Nidhi Anand is a Partner at Chadha & Chadha, leading the firm’s Bangalore and Hyderabad offices. With a background in biotechnology, she advises clients across life sciences and pharmaceuticals on patent drafting, prosecution, oppositions and portfolio strategy, bringing a people-centric and insight-led approach to leadership and IP practice.
Quick profile
Areas of expertise: Biotechnology and life sciences, patent drafting and prosecution, oppositions, portfolio strategy, IP leadership and mentoring
Nidhi’s path into intellectual property was not a carefully mapped plan but a gradual realisation that patents could play a powerful role beyond the laboratory. Early in her biotechnology training, an article shared by her father about a biopharmaceutical company using patents to scale affordable insulin production left a lasting impression. It reframed patents as tools that could balance innovation, access and fairness.
That early curiosity stayed with her. Drawn to problem-solving and understanding how complex systems work, she found that IP aligned naturally with her strengths. Over the past 14 years, that alignment has shaped her practice, allowing her to move from the lab into a profession where scientific depth meets real-world impact.
Leading with trust and perspective
Nidhi describes her leadership style as people-centric rather than hierarchical. For her, effective leadership is rooted in presence, clarity and empowerment. Creating an environment where expectations are clear and collaboration feels natural allows individuals to perform at their best.
She places particular emphasis on long-term development over short-term output. By encouraging ownership and independent thinking, while remaining available as a mentor, she aims to help teams grow not only as professionals but as individuals.
Finding reward in strategy and growth
Nidhi remains closely involved across the full spectrum of patent work, from drafting and prosecution to oppositions and portfolio strategy. What has evolved over time is her perspective on that work. Increasingly, she finds fulfilment in building client trust, contributing to firm growth and shaping portfolios that are robust and forward-looking.
Portfolio strategy, in particular, stands out as especially rewarding. It allows her to connect technical detail with commercial insight, helping clients strengthen their positions in a way that is thoughtful, fair and sustainable, while also supporting the broader direction of the firm.
Advising across a changing life sciences landscape
Working in biotechnology, life sciences and pharmaceuticals means operating in sectors that are both complex and fast-moving. Recent years have seen a rise in litigation around biosimilars and biologics, requiring careful navigation of biologics patents, data exclusivity gaps and trade secret protection. At the same time, AI-driven diagnostics and digital health tools have introduced new uncertainties around patentability under Indian law.
Advising such a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational companies, demands flexibility. For start-ups, Nidhi focuses on clarity, accessibility and prioritisation, helping founders decide what needs protection now and what can wait. For multinationals, the emphasis shifts to refining mature strategies, pressure-testing positions and occasionally offering a contrarian view to strengthen decision-making. Across both, trust and clear communication remain constant.
India’s evolving IP ecosystem
Over the last decade, Nidhi has seen significant progress in India’s IP framework. Improvements at the Indian Patent Office, including digitisation and more predictable examination practices, have increased confidence in prosecution outcomes. The establishment of dedicated IP Divisions within the High Courts has also strengthened enforcement and aligned Indian jurisprudence more closely with international standards.
These changes have allowed advisors to move beyond procedural navigation and focus more on portfolio quality, enforcement readiness and long-term value. Collaboration across Chadha & Chadha’s offices plays a central role here, ensuring that every matter benefits from shared knowledge, consistent quality standards and the firm’s collective experience.
Learning, mentoring and paying it forward
Staying connected to training and knowledge-sharing is both professionally grounding and personally motivating for Nidhi. Preparing for lectures and mentoring sessions gives her space to step back, revisit fundamentals and engage with emerging issues. At heart, she remains deeply curious.
Mentoring, however, carries a deeper responsibility. Having benefited from being trusted with responsibility early in her own career, she now aims to strike the same balance for others, offering stretch opportunities alongside guidance. For her, training and mentoring are integral to practice, reinforcing a culture of learning and mutual value creation for the team and the firm.
Experience as a woman in IP
Since entering the profession in 2012, Nidhi’s experience as a woman in IP has been shaped by an inclusive environment. With women making up a significant proportion of leadership at her firm, competence and judgment take precedence over gender. This has allowed her to focus on building technical depth, client trust and mentoring the next generation.
While the profession continues to evolve, she sees the trajectory as positive. The increasing adoption of flexible career structures and well-designed re-entry pathways, refelcts a broader recognition that diverse career stages can coexist with long-term professional growth in IP for women.
Switching off
Outside of work, Nidhi values time with family and close friends. Simple pleasure such as shared meals, board games and converation provide an opportunity to unwind and recharge.
Looking ahead
Reflecting on her journey, Nidhi emphasises the importance of technical depth, curiosity and adaptability for today’s IP practitioners, particularly in high-tech and biotech fields. As emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing and synthetic biology reshape patent landscapes, she believes thoughtful strategy, sound judgment and clear communication will matter more than ever. For those willing to invest in learning and take ownership of their work, IP remains a profession where experience compounds and impact grows over time.
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.
With almost four decades in the world of intellectual property, Peter Cornford, Partner and Trade Mark Attorney at Stevens Hewlett & Perkins (SH&P), has carved out a career rich with landmark cases, global brand stewardship, and a passion for nurturing the next generation of IP professionals. Warm, reflective, and naturally engaging, Peter brings both depth of expertise and a refreshingly human touch to a profession often seen as procedural and technical. From unexpected beginnings to high-profile victories, here is Peter’s story.
An Accidental Path to IP
Peter’s route into intellectual property was anything but planned. While working towards a PhD in history and preparing for a life in academia, he was steered unexpectedly into trade mark work by a university careers adviser who, in Peter’s words, “had no idea what a trade mark agent was either.” What began as a six-month role “to pay the bills before returning to academia” quickly became a permanent calling. The overlap between academic research and trade mark practice—investigation, analysis, persuasion, and drafting skills —proved irresistible. “I was enthralled by what I was seeing. It was the perfect fit.” Fast-forward 36 years, and Peter’s enthusiasm hasn’t waned.
A Career Built at SH&P
Peter joined SH&P nearly 30 years ago and has spent two decades as a partner. Today, he is the firm’s longest-serving partner and plays a crucial role in both management and mentoring. His responsibilities range from supporting the firm’s largest global clients to preparing trainees for qualification, in which SH&P has exceptional success, with many achieving distinctions. SH&P’s commercial pragmatism is central to Peter’s approach. “We stay focused on real commercial outcomes,” he explains. “Our clients include very large household names with thousands of trade marks, so everything we do has to be practical, strategic and tightly aligned with their business needs.”
The Appeal of Trade marks: Variety, Strategy and Solving Problems
For Peter, the joy of trade mark work lies in its varied nature. Unlike many specialist patent colleagues, trade mark attorneys work across every sector imaginable, and often all in one day. “I can be advising a pharmaceutical company one minute and a restaurant owner half an hour later. You never know what’s coming.” He likens the job to a game of chess—strategic, forward-thinking, and requiring both creativity and discipline. Helping start-ups grow, protecting heritage brands, and solving complex infringement challenges are all part of his daily life.
The Diego Maradona Case: A Landmark Moment
One of Peter’s most publicised successes involved the late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. The dispute centred on entitlement: who truly owned the rights to the Maradona name after his death? The complexity was demanding. Argentine inheritance law, conflicting claims among heirs, and cross-jurisdictional issues all collided. Peter and the SH&P team needed to interpret international probate rulings, translate and analyse extensive documentation, and present a compelling argument to the UK IPO. The result? A decisive win. “These entitlement cases are rare—and rarer still when a famous name is involved. To succeed was a real highlight.”
Celebrity Brands, The Killers & Untested Waters
Peter is also responsible for securing rights for well-known entertainment and personality brands, including The Killers. Such cases bring unique challenges: famous names often face official objections to registration because of being regarded as being merely descriptive of the goods rather than indicating their source. Even gestures, like Usain Bolt’s iconic pose, can be protected, though enforcement remains “untested waters.” His overarching advice is clear: Register early—before fame makes it more difficult.
The Carry On Legacy: A Case That Made Headlines
Perhaps the case that most shaped Peter’s public profile was the long-running battle over the rights to Carry On, the beloved British comedy franchise. When film industry professional Brian Baker inherited rights from the legendary film producer Peter Rogers, ITV still held several long-standing Carry On trade marks. Peter argued successfully that ITV’s broadcasting of film back catalogue was not trade mark use, causing the marks to be removed and returned to the rightful owner. The story hit national newspapers, morning TV, legal journals and rekindled nostalgia across the UK. “It was a case that brought a lot of attention to my work and it was genuinely fascinating to be part of the story.”
Supporting Start-Ups and the Next Generation
Peter is highly active in the Bristol innovation community, including the SETsquared ecosystem, helping early-stage companies understand why timely trade mark protection is fundamental to commercial success. Start-ups often face financial constraints, but Peter emphasises that delaying protection risks losing rights or being targeted by trade mark squatters, a problem which is increasing globally. He also acts as a mentor within SH&P, guiding trainees through qualification and instilling a practical, commercially grounded approach to IP.
Career Highlights: From ‘Insignia’ to PureGym to Buckingham Palace
Peter’s portfolio reads like a tour through modern consumer culture. He has been and remains responsible together with fellow partner Robin Webster for the global trade mark management of major brands such as Speedo, Ellesse and Berghaus, and for household names Trafalgar Tours group, Lyons coffee, Kickers, Russell & Bromley and G4S. His working on trade mark protection for The Prince’s Trust led to an invitation to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. He is responsible also for Honda’s branding requirements in the UK. His strategic advice was pivotal in the naming clearance and protection of well-known automotive models including the Vauxhall Insignia, and he has provided IP support to PureGym from its earliest beginnings to its current position as a global fitness powerhouse. He laughs that supermarket trips take twice as long, nowadays since he often finds himself muttering, “I did that one.”
Advice for Future Trade mark Attorneys: qualities required and knowledge bank
Peter is clear-eyed about what being a professional requires: an organised, analytical mind; a commercial mindset. not just legal thinking. The ability to manage stress and responsibility is paramount, as is attention to detail and strategic awareness. “Your job is to help clients run and grow a business. Never lose sight of that.” “I had thought when I was at university that I would be writing books on history but instead it has been on trade mark law”. Peter’s Trade Mark Law & Practice (5th edn 2020) (Alison Firth, Peter Cornford, Andrew Griffiths) is used by UK universities as a set text for teaching students trade mark law.
Life Beyond IP: Brass Bands, Musical Boxes & Stone Walls
Outside the office, Peter’s life is filled with creativity and curiosity. Music – Peter is a lifelong brass musician and conductor, currently leading the Dodington Parish Band, a community ensemble of all ages and abilities. Music is his escape: “It’s the one thing where work completely disappears. I get lost in it.” The band performs at a wide variety of venues. Peter also composes and arranges music.
Victorian Musical Boxes – One of Peter’s most charming hobbies is collecting Victorian musical boxes. His firm’s 2024 Christmas LinkedIn series of videos of Peter demonstrating his boxes drew thousands of views.
Dry Stone Walling & Building Renovation –Peter has always been a hands-on person. He spends much time restoring outbuildings and perfecting dry stone walls around his property. “I don’t sit still for long,” he admits with a smile.
What’s Next for Peter and SH&P?
The firm is focused on expanding its support for start-ups, continuing its awards programme for innovative young businesses, and watching its patents practice continue to grow alongside its already leading trade mark team. As for Peter? “I’m 61 now and people ask if I’m going to retire. I can’t imagine retiring—this is what I do.” He plans to continue mentoring, supporting clients and embracing change in a fast-evolving trade mark landscape.
Peter’s Favourite Walk
For coastal inspiration, Peter recommends a recent favourite: a gentle walk from Porthleven, near Land’s End, along the coast toward The Lizard. “It is quiet, scenic, and “simply heavenly.”
Contact Peter Cornford If you’d like to connect with Peter or find out more about his work:
From ground-breaking materials research to CrossFit competitions, and from optoelectronics to intellectual property (IP) law, Dr Elliott Davies has carved a multifaceted career that bridges science, law, and leadership. In this edition of Meet the IP Professional, we sit down with Elliott Davies, Patent Attorney, to discuss the journey from physics to patents, the evolving IP landscape, and the values that drive his work with clients across the UK and beyond.
A Journey from the Lab to Legal Practice
After earning a Master’s and a PhD in Physics from the University of Bath, Elliott made the leap from academia into the world of IP—a profession he admits was largely unknown to him at the time.
“There wasn’t a clear path from academia to IP law back then,” Elliott explains. “I had a vague idea I liked law, but I also wanted to hold onto the scientific knowledge I’d built up. Becoming a patent attorney offered the best of both worlds.”
A Methodical Mindset—and an Eye for Detail
It was Elliott’s methodical approach during his final year university project—developing soft magnetic materials for submarine stealth applications—that earned him the British Aerospace Prize for outstanding research. That same precision now serves him well in his legal work.
“In patent law, language is critical. Something as small as a misplaced comma can completely alter the scope of protection,” he says. “Learning to write clearly and concisely has been one of the most valuable skills I brought with me.”
From Football Coaching to IP Mentorship
Elliott’s leadership skills aren’t just forged in the office. As a local football coach for young children, he’s learned the value of patience, clarity, and breaking complex ideas into manageable steps—skills he applies when mentoring trainees in the IP profession.
“It’s about getting the basics right before progressing,” he says. “Whether it’s coaching or onboarding a new attorney, small steps and steady support make all the difference.”
Facing Fears and Growing Through Challenges
Though he jokes about a fear of heights, Elliott identifies public speaking and workplace conflict resolution as his true professional challenges. “We’re trained in law, not necessarily in managing people or speaking in front of large audiences,” he reflects. “But you learn. You keep working at it.”
Innovation, Protection—and the Rise of AI
With over 20 years of experience, Elliott has seen the IP landscape evolve significantly. While legal frameworks often lag behind emerging technologies, he points to artificial intelligence as the most pressing frontier.
“People are using AI to generate patent applications or seek legal advice, but the quality can be superficial. It’s shiny on the surface but lacks depth,” he warns. “AI won’t replace attorneys, but it will transform how we work. We need to be ready.”
Supporting Start-ups and SMEs from Day One
Through his work with the Welsh Government and academic institutions, Elliott has championed early IP engagement for SMEs and start-ups.
“Too often, people wait too long to think about IP. Whether it’s a patent, trademark, or design, these protections should be in place before you go public, certainly with patents” he says. “And good contracts are just as important as registrations.”
Design Rights: The Unsung Hero
Design rights, often overlooked in favour of patents or trademarks, are another area where Elliott sees hidden value.
“They can be quick and cost-effective to secure—but get them wrong, and they’re hard to enforce,” he says, citing the well-known Trunki suitcase case. “It’s not about just filing a form. It’s about doing it right.”
A Portfolio Approach to Innovation
Elliott’s work with clients like Alesi Surgical—known for their Ultravision™ medical technology—highlights the importance of ongoing innovation.
“You start with a core idea, but to stay protected, you need a ring-fence of patents that cover improvements and developments over time. That’s how you build a long-term competitive edge.”
Education and Outreach
Passionate about raising awareness of IP, Elliott regularly teaches at Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry, delivering a module on IP Law as part of their qualification. In addition, Elliott gives presentations to early-stage innovators.
“IP was under the radar when I was a student. I want to change that. Helping people understand and protect their ideas is incredibly rewarding.”
Staying Ahead in a Fast-Moving World
With expertise spanning semiconductors, photonics, telecoms, and medical tech, staying up to date is no small feat.
“It’s tough,” Elliott admits. “I lean on newsletters, industry briefings, and—frankly—my clients. They’re at the forefront, and we’re riding that wave with them.”
Mentorship and Team Culture
As Head of Legal Practice and Compliance Director at Wynne-Jones IP, Elliott plays a central role in shaping both client services and internal culture.
“At Wynne-Jones, we’re not a huge firm. Everyone plays a vital role. That gives us agility and a genuine team ethos. We try to make sure everyone understands how the whole business works.”
He’s especially passionate about mentorship. “When I started, I had a brilliant mentor. I try to offer that same calm, patient guidance to those entering the field today—especially with so many working remotely. It can be difficult to learn soft skills from behind a screen alone.”
Life Outside the Office
When he’s not working on patents or compliance, Elliott pushes his limits with Hyrox events—a mix of endurance running and fitness challenges.
“It’s a bit like a hangover. You always say ‘never again’, but then you sign up for the next one,” he laughs.
And his favourite childhood memory? “Family trips to Blackpool or simple days out at the beach or zoo. It wasn’t about the destination—it was about doing it all together.”
Final Thoughts
Elliott Davies embodies the blend of technical precision, legal expertise, and human connection that defines today’s leading IP professionals. Whether mentoring the next generation, protecting cutting-edge tech, or navigating the fast-evolving world of AI, his work continues to shape the future of innovation.
P.S. At PatWorld, we’re proud to support patent attorneys like Elliott and firms like Wynne-Jones through our expert IP search services. Whether you’re looking for prior art, freedom to operate, or patentability searches, our team delivers high-quality, reliable results to help you make confident decisions. Explore our search options here: https://patworld.com/gb/order-a-search/.
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