Tag: Lewis Silken

For Tom Gaunt, Head of Intellectual Property at Lewis Silkin, intellectual property is about far more than filing patents. Drawing on international experience and a commercial mindset, he works with businesses to build IP strategies that support innovation, investment and long-term growth in an increasingly complex technology landscape.

Quick Profile

Name: Tom Gaunt

Role: Head of Intellectual Property

Firm: Lewis Silkin

Location: London, UK

Areas of expertise: Patent strategy, IP portfolio management, commercialisation, licensing, innovation strategy, software, telecommunications, automotive and clean technologies

Discovering a career through Japan

Tom’s route into intellectual property began with a desire to experience life overseas rather than a carefully mapped-out career plan.

Having completed a research master’s in materials engineering, he spotted an opportunity to work in Japan, where companies were filing large volumes of patents in consumer electronics, semiconductor manufacturing and LCD technologies. The role combined his technical background with the opportunity to live abroad, making it an easy decision.

What surprised him was how quickly he fell in love with the profession.

“After spending so long focused on one research project, suddenly I was exposed to new technology every day. I could apply science to commercial problems, think about business strategy and get paid to write arguments. It was an incredible job in an incredible place.”

Working in Japan also shaped the way he approaches clients today. Communicating with non-native English speakers taught him the importance of expressing complex ideas clearly, while long-standing client relationships demonstrated the value of trust built over time.

The experience also gave him a valuable perspective on different approaches to working. Seeing first-hand how dedicated and hardworking his colleagues were reinforced his own belief that sustained performance comes from balancing ambition with wellbeing.

“You can be ambitious and hardworking, but work-life balance is essential if you want to do your best work.”

That philosophy has stayed with him throughout his career and continues to influence the way he leads his team today, creating an environment where people can perform at their best while maintaining a healthy balance outside work.

Looking beyond individual IP rights

Today, as Head of Intellectual Property at Lewis Silkin, Tom leads one of the UK’s largest IP practices within a law firm. Rather than viewing patents, trade marks and litigation as separate disciplines, he believes businesses benefit most when IP advice starts with commercial objectives rather than legal processes.

“Clients don’t come to us asking for patents or trade marks in isolation. They come with business problems and business objectives.”

That shift in thinking has transformed the way his team works.

Instead of treating patent filing as a standalone service, Lewis Silkin brings together specialists from across intellectual property to develop coordinated strategies that reflect each client’s commercial ambitions, budget and long-term plans.

The result is a more integrated approach where patents, trade marks, licensing, enforcement and commercial advice all work together to support growth.

Innovation is becoming increasingly interconnected

Much of Tom’s work sits at the intersection of multiple technologies.

Software, communications, automotive engineering and clean technologies increasingly overlap, creating opportunities but also greater complexity.

“What we’re seeing is a convergence of technology. Businesses that historically had very little overlap are now colliding.”

Modern vehicles, for example, increasingly rely on software, communications and perception technologies alongside traditional engineering. That means organisations need IP strategies that help them navigate collaboration, overlapping technologies and increasingly competitive markets.

Rather than focusing solely on protecting inventions, Tom helps businesses build portfolios that give them options for future commercial negotiations, partnerships and growth.

Thinking strategically from the outset

One of the biggest changes Tom has seen over the past decade is the growing recognition that intellectual property extends far beyond patents.

When working with innovative businesses, particularly those establishing R&D functions for the first time, he encourages them to think about all forms of intellectual property together.

“Businesses often see innovation as producing patent applications. We encourage them to think about a whole thicket of IP.”

That wider perspective includes trade secrets, confidential know-how, design rights, employment arrangements and governance processes alongside patents.

By considering these elements from the beginning of an innovation project, businesses retain greater flexibility as technologies develop and commercial opportunities evolve.

Importantly, every conversation starts with the same question.

“What is the business trying to achieve?”

For Tom, the answer should always shape the IP strategy rather than the other way around.

Helping businesses realise the value of innovation

Protecting innovation is only one part of the process.

Tom is particularly interested in helping organisations understand how intellectual property creates commercial value, whether through licensing, investment, partnerships or direct commercialisation.

Businesses may begin with one objective before changing direction as markets evolve, making flexibility essential.

Sometimes that means deliberately choosing not to patent every innovation if retaining proprietary knowledge provides greater long-term advantage.

It also means looking beyond individual patent filings when demonstrating value to investors.

Tom describes work analysing inventor performance by examining historical grant rates, publications and commercial success, helping organisations demonstrate the strength of both their innovation and the teams behind it.

“The value isn’t just in a single patent. It’s much broader than that.”

Collaboration delivers stronger outcomes

For Tom, successful IP advice depends on collaboration across multiple disciplines.

At Lewis Silkin, patent attorneys, trade mark specialists, litigators and commercial lawyers work together throughout the innovation lifecycle, from early horizon scanning through to commercialisation.

Clients also benefit from regular strategic discussions that go beyond individual projects.

Rather than reacting to issues as they arise, these conversations explore market developments, emerging competitors and future technologies that may influence business decisions years ahead.

“It’s about partnering with clients and building the most effective long-term plan.”

The patent attorney of the future

Artificial intelligence is already changing the profession, but Tom believes its greatest value lies in helping patent attorneys spend more time where they add the greatest value.

Routine tasks can increasingly be completed more efficiently, freeing attorneys to focus on strategic thinking, commercial judgement and creative problem-solving.

“It should help you focus on what’s really valuable.”

For those entering the profession, Tom sees learning how to use AI critically and effectively as becoming just as important as developing technical expertise.

In his view, commercial awareness, strategic thinking and the confidence to bridge technical innovation with business objectives will define the next generation of patent attorneys.

Outside the office

Tom believes maintaining a healthy work-life balance is fundamental to performing well professionally.

Outside work, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding and travelling, making sure he always has at least one mountain adventure planned.

Having hiked across the Himalayas, Japan, Korea, Norway and the Alps, one destination continues to stand out.

“Scotland is honestly one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

For Tom, spending time outdoors provides the opportunity to recharge before returning to the demands of leading a large team and advising clients in a fast-moving sector.

Looking ahead

Reflecting on the profession’s evolution, Tom believes intellectual property advisers are becoming increasingly strategic.

Technical excellence remains essential, but today’s clients also need advisers who understand business, investment and commercial growth.

As innovation becomes more interconnected and technologies continue to converge, the role of the patent attorney will increasingly be to help organisations make informed strategic decisions rather than simply protect individual inventions.

Contact

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-gaunt-3936854/

Website: https://www.lewissilkin.com/experts/tom-gaunt

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.