Meet the IP Professional: Mewburn Ellis – A collaborative approach to IP insight

As the IP landscape becomes increasingly complex, the ability to interpret patent information and translate it into meaningful, commercial advice is more important than ever. At Mewburn Ellis, this is not the work of one individual, but a collaborative effort, bringing together different technical backgrounds, perspectives and approaches.

Following their contribution to an upcoming feature in The Global IP Magazine, published to coincide with INTA, we spoke to members of the Mewburn Ellis team to explore how they approach their work, what drives them, and how their individual expertise shapes the advice they provide to clients.

The team featured in this article includes:

William Hey – Patent Attorney and Senior Associate, Engineering
Dan Thornton – Partner and Patent Attorney, Engineering
Fran Salisbury – Partner and Patent Attorney, Life Sciences
Paul Dunne – Partner and Patent Attorney, Chemistry

Together, they represent a cross-section of expertise across engineering and life sciences, working collaboratively to support clients navigating complex third party rights.

Different perspectives, one shared goal

Across engineering, chemistry and life sciences, the team at Mewburn Ellis works with patent data in different ways, but with a shared objective: to provide clarity in complex situations and support informed decision making.

Whether advising on freedom to operate, analysing technical and commercial landscapes or supporting strategic planning, the emphasis is always on interpretation. Understanding not just what the data shows, but what it means in practice.

That shared mindset is reflected in how each individual approaches their work.

William Hey – structuring complexity

Working extensively with patent landscapes and large datasets, William Hey focusses on bringing structure to complexity.

For him, the critical part is how the patent data found is organised and interpreted. By grouping and analysing information in a structured way, William helps turn large sets of search results into something meaningful, enabling both the team and their clients to identify patterns, trends and areas of focus more clearly.

He particularly enjoys the variety that comes with working in intellectual property.

“Working in private practice offers small windows into lots of different businesses,” he explains. “You often gain a real sense of a client’s company culture, along with an appreciation of their business strategy and the wider industry they operate in. With those insights, our team’s work is so much more useful to those clients..”

Outside of work, William enjoys practical, hands-on pursuits. Having completed a house renovation, he is now turning his attention to transforming an empty field into a new allotment. He also enjoys walking in the Peak District with his wife, occasionally flying his drone, and playing the piano.

Connect with William: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-hey-562002170/

Dan Thornton – strategy and client connection

For Dan, the most rewarding part of the role is working closely with clients and understanding how intellectual property fits into their broader commercial plans.

“I love working directly with clients,” he explains. “Sitting quietly and drafting a spec or a response is only part of the job. Learning about a client’s commercial plans and strategising together to ensure that their IP activities serve their goals is what I enjoy the most.”

Dan’s work focuses on helping clients navigate third party rights and creating and pursuing patent portfolios with real relevance in context. He approaches his work with an open mind. This has led him to bring an element of creativity to client work.  

His approach is grounded in understanding the bigger picture, ensuring that analysis is aligned with the decision a client ultimately needs to make. Many of the most interesting client projects need the team approach; Dan enjoys working with his colleagues on planning and delivering these projects.

Outside work, Dan spends much of his time with his family. Living close to the hills, he enjoys getting outdoors with his three children and their new puppy, Peggy, often combining walks with a keen eye out for steam trains for his youngest.

Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danthornton1/

Fran Salisbury – navigating life sciences complexity

For Fran Salisbury, working in life sciences brings a different dimension to patent analysis, one shaped by long development timelines and evolving technologies.

“In life sciences, you are often dealing with technologies that are still developing,” she explains. “You might be assessing risk before a product is fully defined.”

This requires a careful balance. Too much detail too early can be as unhelpful as too little, particularly when technologies may change over time.

Fran particularly enjoys the problem solving aspect of her role.

“I enjoy taking a jumble of information and ideas and bringing them together into a coherent strategy, or pulling the threads together to form an argument.”

She also values the international nature of IP work, working with attorneys, clients and patent offices globally.

Outside of work, Fran enjoys being outdoors, skiing, swimming and hiking, as well as quieter creative pursuits such as painting and drawing.

Connect with Fran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-salisbury/

Paul Dunne – making IP accessible

Paul’s work focusses on contentious matters, helping clients understand their options for clearing the way of competitors’ rights and defending their own patents.

A recurring theme in his work is distilling a large mix of documents into sharp and impactful arguments, cutting out unnecessary complexity. For smaller clients, Paul highlights that many assume that holding a patent gives them the right to use a technology, when in reality it provides the right to prevent others from doing so.

His approach is centred on clarity, ensuring that clients understand both the risks they face and the options available to them, so they can make informed, pragmatic decisions. He particularly enjoys working closely with clients in a collaborative way, feeling embedded within in house teams rather than operating as a separate external adviser.

“The joy of private practice is getting to work with lots of interesting, enthusiastic clients on a variety of tech,” he says. “The thing I enjoy most is feeling properly embedded with an in-house team, when the work feels like a collaboration instead of a transaction.”

Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife, two children and spaniel Archie. Whether walking through the woods or visiting the beaches of Somerset, he values time outdoors with his family. He also enjoys carving out time to play the piano and go swimming.

Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dunne-7b214915/

A collaborative approach to insight

While each team member brings a different perspective, it is the combination of these approaches that enables Mewburn Ellis to deliver well-rounded, commercially relevant advice.

Strategic thinking, structured analysis, technical depth and clear communication all play a role, supported by collaboration both within the team and with external partners.

Meeting the team at INTA

Fran, along with many of the Mewburn Ellis team, will be in London during INTA. If you are attending and would like to meet, they would be very happy to connect and continue the conversation in person.

Contact

Website: Mewburn Ellis

Emails:

Dan Thornton – [email protected]

William Hey – [email protected]

Fran Salisbury – [email protected]

Paul Dunne – [email protected]

Working with PatWorld

Mewburn Ellis works closely with specialist search providers such as PatWorld to ensure that searches are aligned with how the results will be used in practice. By tailoring search outputs to the firm’s analytical approach, PatWorld provides datasets that support structured analysis and enable the team to focus on interpretation, insight and client advice.

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