeded and those that did not. “It’s really intriguing to look at guitar technology through the lens of a patent attorney.” Philip is now working on a website that he hopes will eventually bring some of those stories together.
If money were no object, however, his dream instrument would have less to do with patent history and more to do with musical history. A guitar once owned by a member of The Beatles would be difficult to beat. For Philip, their importance lies not in individual virtuosity but in the enormous influence the band had on the music that followed.
Keeping judgement at the centre
Philip’s career may have begun almost by chance, but a consistent thread now runs through his work: curiosity about how things work and a determination to help people make sense of complexity. Whether the subject is a new invention, a patent search or the role of AI, his perspective remains grounded in the value of human understanding, using technology where it helps, while keeping judgement, communication and commercial insight at the centre of the process.
Meet the IP Professional is a PatWorld interview series exploring the people and perspectives shaping the intellectual property profession. Discover more interviews in theMeet 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 ourAbout Us page.
Andrew Tindall is a Patent Director in the Life Sciences team at HGF, with a particular focus on SMEs, start-ups, and venture capital clients. Combining a scientific background with a strongly commercial outlook, he sees intellectual property not simply as protection, but as a strategic tool for helping innovative businesses manage risk and achieve their […]
23rd September 2026
Andrew Tindall is a Patent Director in the Life Sciences team at HGF, with a particular focus on SMEs, start-ups, and venture capital clients. Combining a scientific background with a strongly commercial outlook, he sees intellectual property not simply as protection, but as a strategic tool for helping innovative businesses manage risk and achieve their goals.
Quick Profile
Name:Andrew Tindall Role: Patent Director, Life Sciences Firm / organisation:HGF Location: Cambridge area, UK Areas of expertise: Life sciences, biotechnology, start-ups and SMEs, venture capital, IP strategy, due diligence, future foods, precision medicine, and longevity technology
From science to intellectual property
Andrew’s interest in intellectual property grew from wanting to understand what happens after a scientific discovery is made. While he enjoyed science, he was particularly interested in how biotechnology could be used to solve real-world problems, from tackling disease to helping feed a growing population.
As he approached the end of his PhD in Japan, Andrew began thinking more seriously about where he wanted his career to take him. Patent law had come up in conversations with a friend during his PhD, but when he explored the profession properly, he realised how closely it matched his interests. “It hit all the buttons for things I wanted in my career,” he explains. “Getting to work with innovation, getting to write, I’ve always enjoyed writing, and also having that variety.”
That variety was particularly appealing. Andrew describes himself as something of a generalist, enjoying the opportunity to engage with different scientific problems rather than concentrating on one narrow area of research. After returning from Japan, he began applying for patent roles while relocating in the UK. He received his first job offer while temporarily staying on a friend’s sofa, an unconventional start to a career that has since developed around combining science, IP, and commercial strategy.
The moment everything clicked
One of the most important lessons in Andrew’s career did not come from an examination, textbook or patent hearing. It came from winning his first clients. The real revelation was not securing the work itself, but understanding the client’s commercial objectives and seeing how that changed the legal work.
“If I understood the company’s commercial objectives, the legal work became much clearer and much more valuable,” he says. “I could see what needed to be done and why it mattered.” It was a turning point in the way Andrew viewed his role.
He later took a brief break from private practice to explore advisory work with venture capital firms, venture studios, and start-ups. Although he ultimately missed the variety of clients offered by private practice, the experience gave him a valuable perspective on what businesses and investors expect from their IP advisers. “I’ve definitely learnt as much about the job from working with founders and investors as I have from textbooks and examinations.”
Working in the “risk translation business”
Today, Andrew describes himself as being in the “risk translation business”. A key part of his role involves helping SMEs and start-ups use IP to navigate due diligence and investment rounds. He also works with investors to understand potential IP risks and the implications for a deal.
Rather than eliminating uncertainty, Andrew sees his role as helping clients understand it. “Innovation is uncertain by nature,” he says. “The role of IP attorneys isn’t to eliminate uncertainty. It’s to help companies become investible despite it, and to quantify and qualify those risks.” That often means looking beyond the immediate task of obtaining a patent.
Andrew spends much of his time helping clients identify which rights really matter, understand their options, and make decisions that support wider objectives. Those objectives might include attracting investment, securing a licensing agreement or progressing towards an exit. It was also part of what attracted him to HGF and its work with SMEs and venture-backed businesses.
From technical correctness to commercial outcomes
Andrew’s approach has changed significantly as his career has developed. As a trainee, his focus was naturally on patentability, technical merit, and legal correctness. With experience, that focus has shifted towards the outcome the client needs to achieve. “The IP is a tool for achieving the business objective,” he explains.
He has also become more comfortable developing his own style as an adviser. Early in a career, he says, it is natural to emulate supervisors, while experience brings the confidence to develop your own tone and approach. For Andrew, an important part of that approach is ensuring clients have the context they need to make decisions. “There’s room for a variety of approaches,” he says. “I’m really happy that I’ve found mine.”
When IP makes a tangible difference
The most satisfying messages Andrew receives are not necessarily patent grant notifications or favourable examination reports. They are the emails telling him that a client has reached an important commercial milestone. “A round has closed, they’ve agreed a licensing deal, entered into a partnership or been able to claim Patent Box on a product,” he says. “Realising that what we’ve done has meaningfully moved the needle for somebody is always really satisfying.”
That focus on real-world outcomes is also reflected in the technologies that interest him most. With a background in plant science, Andrew was originally drawn to biotechnology because of its potential to address major problems. Today, his interests include precision medicine, longevity technology, and future foods. “The common thread for me is solving real-world problems at scale.”
Food, health, and an evolving innovation landscape
Future food technology has been a particular interest throughout Andrew’s career. Earlier on, he worked on oppositions in the sector as investment and interest in alternative food technologies began to grow. He describes it as watching an industry emerge in real time. Today, one area capturing his attention is functional food. “I’m interested in food as not merely fuel, but as more holistic nutrition and even as medicine,” he explains.
The emergence of GLP-1 therapies is adding another dimension. As people rethink their relationship with food, Andrew sees new questions emerging around nutrition and products designed for changing dietary needs. It is also a reminder of how technologies can develop in directions that were difficult to foresee at the outset.
Strategic advice in an age of AI
Andrew has seen expectations of patent attorneys change during his career. He believes clients increasingly want strategic advisers rather than professionals focused only on drafting, prosecution, and obtaining rights. “The value of the profession is moving towards providing judgement,” he says.
AI is likely to accelerate that shift. Andrew is positive about the productivity gains the technology could bring, while recognising that it will change where clients perceive value. For him, the opportunity lies in the aspects of the profession that depend on understanding the client, their commercial environment, and the decisions they need to make. That makes strategic thinking increasingly important.
Keeping sight of the decision
When a matter becomes complex, Andrew returns to a deceptively simple question: what is the client trying to achieve? In an opposition, due diligence project, or IP audit, it can be easy to become absorbed in every possible argument or detail. Taking a step back can reveal which information genuinely matters.
“Complexity usually becomes much more manageable once you identify which decision actually needs to be made,” he says. “Then you can work out what information you need to make that decision.”
The same thinking shapes Andrew’s view of efficiency. One lesson from earlier in his career has stayed with him: “Don’t confuse activity with value.” He remembers spending significant amounts of time on detailed research and analysis that ultimately made little difference to the outcome. Today, he is more comfortable prioritising the work that delivers the greatest value rather than pursuing perfection when the additional effort is unlikely to change the result.
Honesty when the answer is difficult
Technical knowledge matters, but Andrew believes clients often value something more fundamental: honest advice. That can be particularly important when the answer is not the one a client wants to hear. Sometimes a strategy will not work, an amendment may not be allowable, an IP position may present problems for investment, or an opposition may be difficult to win. Delivering that message requires confidence and judgement.
“We can’t make decisions for clients,” Andrew says. “We have to give them the information and tools they need to make them, and make them feel comfortable making the call.” For Andrew, resisting the temptation to offer false reassurance is an important part of being a trusted adviser.
The invention he would revisit
Given the opportunity to return to an earlier technology and help shape its IP strategy, Andrew would choose the early development of GLP-1 therapies. It is an area he encountered as a junior trainee, long before GLP-1 drugs became widely known. At the time, the work was heavily focused on diabetes, while their later impact on obesity treatment and the wider health and nutrition landscape was far harder to foresee.
Andrew remembers working on cases involving compounds originating from research into Gila monster venom. By coincidence, he had recently returned from visiting a friend in the US who kept a Gila monster as a pet. Beyond the unusual coincidence, the experience now represents something more significant to him. “It highlights just how difficult it can be to spot the transformative potential of inventions at the outset,” he says.
He would have liked to be part of those early strategic discussions, considering where future value might emerge and how an IP strategy could keep those possibilities open.
Outside the office
Away from IP, Andrew is a keen gardener and smallholder. He lives in a village, with his family, outside Cambridge, where he keeps chickens and grows vegetables, and over the years he has also had several allotments. Gardening provides more than a change of scenery. “Growing vegetables is a useful reminder that not everything can be accelerated or forced through,” he says. “You can think about it as much as you like and be as clever as you want, but some things simply take time.”
This year, chilli peppers have thrived in the heat, but the surprise success has been amaranth. After experimenting with callaloo and other varieties, Andrew has found the plants flourishing, perhaps a little too successfully. His self-seeded callaloo has spread beyond the garden and even down the street. Beautiful, edible, and difficult to remove, it looks likely to return whether invited or not.
Developing the next generation
As Andrew looks to the next stage of his career, one area he is particularly excited about is developing the next generation of patent attorneys. “I’ve always enjoyed people management. I’ve always enjoyed training people,” he says. As he takes on greater seniority, he is looking forward to having more influence over the skills future attorneys will need.
For Andrew, commercial awareness and strategic thinking will be an important part of that. He sees bridging the gap between science and capital as a continuing challenge in biotechnology and believes patent attorneys can play an important role in helping innovative businesses navigate it.
It brings the conversation back to a theme that has shaped Andrew’s own career: understanding the science is only part of the job. The real value comes from understanding what a client is trying to achieve and using IP strategically to help them get there.
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.
Veronika Brázdová is a physicist by training and now works as a UK and European patent attorney and commercial mediator. Through Brázdová IP, she combines scientific curiosity with commercial thinking, with a particular interest in sustainable and marine technologies, including shipping, decarbonisation and emerging blue-water innovation. Quick Profile Name: Veronika BrázdováRole: UK and European Patent […]
16th September 2026
Veronika Brázdová is a physicist by training and now works as a UK and European patent attorney and commercial mediator. Through Brázdová IP, she combines scientific curiosity with commercial thinking, with a particular interest in sustainable and marine technologies, including shipping, decarbonisation and emerging blue-water innovation.
Quick Profile
Name:Veronika Brázdová Role: UK and European Patent Attorney and Commercial Mediator Firm / organisation:Brázdová IP Location: UK Areas of expertise: Physics and engineering, sustainable technologies, marine technologies, shipping and decarbonisation, IP strategy and commercial mediation
Curiosity as a starting point
For Veronika, the connection between physics and patents is more natural than it might first appear.
“I went into physics to find out how things work,” she says. Curiosity was what initially attracted her to science. When the realities of pursuing a long-term academic career prompted her to consider alternatives, she realised patents offered something surprisingly similar. “Patents are also about how things work.”
That moment of understanding remains one of the things she most enjoys about her profession. Whether looking at scientific research, an invention or even a mediation, Veronika wants to understand what sits beneath the surface.
There is a particular satisfaction when the underlying function or structure suddenly becomes clear. Once you understand why something is happening, she explains, you can work with it very differently.
That same curiosity eventually led Veronika to establish Brázdová IP. “I wanted to create my own business in the way I want it,” she says. Running her own practice gives her freedom over everything from her technical niche to the firm’s branding. More importantly, it allows her to concentrate on areas that matter to her, particularly working with founders and sustainable technologies.
Bringing a physicist’s perspective to new inventions
Veronika’s scientific experience spans different disciplines and approaches, from large-scale simulations and supercomputing to experimental work. That breadth is valuable in patent practice.
Within physics and engineering, patent attorneys may encounter technologies across many different sectors. They need to be able to understand what arrives on their desk, even when it sits outside their previous specialist experience. “Having experience in different fields helps you understand any new field as well, because you’ve seen so many things before,” she explains.
It also helps you know which questions to ask.
Veronika found that her legal training strengthened this further. Patent attorneys are trained to question an invention carefully and work out exactly how it functions. For someone whose career began with a desire to understand how things work, it is an aspect of the profession she particularly enjoys.
An affinity with ships and sustainable technology
Marine and sustainable technology bring together several of Veronika’s interests. She has always loved ships and the ocean. Growing up in a landlocked country made the sea represent holidays, adventure and “far horizons”.
A recent trip to the Arctic reinforced that fascination. Arriving in Kirkenes, she saw her ship moored against the icy landscape. “I felt the same way as some people probably feel about cathedrals,” she recalls. For Veronika, the sheer scale of a ship engineered to withstand such harsh conditions is impressive in itself. Professionally, the sector is equally compelling.
Shipping is undergoing a strong drive towards decarbonisation. New requirements are encouraging shipowners to reduce emissions, while technological developments are making ideas feasible that could not previously be implemented.
Hydrofoils are one example. The underlying principle has been understood for many years. Advances in materials, software and computing have now made increasingly sophisticated applications possible.
The marine environment also creates unusual technical demands. Equipment must cope with salt water, wind, waves, vibration and temperature extremes. In Arctic environments, conditions become more demanding still.
For a patent attorney, this combination of difficult operating conditions and rapid innovation makes the field particularly interesting.
When old ideas become new technology
Ask Veronika which marine technology excites her most and the answer comes quickly: wind-assisted ships. “This is my absolute favourite and the coolest technology as far as I’m concerned.”
Humans relied on sails for thousands of years before steam and other forms of propulsion took over. Now wind power is returning, supported by modern materials, engineering and control systems.
As wind-assist proponents like to point out, “the cheapest fuel is the fuel that they don’t burn.” Even a relatively modest reduction in fuel consumption can become significant when multiplied across a fleet.
Modern wind-assist systems can take several forms. Rigid sails can be precisely adjusted to changing wind conditions. Flettner rotors use rotating cylinders to generate propulsion assistance, applying a principle that has been known for more than a century.
What interests Veronika is how quickly the discussion has moved. At industry events only a few years ago, much of the conversation centred on pilot projects. More recently, the focus has shifted towards commercial installations.
Existing cargo ships can also be retrofitted, allowing operators to introduce wind assistance without replacing conventional engines.
For Veronika, it is a good example of how an established idea can become commercially viable once the supporting technology catches up.
Making IP strategy part of the business strategy
When working with founders, Veronika believes IP cannot be treated as something to consider later.
Early-stage companies already have long lists of urgent priorities. Intellectual property can easily become part of the “legal stuff” that founders know they should address at some point. But delaying those conversations can create unnecessary risk. “The sooner you start, the better the payoff,” she says.
Crucially, that does not automatically mean seeking patents. Veronika believes an IP strategy must support the business plan. Before recommending a particular approach, she therefore wants to understand where a company is heading.
“If I think a client doesn’t need a patent, I will tell them they don’t need a patent.” Trade secrets may sometimes be more appropriate, or a combination of different forms of protection.
Funding plans, expansion, target markets, technology and competitors can all affect the right strategy. This is why Veronika particularly values carrying out IP audits with clients. By discussing the business and the technology together, she can help establish an IP strategy that the company can then implement.
That strategy should never be static. Veronika recommends revisiting it as the business develops. A funding milestone, a new invention or a change in commercial direction may all mean the IP approach needs to change too. “It’s an ongoing thing.”
What mediation brings to patent practice
Alongside her patent work, Veronika is also a commercial mediator. The training has influenced the way she works with clients, particularly when difficult questions need to be asked. “The way you ask is critical,” she says.
Just as important is listening. Active listening forms a major part of mediation training. Veronika describes it as a life skill that can help almost anywhere.
It also reinforces the importance of understanding what a client actually wants to achieve. The underlying objective may be different from the position first presented.
There is a clear connection with the curiosity that first drew Veronika to physics. Whether the subject is an invention, a business strategy or a commercial disagreement, she is interested in understanding what is really happening beneath the surface.
Lessons from academia, innovation and business
Moving from academia into IP also changed Veronika’s perspective on innovation.
One lesson was simple: don’t try to do everything yourself. Academics can become conditioned to believe they both can and should handle everything. Commercial life requires a different approach.
She also learned the importance of knowing when something is good enough. “You can still have a high bar of what good enough is, but it is not the same as perfect.” In academia, it can be tempting to continue perfecting details that ultimately have little bearing on the bigger picture.
Working with businesses has made Veronika more conscious of funding, commercial priorities and communication.
The most important question is often not the intricate technical detail, but what the technology actually does.
Looking 20 years ahead
There are several marine technologies Veronika would like to fast-forward two decades to see.
Marine carbon dioxide removal is high on the list. The ocean is already a natural carbon sink, but the process is slow. Technologies are being developed to accelerate carbon removal and deploy it at scale. The challenge now is not simply whether approaches can work technically, but whether they can be scaled and commercialised.
Autonomous vessels are another area she expects to develop significantly, while wind-assisted shipping remains a personal favourite.
She is also watching tidal energy. It has been “emerging” for decades, but commercial and site-specific challenges have made standardisation difficult.
How these technologies develop will also depend on progress elsewhere, including floating offshore wind and other energy sources. For Veronika, that uncertainty is part of what makes the sector fascinating.
Outside the office
Switching off means getting “away from the screen and into the real world”.
Singing is particularly important to Veronika. She is currently working her way through Cleopatra’s arias from Handel’s Giulio Cesare, something she describes as great fun. She also plays the harp.
Her interests do not stop there.
She would like to return to Japanese woodblock printing after enjoying a course several years ago. More recently, she has been learning perfumery. It is proving challenging, but that is part of the attraction. “It’s one of those slogs that will be really satisfying and worth it in the future.”
Her enthusiasm for the sea extends beyond work too. During a recent Arctic holiday, she spent time aboard a working Hurtigruten ship before travelling onwards and experiencing husky sledding across the Finnmark Plateau in a whiteout.
Advice for scientists and engineers considering IP
For scientists and engineers wondering whether their background is suitable for a career in intellectual property, Veronika’s advice is straightforward: “Do it.”
The important thing is not already knowing every technology you might encounter. By definition, patent attorneys regularly work with inventions that have not existed before. What matters is having the scientific training needed to follow what an inventor is explaining, ask the right questions and understand the technology. Legal training builds on that foundation.
Veronika remembers finishing a two-hour discussion with a group of inventors alongside another patent attorney. At the end, the attorneys remarked that they finally understood how the invention worked. The inventors replied: “Now we understand how it works.”
Perhaps that captures Veronika’s career particularly well. From physics to patents, mediation and sustainable marine technology, the common thread is the satisfaction of asking questions until something complex becomes clear.
She will also be attending UK Offshore Wind 2026, organised by the Danish-UK Association, on 3 December 2026.
If you are attending either event and would like to connect with Veronika, reach out to her on LinkedIn.
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.
Michelle Catto is a Senior Associate at FB Rice in Australia, specialising in medical technology and engineering. With a background in medical device development, she brings an engineer’s perspective to intellectual property, helping innovators consider patents alongside regulatory, investment and commercial objectives as they build businesses with ambitions extending beyond Australia. Quick Profile Name: Michelle […]
19th August 2026
Michelle Catto is a Senior Associate at FB Rice in Australia, specialising in medical technology and engineering. With a background in medical device development, she brings an engineer’s perspective to intellectual property, helping innovators consider patents alongside regulatory, investment and commercial objectives as they build businesses with ambitions extending beyond Australia.
Quick Profile
Name:Michelle Catto Role: Senior Associate Firm / organisation:FB Rice Location: Australia – Sydney Areas of expertise: Medical technology, medical devices, engineering, patent drafting and prosecution, IP strategy, portfolio management and freedom to operate
A happy accident: from engineering to IP
Michelle describes her move into intellectual property as a “happy accident”.
She began her career at Cochlear, joining its graduate programme before moving into production engineering. The programme gave her experience across manufacturing, quality, regulatory, design, new product industrialisation and returned device analysis.
One department she never experienced was IP. “I didn’t even really think about it as an option back then,” she says.
That changed through a colleague at Cochlear who was a patent attorney but had spent time working in the regulatory team. The two stayed in touch. Several years later, when Michelle mentioned she was looking for a change, her former colleague suggested something completely different: joining her team as a trainee attorney.
Michelle started asking questions about the profession and quickly saw its appeal.
“IP is at this really interesting intersection between technology and law and business strategy,” she explains. “I really love problem solving and strategic thinking, and I’m a skilled communicator, so it really felt like a natural fit for me.”
Her engineering experience remains fundamental to the way she works. It helps her understand complex technologies quickly and connect with inventors and technical teams. In fact, Michelle jokes that she probably uses her engineering skills more as a patent attorney than she did as an engineer.
Finding a home in MedTech
Today, Michelle works within FB Rice’s broader engineering team, focusing predominantly on medical technology. It is an area particularly close to her heart.
“There’s such a tangible link to making a positive impact in people’s lives,” she says.
Her clients range from small start-ups to multinational businesses, but the common thread is solving real problems in healthcare.
For Michelle, MedTech is also intellectually fascinating because so many disciplines intersect. Science, engineering and medicine meet regulatory requirements and commercial considerations.
“Every project is interesting and different,” she says. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that journey and know that the work I’m doing is feeding into something that’s actually going to help people.”
Australian innovation with global ambitions
Michelle believes Australia produces world-class research and innovation, particularly in MedTech and healthcare. “We’re a relatively small country, but in this area we often say that we punch above our weight.”
Australia benefits from a strong academic research environment. Michelle also points to the country’s growing appeal as a destination for clinical trials. Together, these factors create opportunities to develop ideas, generate evidence and validate technologies.
The greater challenge can come in moving from an innovative idea to a successful global business.
Access to capital can be more limited than in larger markets. Australian companies also often need to consider international expansion much earlier in their development. That makes joined-up strategic thinking particularly important.
Michelle believes businesses that align their IP, regulatory and commercialisation strategies early are generally better positioned for long-term success.
The relatively small domestic market also means even early-stage Australian businesses may see themselves as global companies from the outset.
“Long-term growth often means looking beyond our shores,” she explains.
Manufacturing capability, international partnerships and global networks can all influence where a company goes next. In turn, those choices have implications for IP.
Michelle therefore encourages clients to think early about where they intend to develop, manufacture and sell their products. Those decisions influence both protection strategies and the third-party risks they may encounter.
“Having that global perspective from the beginning really helps to ensure that the decisions they’re making now will support that journey as they expand.”
Looking beyond the patent
As Michelle’s career has developed, so has the nature of the advice she provides.
Early in a patent attorney’s career, she explains, much of the focus is naturally on drafting and prosecution. Deep technical and legal expertise takes years to build, often with guidance from experienced practitioners and mentors.
Those skills remain fundamental. However, Michelle’s own work increasingly involves helping clients navigate a much broader innovation ecosystem.
“In MedTech particularly, IP is one important piece of a much larger puzzle.”
Regulatory strategy, reimbursement, investment, manufacturing, market entry and commercial partnerships can all influence whether a technology ultimately succeeds.
For Michelle, an important part of her role is helping clients understand where IP fits within that bigger picture. “It’s about how you can use IP, not just to tick a box and say, ‘we’ve got a patent’, but to support your broader business objectives.”
Those conversations often start with two deceptively simple questions: where is the client now, and where do they want to go?
The answer may depend on whether a business is raising capital, building value ahead of an acquisition, seeking strategic partnerships or pursuing another commercial objective. Some clients arrive with a clear strategy. Others are still working it out.
Michelle sees her role as working alongside her clients. She cannot determine their business strategy for them, but she can help them understand the IP component and how it connects with their wider plans.
When IP unlocks something bigger
For Michelle, some of the most satisfying moments are when IP contributes to a wider commercial milestone. “I love those moments where you see IP working to help unlock something bigger.”
That could mean supporting a funding round, progress towards an IPO or a commercial partnership. The value comes from knowing that protecting important aspects of a technology is helping the client move towards a larger goal.
With established organisations, the relationship can look very different. Michelle enjoys working with in-house counsel and business leaders to understand how individual technologies fit within much larger portfolios.
This might involve tailoring prosecution strategies to broader commercial objectives. It can also involve freedom to operate work to help businesses understand and navigate third-party risks.
In both cases, the patent attorney becomes part of executing a wider strategy rather than working on IP in isolation.
Asking why nobody has done it before
There is one question Michelle particularly likes asking engineers at an early stage of developing a new medical device:
“Why hasn’t anyone done this before?”
The answer can reveal far more than might initially be expected.
If nobody has thought of the idea before, that is interesting. But Michelle finds it even more revealing when others have tried and failed.
Understanding why previous approaches did not gain traction can expose critical points of innovation. It can identify commercial risks and unexplored opportunities. It may also reveal which elements of a new technology are most important to protect.
Sometimes the previous barrier was technical. At other times, the problem was a failure to understand what the eventual users actually needed.
For Michelle, understanding the end user is an important part of looking at an innovation more broadly. Considering who will use a technology, what they need and why previous approaches may have fallen short can reveal valuable insights into both the innovation and its commercial potential.
It can also help identify which aspects of a new technology may be particularly important to protect.
Supporting the next generation in STEM
Michelle is passionate about STEM education and diversity, partly because she remembers the support she received from others.
“I really see the benefit that I’ve gained from other people investing in me, particularly other women who are more senior in the profession.”
She now wants to offer that same encouragement to others.
Michelle also believes perceptions of STEM careers can be unnecessarily narrow. Engineering and science can lead in many different directions, as her own career demonstrates.
She is involved in supporting early-stage accelerators within the MedTech sector, including through IP education and early-stage due diligence. She enjoys helping young companies understand IP while they are still finding their feet.
There is also a personal motivation.
Michelle has three daughters and wants them to grow up seeing STEM as somewhere they can fully belong, should they choose that path. As they get older, she has become increasingly interested in engaging with girls at school level.
“I’ve got a lot of good stories to tell and I’d like to share those, I think, with the next generation.”
Building careers for the long term
Michelle’s perspective on careers has also been shaped by balancing professional development with family life.
Her biggest lesson is that people have different levels of capacity at different stages of their lives. “The best workplaces are ones that are flexible enough to see someone’s value, not just in the moment, but over the long term.”
She credits FB Rice with providing the flexibility that has helped her build a sustainable career alongside raising her family. Parental leave has been particularly important. Michelle believes equitable parental leave matters not only for mothers, but for their partners too.
The leave available to her partner gave Michelle greater capacity to concentrate on returning to work. It also allowed him time to focus on family.
She would like to see more organisations offer, and encourage people to take, equitable parental leave, allowing caring responsibilities to be shared more evenly.
Life beyond IP
Outside work, family naturally occupies much of Michelle’s time. But she also enjoys finding new ways to challenge herself.
Around five years ago, she took up the cello as an adult beginner. She had learned piano growing up but had always wanted to play cello. When her eldest daughter began learning, Michelle decided to join her.
Learning together has been rewarding, although Michelle suspects her daughter may soon overtake her. Her second daughter has now started too, meaning there are currently three cellos in the family home. Her eldest has ambitions to add a double bass, creating what Michelle laughingly describes as a potential logistical problem for the car.
She also loves being outdoors. Living around an hour west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains gives her plenty of opportunities for hiking, trail running and swimming in the creeks during summer.
Her favourite local walk is Mount Solitary. Rising from the Jamison Valley, it offers expansive views back towards Katoomba and the Three Sisters, and across the surrounding landscape.
Further afield, Tasmania is somewhere she returns to repeatedly. She particularly recommends the Three Capes Track, describing Tasmania as “the most magical place I’ve ever been”.
Whether learning an instrument or heading into the mountains, stepping away from work gives Michelle a chance to use her mind differently. “I always find when I return that I’ve got new perspectives and new ideas.”
Staying open to unexpected opportunities
For engineers considering IP, Michelle’s advice reflects her own unconventional route into the profession: find mentors, talk to people and remain open to opportunities that were never part of the original plan.
She also recommends trying to understand what the work really involves before committing to it. “Find a patent attorney and ask them out for coffee,” she suggests. Ask them to explain the fundamentals of patent drafting. “It’ll either really fascinate you or you’ll quickly realise it’s not for you.”
If it is fascinating, Michelle encourages people not to assume they need to fit a particular mould. The profession combines technical expertise with communication, strategy and commercial thinking. That creates room for different backgrounds and different ways of approaching problems.
“If you’re curious and you enjoy learning and solving problems, then it can be a really rewarding career.”
For Michelle, that curiosity has taken her from engineering into a profession she had never originally considered. It now allows her to combine the technical thinking she enjoys with a much wider view of innovation, helping businesses understand not simply how to obtain IP, but how it can support the journey from an idea to commercial success.
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.
Paul Renwick is a Patent Attorney at Marks & Clerk Singapore whose career has taken him from engineering in the UK to patent practice in New Zealand and Singapore. Qualified as an Australian and New Zealand Patent Attorney, he helps innovators protect commercially valuable inventions while bringing an international perspective to intellectual property. Quick Profile […]
12th August 2026
Paul Renwick is a Patent Attorney at Marks & Clerk Singapore whose career has taken him from engineering in the UK to patent practice in New Zealand and Singapore. Qualified as an Australian and New Zealand Patent Attorney, he helps innovators protect commercially valuable inventions while bringing an international perspective to intellectual property.
Patent drafting and prosecution, AI and software, Semiconductor technologies, Deep technology, International patent strategy
Finding engineering, and discovering IP
Paul’s interest in engineering began long before he knew intellectual property existed.
Growing up, he was always taking things apart, fixing bicycles and motorbikes and generally wanting to understand how things worked. Engineering felt like a natural choice, helped by having an engineer as a father.
It wasn’t until university that another career path emerged.
As part of his engineering degree, a patent attorney visited to explain the profession and how engineers could apply their technical knowledge in a completely different way. That presentation planted a seed.
“I did a PhD involving some IP and my supervisor was spinning out a company, so there were patents being filed. Then I worked for a semiconductor start-up that was beginning to build its own patent portfolio.”
That combination of academic research, commercial engineering and first-hand exposure to patents made the transition into intellectual property feel like the obvious next step.
Interestingly, his former employer became one of his earliest clients after he entered private practice. “It was nice seeing both sides of it. I had worked inside the company before helping them protect their technology.”
One move that changed everything
Paul began his patent attorney career in Sheffield, where he trained for three years before taking an opportunity to work in New Zealand.
Initially intended as a one-year overseas experience, the move quickly became something much bigger. “I thought I’d spend a year in New Zealand, gain some different experience and then see what happened.”
The opportunity to stay arose naturally, and one year became almost seven. During that time, Paul qualified as an Australian and New Zealand Patent Attorney under the Trans-Tasman system, building expertise in a market where international patent filing is an integral part of daily practice.
The move to Singapore was another opportunity to broaden his experience, this time within one of Asia’s leading centres for innovation and technology. Working closer to emerging industries, fast-growing companies and international clients has given him an even broader perspective on global IP strategy.
Looking back, each move has broadened both his professional experience and his understanding of how innovation develops in different parts of the world.
Although patent law across the UK, New Zealand and Singapore shares common roots, each jurisdiction applies it slightly differently. Seeing those differences first-hand has helped shape the way he approaches complex international portfolios.
“You see how each jurisdiction has implemented the law. The outcomes are often similar, but the different approaches give you a stronger background.”
Supporting innovation across Asia
Today, Paul is a Patent Attorney with Marks & Clerk Singapore, where his work centres on helping universities, start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses protect their innovations. While many of his clients are based in Singapore, his work frequently extends across Southeast Asia, reflecting Singapore’s role as a regional gateway for technology businesses.
His technical practice focuses on artificial intelligence, software, semiconductors and deep technology, sectors that continue to evolve at an extraordinary pace.
“Singapore is a bit of a hub,” he explains. “Companies from Thailand and Malaysia, and even further afield in Korea, China and Japan, often work with Singapore firms.”
English also plays an important role. Many businesses choose to draft their first patent application in English before pursuing protection in key international markets, particularly the United States and Europe. This makes Singapore an attractive base for companies with global ambitions.
For Paul, the work remains as engaging today as it was when he first entered the profession.
“I think it’s why I got into IP in the first place. You’re constantly learning about new technology and talking to inventors about the things they’re creating. You’re involved right from the start.”
Every new invention presents another opportunity to understand a different technology and help shape how it is protected commercially.
Why Singapore continues to attract innovation
Having worked in the UK, New Zealand and now Singapore, Paul has seen how different innovation ecosystems develop. While every country has its own strengths, he believes Singapore has created an environment where technology businesses can grow rapidly.
Much of that success comes from a combination of government support, universities, private investment and venture capital.
“There seems to be a lot of support for technology and innovation, from the universities through to government institutions and VC funding.”
He has also noticed how quickly Singapore embraces emerging technologies. Whether it was blockchain several years ago or artificial intelligence today, the country’s investment priorities tend to follow the leading edge of innovation.
“They really get behind new technologies. They’re trying to upskill the whole country.”
That commitment has helped establish Singapore as a significant centre for semiconductor manufacturing while also encouraging rapid growth in AI-focused businesses.
“The IP landscape evolves alongside the technology,” Paul says. “Wherever the technology is heading, the start-ups, investors and government support tend to follow.”
Thinking globally from day one
One of the biggest changes Paul has witnessed throughout his career is the increasingly international outlook of technology businesses. For many companies in Singapore and New Zealand, expansion beyond domestic markets is expected from the outset.
“The first conversation is usually about their plans. Where are they going? Which countries matter to them?”
Those answers shape the IP strategy from the very beginning. Rather than treating patents as country-specific assets, Paul works with clients to develop filing strategies that reflect manufacturing locations, future licensing opportunities and long-term commercial ambitions.
That approach has become even more important as international trading conditions continue to evolve. Recent geopolitical uncertainty and changing global trade relationships have added new layers of complexity for technology companies planning international growth.
At the same time, Paul has noticed clients increasingly seeking advice beyond patents alone. Artificial intelligence has prompted new discussions around copyright, trade marks and the protection of data.
Working alongside colleagues across the wider Marks & Clerk group, he has become involved in advising businesses on data governance and privacy issues linked to AI technologies.
Many AI businesses collect and process information from users around the world, making compliance with international privacy legislation an important consideration.
“You can’t only think about one country. If people are accessing your technology globally, you have to think globally.”
Turning innovation into valuable IP
Among the many projects Paul has worked on, two stand out for very different reasons.
The first involved an entrepreneur in New Zealand who, after suffering a serious horse-riding accident, set out to design a safer equestrian helmet.
Starting in a workshop at home, the inventor developed the product from first principles before working with manufacturers to bring it to market. Paul helped protect both the patents and the registered designs as the business grew.
“It was really rewarding to work with him over many years as he commercialised the technology.”
At the other end of the spectrum was a major semiconductor company in Singapore undertaking an extensive intellectual property audit. The project involved identifying commercially valuable innovations before developing a coordinated patent filing programme covering multiple technologies.
“It was a huge amount of teamwork,” Paul recalls. “We became deeply involved in understanding both their technology and their commercial goals.”
Although the projects differed enormously in scale, they shared something important. Both required understanding not only the technology itself, but also how intellectual property could support each client’s wider business objectives.
That combination of technical knowledge and commercial thinking continues to be one of the aspects of patent practice Paul enjoys most.
Commercial thinking makes the difference
When asked what clients value most in a patent attorney today, Paul’s answer comes without hesitation.
Commercial awareness.
It’s a lesson he learnt early in his career from one of his first mentors, and one that still shapes every conversation he has with inventors.
“My original trainer always used to ask, ‘Where’s the money coming from?'”
At first glance, it sounds like a simple question. In reality, Paul believes it changes the entire way a patent attorney approaches drafting an application.
It’s not enough to understand how an invention works. You also need to understand how the business intends to make money from it. That might influence where protection is sought, how claims are drafted or which aspects of the technology deserve the greatest emphasis.
“Understanding the technology is important, but so is understanding how you create a commercially valuable patent.”
Sometimes that means focusing on manufacturing rather than the eventual sales market. Other times it means thinking ahead to licensing opportunities or international expansion.
For Paul, intellectual property is most effective when it supports a company’s commercial objectives rather than existing in isolation.
Outside the office
Away from work, Paul enjoys activities that offer a different kind of challenge.
Rock climbing and cycling help him switch off, while Singapore’s warm climate means much of his climbing now takes place indoors or across the border in Malaysia.
Before moving to Singapore, he climbed regularly in New Zealand and the Peak District, both places that still hold special memories.
Another favourite pastime is board games. One recent favourite is Power Grid, a strategy game that rewards planning, negotiation and adapting to changing circumstances. “I think there are probably some transferable skills,” he says. “Negotiation and dealing with potential conflicts.”
His favourite hiking memories, however, belong to New Zealand. Among the many walks he recommends, the Mercer Bay Loop and the surrounding coastal trails near Muriwai and Piha stand out for their dramatic scenery.
“They’re stunning on a good day.”
Looking ahead
Looking back over a career spanning the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, Paul sees a profession that is becoming increasingly global.
Technology moves quickly, businesses often think internationally from their earliest days and intellectual property continues to evolve alongside new developments such as artificial intelligence.
Yet despite those changes, one principle has remained constant throughout his career. Never lose sight of the commercial purpose behind the technology.
For Paul, understanding innovation is only half of the job. The real value lies in helping inventors turn good ideas into commercially successful assets that support long-term growth.
It is an approach that has guided his career from his earliest days in Sheffield to advising technology businesses across Southeast Asia today.
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.
Ask Jason Boakes what has changed most during his career and his answer might surprise you. While technologies, industries and client expectations continue to evolve, he believes the qualities that define an excellent patent attorney have remained remarkably consistent. As a Partner and co-founder of Secerna LLP, he has built his career around technical excellence, […]
15th July 2026
Ask Jason Boakes what has changed most during his career and his answer might surprise you. While technologies, industries and client expectations continue to evolve, he believes the qualities that define an excellent patent attorney have remained remarkably consistent. As a Partner and co-founder of Secerna LLP, he has built his career around technical excellence, trusted relationships and honest advice, principles he believes remain at the heart of effective patent practice.
Quick Profile
Name: Jason Boakes Role: Partner Firm: Secerna LLP Location: York, United Kingdom Areas of expertise: Patent drafting and prosecution, IP strategy, contentious patent matters, business leadership, mentoring and client relationship management.
Discovering a profession he never planned to join
Like many patent attorneys, Jason’s route into intellectual property began through curiosity rather than a carefully mapped career plan. Sponsored by Pilkington Glass during his science studies, he encountered an in-house patent team and discovered a profession that combined science, law and commercial problem-solving.
After training with Page White & Farrer in London, two decisions shaped his career. The first was returning to his native Yorkshire. The second, and perhaps the defining moment of his career, came years later when he left his role as an equity partner at HGF to establish Secerna alongside his business partner, Charlotte. Building a new firm brought into focus the challenges and responsibilities Equity partners in independent firms face, namely business leadership and management alongside technical client work.
More than a patent attorney
Jason is keen to distinguish between being a patent attorney and being an equity partner.
While the technical work remains central to his role, leading an independent practice requires balancing many different responsibilities. Alongside client work, he is responsible for helping shape the firm’s direction, supporting its people and ensuring the business continues to grow sustainably.
“We manage the functioning of the firm, what its priorities are and the tone that we want to set for the business,” he explains.
His role combines technical patent work with mentoring colleagues, developing international client relationships and helping shape the future direction of the business. That variety is one of the aspects he enjoys most.
Despite the variety, Jason remains closely connected to the technical work that first attracted him to the profession.
“If you found a firm, it is because you probably love what you do,” he says. “And I am no exception.”
Rather than viewing work as something to endure before life begins, he sees it as an opportunity for continual learning, challenge and personal growth.
That enthusiasm continues to shape the way he approaches both leadership and client service.
Why the fundamentals still matter
The original theme of our conversation centred on the evolving role of the patent attorney. Interestingly, Jason challenges the premise itself.
While acknowledging that technology, client expectations and the innovation landscape have changed significantly, he believes the core responsibilities of a good patent attorney have remained remarkably consistent.
“I don’t think their role has changed enormously,” he says.
Early-career attorneys still need to develop technical expertise, master the principles of patent law and produce work of the highest quality. Those foundations, he believes, are just as important today as they were when he entered the profession more than thirty years ago.
Innovation now spans an extraordinary range of technologies, while businesses of every size increasingly recognise the value of intellectual property. That growth has expanded both the number and diversity of clients seeking specialist advice. At the same time, technical disciplines have become increasingly specialised.
“When I started, I studied physics so I was the physics guy,” Jason explains. “Now you’re the AI person or the bioinformatics person. The technology areas within what were themselves dedicated subject areas, where significant activity occurs, have become much more specialised.”
He also recognises that younger attorneys are becoming involved in business development earlier in their careers.Rather than seeing this as a fundamental shift in the profession, however, he views it as a natural response to a more competitive marketplace and a broader client base. As firms grow and client expectations evolve, opportunities to build professional networks and contribute to business development arise earlier in many careers than they once did.
The essential qualities, however, remain unchanged: technical excellence, attention to detail, sound judgement, empathy and a genuine commitment to helping clients succeed.
Every client is different
Jason believes effective advice begins with understanding each client’s ambitions, resources and appetite for risk. Some organisations have sophisticated in-house IP teams who control the IP strategy of the organisation, while others require much more guidance. Rather than applying a standard formula, he tailors his advice to reflect each client’s commercial objectives and practical realities.
Building relationships that last
For Jason, technical expertise is only one part of being an effective patent attorney. Equally important is building relationships founded on trust, openness and honesty.
“One of the most valuable lessons,” he says, “is telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.”
Whether delivering good news or bad, he believes clients value straightforward advice delivered promptly. Delaying difficult conversations rarely improves the outcome, whereas honesty allows clients to make informed decisions and move forward with confidence.
“People understand that things don’t always work out perfectly,” he explains. “As long as you’re straight with your client and you’ve done everything you can to help them, that usually goes okay.”
It is a pragmatic approach, reflecting his wider belief that long-term relationships are built on trust rather than simply technical capability.
The qualities that endure
Asked what qualities matter most for the next generation of patent attorneys, Jason points not to trending attributes but to enduring attributes: curiosity, professionalism, technical understanding, attention to detail and pride in producing excellent work. Clients recognise quality, and those standards remain as important today as ever.
A profession of many hats
Outside the profession, manypeople assume patent attorneys spend most of their time drafting patent applications.Jason smiles at the misconception.In reality, the work is far more varied.
Depending on the needs of clients, his work ranges from drafting and contentious matters to leading teams and advising on complex projects.
He describes the role as continually changing, with priorities shifting according to the challenges clients are facing.That variety is one of the aspects he enjoys most.
Rather than becoming repetitive, every new project brings different technologies, different commercial considerations and different opportunities to solve problems.
As an equity partner, he is often involved when clients face particularly complex issues or require strategic oversight across larger teams, adding another dimension to an already varied role.
Outside the office
Although Jason speaks enthusiastically about his work, he is equally happy to admit that switching off doesn’t necessarily involve one defining hobby. Instead, he enjoys a wide variety of interests that allow him to recharge in different ways.
Over recent years he has owned a racehorse, enjoys spending time with friends and has discovered an unexpected enthusiasm for gardening.
Among his proudest achievements is planting around 140 David Austin roses, which now occupy a prominent place in his garden.
“I spend a lot more time pruning roses than I ever thought I would,” he laughs.
His favourite is the elegant white Macmillan Nurse rose, chosen not only for its appearance but perhaps also, he jokes, because as a Yorkshireman he feels obliged to favour white roses.
Home life also includes a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, whose intelligence sometimes manifests itself as an unwavering belief that he is the one in charge. The dog has become a popular visitor at the Secerna office, where colleagues are encouraged to bring their own dogs into work from time to time.
Looking ahead
After more than three decades in the profession, Jason remains enthusiastic about patent law. Technology will continue to evolve, but he believes the foundations of excellent patent practice remain constant: technical excellence, trusted relationships and honest advice. Those principles continue to guide both his own career and the culture he is helping build at Secerna.
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.
Daniel March is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and consultant at Two IP. Having worked across private practice, major law firms and global brand portfolios, he brings a practical and client-focused approach to trade mark protection, helping businesses understand the value of their brands and navigate an increasingly complex intellectual property landscape. Quick Profile Name: […]
24th June 2026
Daniel March is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and consultant at Two IP. Having worked across private practice, major law firms and global brand portfolios, he brings a practical and client-focused approach to trade mark protection, helping businesses understand the value of their brands and navigate an increasingly complex intellectual property landscape.
Quick Profile
Name:Daniel March Role: Consultant and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney Firm / Organisation:Two IP Location: London, UK Areas of expertise: Trade marks, brand protection, trade mark strategy, portfolio management, client advisory work
A profession few people plan for
Daniel is the first to admit that few people grow up wanting to become a trade mark attorney.
“Most people haven’t even heard of a trade mark attorney,” he says. Like many in the profession, his route into IP was not planned from the outset. While studying law at university, he took an intellectual property module that introduced him to trade marks, patents, copyright and design rights.
The subject sparked an interest that eventually led him away from a traditional legal career path and into the world of trade marks.
What appealed most was the connection to innovation, technology and the products people encounter every day. Rather than focusing solely on legal process, Daniel was drawn to a profession that sits close to product development, branding and commercial decision-making.
Seeing brands come to life
Throughout his career, Daniel has worked with a wide variety of clients, from multinational technology companies to household consumer brands.
Among the organisations he has supported are Nokia, Huawei and Unilever. These experiences gave him a front-row seat to the evolution of technology and the importance of brand protection in highly competitive markets.
Working with mobile phone manufacturers allowed him to witness rapid innovation first-hand. Devices that were once primarily used for making calls have evolved into powerful all-in-one communication and computing platforms, creating increasingly complex trade mark considerations.
His work with Unilever provided a different perspective. Supporting brands such as Hellmann’s, Dove, Lynx, Persil, Domestos and Vaseline offered insight into the extensive work involved in bringing products to market.
One of the aspects Daniel enjoys most is seeing a project progress from an early concept to a product on supermarket shelves or featured in national advertising campaigns.
“There’s a lot of background work that goes into it,” he explains. “When you see the finished product, you know you were involved in helping it get there.”
The importance of understanding clients
A recurring theme throughout Daniel’s career has been the importance of tailoring advice to the client.
One of the most valuable lessons he learned early on was that clients are not simply looking for a list of options. They want guidance.
Rather than presenting every possible route equally, he believes the role of an attorney is to understand the client’s objectives and recommend the most appropriate course of action.
That means adapting communication styles depending on the audience. An in-house counsel may require detailed legal analysis, while a business owner may simply need a clear answer about whether a proposed brand can move forward.
Daniel believes effective advice should be straightforward and accessible.
“You don’t have to use legal language to show expertise,” he says. “The best advice is often the simplest and easiest to understand.”
A new chapter at Two IP
After many years in traditional private practice and large law firms, Daniel recently joined Two IP as a consultant.
The move represented a significant career change. Shifting from an established role to a consultancy environment brought both excitement and uncertainty.
“It’s very daunting,” he says. “The buck stops with you.”
What attracted him to Two IP was the opportunity to build stronger client relationships while enjoying greater flexibility and autonomy.
He values the supportive culture he has found within the firm and appreciates the ability to focus on client service without some of the distractions that can come with larger organisations.
For Daniel, one of the biggest attractions is the ability to focus on client service. The consultancy model allows him to build relationships in his own way, work more flexibly and spend more time on the aspects of the profession he finds most rewarding.
Brands are much more than registrations
One of Daniel’s strongest messages for businesses is that trade marks should not be viewed simply as registrations.
Instead, they should be treated as valuable commercial assets.
A trade mark helps consumers identify the products and services they trust. Over time, that recognition creates loyalty, reputation and commercial value.
“The registration itself may cost a few hundred pounds,” he explains, “but the value of the brand can be enormous.”
For that reason, he encourages businesses to think strategically about brand protection from the outset. That includes conducting proper clearance searches, understanding future growth plans and developing an enforcement strategy to protect rights once they are established.
As online commerce continues to expand globally, these considerations have become increasingly important.
Daniel has also observed how technological developments are changing the profession. While artificial intelligence and automation can speed up tasks such as searching and reporting, he believes human expertise remains essential.
“AI is a tool,” he says. “It can help you work more efficiently, but clients still need advice, judgement and experience.”
Learning from others and paying it forward
Throughout his career, Daniel has benefited from the guidance of mentors and colleagues who helped shape his approach.
One experience that left a lasting impression involved a senior barrister who helped him prepare for professional examinations. When Daniel enquired about payment for the support, the barrister declined.
Instead, he asked for one thing: help the next generation.
That lesson has stayed with Daniel throughout his career and continues to influence the way he works with trainees and junior colleagues today.
He believes professional development extends far beyond formal qualifications.
“Every day is a school day,” he says. “There is always something new to learn.”
Outside the office
Away from work, Daniel enjoys travelling, classic cars and keeping active.
Since moving into consultancy, he has found more flexibility to focus on health and wellbeing and has recently returned to running.
Travel is another passion. Having visited destinations across Europe, the United States, China and the Middle East, he enjoys exploring different cultures, architecture and histories. His next adventure is a trip to Panama.
Daniel is also a keen enthusiast of classic cars, particularly traditional British sports cars. He appreciates the character and styling of older vehicles and enjoys attending car shows whenever time allows.
More recently, he added surfing to the list of activities he has tried, taking to the waves during a trip to Morocco.
Closer to home, he recommends the countryside around Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House, as well as the South Downs near Eastbourne, where he spent time walking with family while growing up.
For those looking for a more challenging walk, Scafell Pike remains one of his favourite hiking experiences.
Looking ahead
Reflecting on a career that has spanned major brands, global clients and significant changes within the profession, Daniel remains enthusiastic about the future of trade marks.
While technology will continue to reshape how attorneys work, he believes the fundamentals remain unchanged.
Successful trade mark practice is built on understanding people, communicating clearly and helping businesses protect the brands that matter most to them.
For Daniel, the key is simple: understand the client, provide practical advice and build relationships based on trust.
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.
Phil Sanger is the founder of Grey Wolf IP, where he advises startups and SMEs on patents with the benefit of a technical background in mechanical engineering. He talks about building a flexible, client-focused practice, helping smaller businesses make commercially sensible IP decisions, and using plain language to demystify patents. Name: Phil Sanger Role: Founder and patent attorney Firm / organisation: Grey […]
10th June 2026
Phil Sanger is the founder of Grey Wolf IP, where he advises startups and SMEs on patents with the benefit of a technical background in mechanical engineering. He talks about building a flexible, client-focused practice, helping smaller businesses make commercially sensible IP decisions, and using plain language to demystify patents.
Name: Phil Sanger Role: Founder and patent attorney Firm / organisation: Grey Wolf IP Location: Royal Leamington Spa, England Areas of expertise: Patents, startups and SMEs, mechanical engineering, software, telecoms, commercial IP advice, client strategy, patent education
From engineering to IP
Phil did not start out with a plan to become a patent attorney. He worked as an engineer for nearly four years after university, spending a year in Detroit in the automotive industry before deciding to return to the UK.
When he began looking at other options, a friend who was training as a patent attorney suggested the career might suit him. Phil was intrigued by the exams, the technical challenge and the long-term opportunity. He left engineering and took a role as a trainee at Withers & Rogers.
Building his own practice
The move into private practice eventually led to something more independent. Phil says he had reached a point where he was thinking about whether he really wanted partnership at a large firm or a different way of working.
He was drawn to SMEs, where he felt he could do the best work. A client (also a founder) encouraged him to set up on his own, and the timing felt right. He describes the decision as a mix of professional confidence and the simple belief that you only get one chance at these things.
Why smaller clients matter
Phil’s work now focuses strongly on startups and SMEs. He says every patent matters more to these clients because budgets are tighter and the commercial stakes are higher.
That means the advice has to be closely tied to business strategy. He wants to understand what the business is trying to do and how a patent application fits into that plan. In larger companies, he says, patents can sometimes be treated more like a numbers game. For smaller businesses, they are often core to the value of the business itself.
Engineering as an advantage
His engineering background still shapes the way he speaks with clients. Phil believes people often become guarded when they think they are talking to a lawyer, but technical familiarity from his experience as an engineer helps them relax.
He can talk to inventors in their own language because he has worked as an engineer in both large and small businesses. That experience, he says, helps him get closer to the business and give better advice. He is comfortable stepping beyond his strict technical comfort zone, too, as long as he can understand what the inventor is telling him.
Clear advice, not legal noise
Phil is keen on making IP accessible. He says the key is to understand the law, apply it to the facts and then explain the outcome in simple language.
He does not think attorneys should hide behind options. His preference is to explain the choices and then give a view on what he would do in the client’s position. Clients, he says, value that steer. He also sees education as part of the job, especially for people new to IP who need help understanding what the process means in practice.
Long-term client relationships
A strong client relationship, for Phil, is one where people feel able to pick up the phone without hesitation. He likes it when clients come to him early with ideas, problems and questions, not just with narrow patent instructions.
He also values being the trusted first call, whether that happens by phone, WhatsApp or voice note. Word-of-mouth referrals matter to him as a sign that the relationship is working. In his view, that is one of the best measures of success.
Changing landscape
Phil sees AI as one of the biggest shifts affecting the patent landscape, especially for startups and scaleups. He says many clients are already using AI tools to help shape early patent drafts, which raises questions about confidentiality and quality.
What interests him most is not the final output, but the conversation the client had with the AI while refining the invention. That can reveal useful detail for a quality patent draft.
Business lessons
Running his own firm has taught Phil that professional success and personal fulfilment often come from unexpected places. He says he still loves the work, but owning and running a business is a discipline in itself.
He works with a business coach, and he is still learning about strategy, hiring, marketing and finance. That ongoing learning is part of what he enjoys. He sees business ownership as a long-term skill, not a fixed destination.
Life beyond patents
Outside work, Phil spends much of his time with his two sons. He also plays squash, watches films and goes to gigs. More recently, he has started a year-long fitness programme focused on strength training and staying healthy.
He mentioned music and film with obvious enthusiasm, especially Sinners, which he found memorable for the way it mixes music, history and genre. He is also a fan of films that play with time, which connects neatly to the way he thinks about complex legal ideas.
Explaining law through film
For his pop-culture comparison, Phil chose Tenet. He sees a parallel between the film’s simple core idea and the way priority works in patent law.
Priority, he says, sounds straightforward at first. But once you start working through the practical consequences, it becomes complicated and a little mind-bending, much like how time works in the film. It is a playful but fitting way of showing how he likes to make technical subjects more relatable.
Advice for newcomers
Phil’s advice to anyone considering a move from engineering or another technical background into IP is to get some work experience first. He says the profession is rewarding, interesting and full of different career paths, but it is not engineering.
There is a lot of learning, a lot of exams and a major shift towards words and communication. Even so, he thinks the profession suits people who enjoy challenge and variety. After around 20 years in the field, he still loves it.
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.
William Doherty is a Patent Attorney and Director at Albright IP in Cheltenham, where he helps businesses turn complex ideas into clear, commercially useful patent strategies. With a background in physical and theoretical chemistry, he brings a practical, communication-focused approach to patents, while also championing IP education, invention capture and mentoring. Name: William Doherty Role: Patents Director Firm / […]
3rd June 2026
William Doherty is a Patent Attorney and Director at Albright IP in Cheltenham, where he helps businesses turn complex ideas into clear, commercially useful patent strategies. With a background in physical and theoretical chemistry, he brings a practical, communication-focused approach to patents, while also championing IP education, invention capture and mentoring.
Name: William Doherty Role: Patents Director Firm / organisation: Albright IP Location: Cheltenham, England Areas of expertise: Patents, commercial IP advice, invention capture, mentoring, IP education, business-focused patent strategy
From chemistry to patents
William did not set out to become a patent attorney. He says he more or less stumbled into the profession while deciding he did not want to spend the rest of his life in a lab.
What appealed to him was the mix of science, law and communication. He was drawn to taking something complex and often unstructured, then making it clear and usable. That combination, he says, suited him straight away.
Scientific training, practical thinking
His doctoral research in physical and theoretical chemistry still shapes how he works. A DPhil, he says, gives you a high tolerance for uncertainty. His studies involved broken equipment, unclear answers and the need to keep going anyway.
That experience also taught him how hard it can be to explain complex ideas clearly. In his view, people often talk at cross-purposes because they do not share the same starting point. He now spends a lot of time helping clients tease out information early, because clarity can be the difference between an average patent and one that does the job properly.
The role today
As a Patent Attorney and Director at Albright IP, drafting remains a major part of William’s work. He has always enjoyed it, but the role now includes broader responsibilities too.
He says clients want commercial advice, not just a legal document. Understanding the business behind the invention matters just as much as understanding the invention itself. He describes himself as “nosy in the service of better advice”. Understanding why an invention matters commercially, he says, is often just as important as understanding how it works.
Commercial judgment
He states that patents are a commercial tool; You don’t have to have them to run a business, and that you have to bear that in mind as an advisor. One question he asks himself is: “Am I a luxury or an investment?” That means he believes advisers should be honest about whether IP is genuinely useful in a given case.
He talks about the value of doubt, because it forces reflection on whether a service is actually helping the client. At the same time, he is confident that good patent advice can be an investment with a return. Balancing those two ideas, he says, keeps him grounded and helps him avoid legal blather.
Sharing IP more widely
He has also become a familiar voice through podcasts, speaking engagements and educational discussions about IP. That public-facing work began locally, with a focus on helping businesses understand the value of IP.
He believes IP is often seen as something only multinational companies need, which he says is not true. Podcasting, for him, is a good way to reach a wider audience. He is not interested in speaking only to patent attorneys. He wants business owners to understand how to use IP properly from the start.
Invention capture
One of William’s biggest professional frustrations is seeing businesses lose opportunities because valuable innovations were disclosed before anyone realised they should have been evaluated. That experience has made invention capture and innovation processes a major focus of his work. He doesn’t like to see clients regretting IP they failed to capture because they disclosed it publicly too soon.
For him, the answer is education and systematisation. Businesses need to know what to look for, and they need processes robust enough to avoid leaving value on the table. His view is simple: if you are innovating, you should be evaluating at the same time.
Mentoring and confidence
Mentoring junior colleagues is another part of the job he values. He notes that AI may be able to handle some junior-level tasks, but it cannot replace a genuine desire to learn.
What he enjoys most is being around people who want to become the best attorneys they can be. More broadly, he believes confidence is essential in the IP profession. Nervousness shows through to clients and quickly erodes trust. In his view, good advice depends on confidence in the law, the technology and the client’s business.
Outside the office
Outside the office, William has also taken on a role with Cheltenham BID. He joined partly out of curiosity, after spending years seeing the town only through the lens of his own clients and sector.
What excites him about Cheltenham is the density of its commercial ecosystem. He sees many different businesses operating in the same place, but not always in a joined-up way. The opportunity, he believes, lies in those connections, because innovation often comes from overlap rather than isolation.
A wildcard choice
When asked which inventor, scientist or innovator from history he would invite for a live podcast conversation, William chose Kim Kardashian, listed inventor on US10806190. Partly because she’d be a big draw for the audience, and partly because it’s a leftfield pick that shows inventing isn’t just the remit of R&D departments.
He said he’d want to know how she got there and to understand her mindset. His question would be: “Do you think the best innovations come from trying to invent something new, or from being repeatedly frustrated by something that almost works?” He believes that would be very relatable for the audience.
Looking ahead
The lesson that has stayed with William is the need to be comfortable without complete certainty. Early in a career, there is a temptation to look for definitive answers. In practice, he says, much of the job involves making informed judgments with imperfect information.
That shift, from being right to using judgment, has shaped the way he works. The lesson that has stayed with him is that strong advice is rarely about having complete certainty. More often, it is about exercising good judgment when certainty is impossible.
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.
Peri Jones is a Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney at Abel + Imray, where she works across physics, engineering, and technology patents. Alongside her IP career, she has built a strong interest in STEM outreach and science communication, helping make complex subjects feel more accessible and encouraging more young people, particularly girls, to consider careers […]
27th May 2026
Peri Jones is a Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney at Abel + Imray, where she works across physics, engineering, and technology patents. Alongside her IP career, she has built a strong interest in STEM outreach and science communication, helping make complex subjects feel more accessible and encouraging more young people, particularly girls, to consider careers in science.
Quick Profile
Name: Peri Jones Role: Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney Firm / Organisation:Abel + Imray Location: Cardiff, Wales Areas of expertise: Physics, engineering and technology patents, science communication, STEM outreach
Finding the right blend of science and communication
Peri’s route into intellectual property began with a long-standing interest in science. Growing up in North Wales, astronomy was always present at home thanks to her father’s passion for telescopes and astrophotography.
“My dad had, and still has, a big interest in astronomy and astrophotography,” she explains. “The house always had telescopes in spare corners.”
She went on to study physics at Cardiff University before completing a PhD in the astronomy instrumentation group. During that time, she also realised she enjoyed communication and writing just as much as the technical side of science.
At university, a talk from a trainee patent attorney changed her perception of what a STEM career could look like.
“I remember thinking this sounds like the perfect job,” she says. “I could combine technical expertise with communication, writing and working with inventors.”
What appealed most was the variety. Rather than focusing on one narrow technical field, she was drawn to the idea of working across a wide range of technologies and industries.
Now part of the Physics, Engineering and IT team at Abel + Imray, Peri works with clients across diverse sectors, from optics and lenses through to aircraft technologies.
Leaving academia behind
Although she enjoyed academic research, moving away from university life was not an easy decision.
“There was a little hesitation,” she admits. “Once you step away from academia, it can be difficult to go back.”
She enjoyed the research process and the collaborative environment of university life, but also recognised the uncertainty that often comes with academic funding.
“I didn’t want to spend my future constantly fighting for funding every couple of years and always worrying about what would happen next.”
The move into patent law gave her a chance to apply the skills developed during her PhD in a more commercially focused environment. Those transferable skills quickly became apparent.
“Writing a thesis helped with writing patent applications, reading research papers helped with reading prior art, and collaborating with different departments helped with dealing with inventors.”
She was also surprised by how quickly trainees become involved in client work.
“I naïvely thought I’d spend the first couple of years training in the background,” she says. “But from day one, you’re involved in real client work.”
The qualification process also brought its own challenges.
“I underestimated how difficult the exams would be,” she admits. “Failing an exam for the first time was a shock, but it definitely made me more resilient.”
Bringing science to wider audiences
Alongside her legal career, Peri has remained heavily involved in STEM outreach and science communication. That interest developed during university, where she became increasingly aware of the gender imbalance in physics.
“I started realising there was quite a big divide between males and females in physics when I was at university,” she says.
During her PhD, she began giving talks and media interviews, often in Welsh, to help make science feel more approachable and visible to wider audiences.
“I really get a kick out of trying to communicate difficult topics to the public,” she explains. “If you break things down properly, they don’t need to feel complicated.”
After completing her doctorate, she spent a year working with science communication company Science Made Simple, delivering talks and workshops in schools and at public events across Wales and beyond.
Peri was also the first Welsh-speaking science communicator employed by the organisation. This allowed them to deliver outreach activities through the medium of Welsh for the first time.
That experience left a lasting impression, particularly when visiting small rural schools across Wales.
“It was really rewarding going into these schools and showing children what they could potentially do,” she says. “A lot of the pupils came from similar backgrounds to mine.”
She believes representation and accessibility are both important when encouraging young people into STEM.
“We need to abolish STEM stereotypes and make science feel fun and accessible to everyone, particularly young girls.”
Communication at the heart of IP
Peri sees strong communication skills as central to both outreach work and intellectual property law.
Recently, she visited a Cardiff primary school where pupils were challenged to invent solutions to everyday problems.
“They came up with brilliant inventions,” she says. “Some were a bit far-fetched, but they were creative and they solved a problem, which was the brief.”
Experiences like these have reinforced the importance of explaining technical ideas clearly and confidently.
“When discussing complex topics, I always try to relate them to something day to day,” she explains. “I think about how I’d explain something to my family.”
That same approach carries through into her work with clients.
“I think being a patent attorney has made me a clearer science communicator,” she says. “You always have to think carefully about your audience.”
Balancing innovation with caution around AI
Like many within the profession, Peri sees artificial intelligence as one of the biggest developments currently shaping the IP landscape.
She believes AI has genuine potential to improve efficiency, particularly when reviewing or summarising prior art documents.
“I’m hoping AI can help make some parts of the process to be more efficient and cost effective,” she says.
However, she is cautious about relying too heavily on the technology.
“AI is a useful tool, but it needs to be used carefully because it isn’t always right.”
She believes the strategic and human elements of patent work remain difficult to replace.
“Writing a good patent application is about much more than describing an invention,” she explains. “You need to understand the client, their business goals and what they want from the patent.”
For Peri, relationships and trust remain central to the profession.
“Patent attorneys work closely with clients and build trust with them. I don’t think that human element can be replaced by AI.”
Life beyond IP
Outside work, Peri enjoys running, cycling and spending time in the mountains of North Wales.
One of her proudest achievements was completing an ultra-marathon along the Welsh coastal path from Penarth to Ogmore.
“It was tiring, but fantastic,” she says. “The weather behaved for once, which was a miracle.”
She is currently focused on returning to pre-baby fitness and hopes to complete the Swansea Half Ironman in the future after postponing the event during pregnancy.
Whenever possible, she still heads back to Snowdonia.
“If you get a clear day in the Welsh mountains, you can’t beat it,” she says. “I’m probably biased because it’s home, but they’re just fantastic.”
Looking ahead
Reflecting on her career so far, Peri believes resilience has been one of the most valuable lessons she has learned.
“Being a patent attorney has definitely made me more resilient,” she says. “It’s a challenging profession, but also a very rewarding one.”
She also hopes more young people will become aware of intellectual property careers earlier in life.
“I didn’t know anything about the IP profession until university,” she says. “That’s why outreach and visibility are so important.”
Contact Details
LinkedIn: Peri Jones LinkedIn Firm Website:Abel + Imray
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.
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