IT & Engineering

Dr Daniel Bates

B.Sc (Hons), MSc, EngD, RPA, CPA

Dan qualified as a Patent Attorney at a large Patent and Trade Mark Attorney private practice in the Midlands. Prior to working in private practice he was employed by Marconi Communications Ltd (now Ericsson) as part of the in-house Intellectual Property counsel team. In this role he gained experience of managing large portfolios of patents and extensive experience of patents in telecommunications technologies including optics, software, electronic devices, network architecture, computer implemented inventions, and processor technologies.

Before entering the patent profession Dan was employed by Airbus UK Ltd and Rover Group Ltd in research and professional engineering positions. During his time at Airbus Dan worked for the structural testing and non-destructive testing departments, and developed new non-destructive testing techniques for aircraft wing inspection specialising in eddy current, ultrasonic, thermal and X-ray inspection techniques. During his time at Rover he worked as a researcher into lightweight vehicle technology.

Dan has a Doctorate of Engineering, a Masters degree in Engineering Business Management, and an Honours degree in Physics. He is also the inventor for three patent families on new non-destructive testing procedures which resulted from his Doctorate studies. Dan also has comprehensive experience of lasers, semiconductors, macro-molecular physics, particle physics, acoustics, atmospheric dynamics, mechanical engineering devices, and advanced composite materials.

Dan has now set up his own Intellectual Property practice and is also a consultant for London IP Ltd.

John Badger

B.Sc. (Hons), CPA, EPA RTMA, ETMA

Before entering the patent profession John read Mechanical Engineering at Manchester University and then spent several years undertaking development work with a major aviation electronics company.

He qualified as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 1975, and as a European Patent Attorney in 1978. For much of his professional career he worked in-house with two major international companies and has gained a considerable breadth of experience in the patent procedures of numerous overseas countries as well as prosecution, opposition and appeal work before the European Patent Office. His in-house responsibilities have embraced dealing with inventions and licensing matters arising both in-house and from joint collaboration projects with leading universities.

John has experience with a wide range of technologies including automotive, aviation and industrial engineering as well as consumer products. More recently he has been closely involved with wind turbine and other energy related inventions, and now acts as an independent consultant.

In addition John handles trade mark and licensing work, and is experienced in giving practical strategic advice for ensuring that IP rights are sought in a realistic and cost effective manner.

Michael Berkson

BCL, MA (Oxon), CPA, EPA, RTMA, ETMA

After graduating with an Oxford law degree in 1966, Michael trained and qualified as a Chartered Patent Attorney at ICI Corporate Laboratory. He then moved to ITT-UK Intellectual Property Department (ultimately to become Nortel Networks) as a Licensing Adviser, specialising in third party collaborations. When Michael left Nortel Networks in 2001 to set up his own practice, he was an internal consultant on all aspects of the IP Department's work. In addition to chemistry, Michael’s expertise has grown to include the motor industry, scientific instruments and engineering, telecommunications and electronics, medical and health care, along with trademarks in similar fields plus various consumer and business products and services.

During his time with Nortel Networks Michael worked on several major international mergers and acquisitions of technology companies by technology companies and the work involved due diligence in relation to Intellectual Property portfolios. Michael worked on a joint project with GEC and Defence Electronics Research Agency to develop new Liquid Crystal Displays and Spatial Light Modulators, together with grant of licences to Japanese companies. Much of the research and development was conducted at Cambridge University. Validity and enforceability of the patents was a significant aspect of negotiation of licences.

Michael worked on a collaboration with GEC, Plessey and BT to develop a cordless telephone system and the necessary telecommunications standards. Validity and enforceability of the patents was a significant factor in creating and expanding a worldwide licensing pool.

Michael also worked on the sale of STC Submarine Systems Ltd to Alcatel NV involving the reallocation of ownership of an extensive and wide-ranging company portfolio to the business being sold. Michael was involved in the negotiations of Intellectual Property aspects of the business sale, including licences back. As with all IPR due diligence, the project was based on appraisal of the status, scope, validity and enforceability of the patents, together with appraisal of the risks of infringement of third party rights.

Michael is a member of the CIPA/ITMA Joint Examination Board and is a lecturer and examiner for the CIPA Patent Administrators Certificate course.

John Grant

CPA, EPA, ETMA, MITMA

Although John’s principal discipline is mechanical engineering, he became knowledgeable in material science in relation to polymer coatings, pigments, glass beads, road making materials, road marking paints and cement compositions for concrete products, during his 30 years working for Redland PLC both as an employee, 1974 to 1998, and as a consultant, 1998 to 2005.

John began his journey in IP in the last year of his apprenticeship with the British United Shoe Machinery Co. Ltd. when he joined its patent department. After two years working at The Bentley Machine Development Company, whose principal business was the development of all kinds of knitting machines, John joined The Redland Research & Development Company, which developed new products and materials for the subsidiaries of the Redland Group of companies.

While with Redland, John created their patent department and oversaw the establishment and maintenance of patent and trademark portfolios in some 60 countries worldwide. John has been involved in litigation and licence arrangements in the UK, USA and China.

John Philip Hanna

B’Eng, MSc, EPA, ETMA

Before entering the patent profession John graduated from Queens University of Belfast with a B’Eng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering and an MSc in Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering Design John has worked with a wide range of technologies including general electromechanical devices, medical devices, biometric devices and computer implemented inventions. John also has extensive experience of design and trademark protection.

John has advised on European and International patent and trademark filing strategies and he has worked closely with local solicitors and barristers in the investigation and resolution of Intellectual Property disputes including patent and design infringement cases. He has also represented clients at hearings before the UK Patent Office on issues of novelty, inventive step and infringement and has also represented clients in Oral Proceedings before the European Patent Office.

John has spent time working in Umea in the north of Sweden providing patentability and infringement advice to local industrial clients and Umea University spin off companies.

John Hardwick

EPA, CPA, ETMA

John has been in the Intellectual property field since 1978, when he changed from a practicing mass production electronics design engineer in the computer magnetic memory field. Starting as a Patent Engineer, he eventually became Senior European Patent Counsel for Unisys Corporation dealing with US and European/UK patents and being responsible for trademark co-ordination and filing throughout the world.

He has experience in all aspects of patents for electrical, electronic and mechanical apparatus; oil wells; computers; optical, Internet, radio and satellite communications; photocopiers; printers; precision and micro precision positioning and velocity control; medical diagnostic methods and medical apparatus; image and character analysis; and magnetic materials, to name but a few. He has experience with licenses and assignments. He has also been involved with computer software copyright in the EU, being a founder signatory for ECIS.

Since 1996 he has worked for ICO, a satellite communications company, and in private practice. He has strong experience in Japanese origin Patents before the EPO. He has strength in UK and European Trademark and Design Registration.

Vivien Irish

BSc CPA EPA FIET CEng

Vivien has worked for British Telecom and later was a consultant to Lucent/Bell Laboratories and various mobile phone companies including Motorola. Along with telecommunications, Vivien has worked on ATMs, electronic price labels, digital printing, and flat panel loudspeakers.

Vivien also has particular expertise in drafting specifications for “difficult” inventions, having worked for British Technology Group as an employee and twice as a consultant, dealing with University inventions.

Vivien spent five years with a firm of London solicitors, and became an expert in IP agreements, such as R&D agreements and IP aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and in worldwide IP Licences. Vivien was involved in negotiations with licensees in many countries, and has also dealt with many software licences.

Vivien has lectured on IP for many years, and written two books, IP for Managers and IP for Engineers.

Derek Jackson

MSc, BSc Tech, CPA, EPA, ETMA

Derek joined the IP profession in 1973 and trained in London with one of the country’s larger firms of patent attorneys. After qualifying he moved into industry and set up and ran a patent department for a manufacturing group. After some years Derek returned to private practice and then set up his own practice in 1990.

Derek has represented clients of all sizes before both the UK Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office and has considerable experience of securing protection for clients around the world. Derek’s background as a chemical engineer has allowed him to work in a wide range of technical fields including mechanical, electro-mechanical and computer-related inventions in addition to chemical processes.

For many years Derek has been involved in the training and education of prospective patent attorneys and has a commitment to maintaining high standards within the profession.

Peter Lambert

CPA, EPA, RTMA

In the late ‘80s Peter was instrumental in setting up the first patent insurance scheme, intended to fund patentees who could not otherwise afford to litigate when faced with infringement. He acted as Loss Adjuster for the insurers in numerous cases when claims were made.

During the ‘90s Peter was extensively involved in the entertainment applications of virtual reality. This pioneering work attracted a great deal of publicity and laid the foundations of many modern applications.

Frederick Lupton

CPA, EPA, MSc, MIEEE

Fred graduated with a MSc. in solid-state physics from the University of Birmingham. Following this, he joined the patent profession, working with a large firm of patent attorneys and qualifying in 1974. Fred has also spent some time in Australia, qualifying as an Australian patent attorney in 1982. He has considerable experience in proceedings before the European Patent Office, including oppositions.

Fred has worked in the electronics, telecommunications and IT fields with the patent departments of NCR, Plessey/GEC, and Motorola. Subsequently, Fred set up his own business and has operated as a consultant for companies including Lucent Technologies (3G), BTG (lasers/ nanotechnology), British Aerospace (IT), and Astrium EADS (satellites).

Fred is now a consultant for London IP Ltd.

Tony Miller

BSc CEng MRAeS CPA EPA

Tony served an Engineer Apprenticeship with Handley Page Aircraft Company, gaining his degree in Aeronautical Engineering at City University. He then joined the MoD IPR Directorate prosecuting chemical engineering patent application and investigating Crown Use claims, for example in the filed of flight simulators and moving map displays before serving 13 years at RAE Farnborough involved in the prosecution of various aeronautical, flight safety and metallurgical patent applications among others.

A further 11 years were spent at HQ in the defence of Crown Use of IPR claims, in various mechanical and aeronautical fields, in advising on IPR conditions in contracts and international Governmental Memoranda of Understanding usually relating to Co-operative R&D.

Tony set up an IPR Department at CBD Porton Down as the Establishment became somewhat more commercially minded and autonomous.

Since then for 9 years Tony has been of counsel to Lucas & Co qv, prosecuting patent applications in various fields, generally mechanical or relating to oil prospecting and production but including defending Boeing against Airbus in a European Opposition.

Martyn Molyneaux

CPA, RPA (Rtd), EPA, ETMA, Chartered Engineer, FIEE, European Engineer

Martyn’s experience is in the field of electronics, but his work also includes drafting and the worldwide patenting of downhole retrieval equipment, interactive TV, intelligent robotic equipment and automobile electronics. He was involved in character merchandising actions for film studios, and was responsible for obtaining the “Polo” logo trademark in the UK for Ralph Lauren.

His practice focuses on obtaining patents, trademarks, design patents, design right, copyright and licensing. He also has considerable experience in conducting Oral Proceedings, Oppositions and Appeals at the EPO. He has been involved in cases before the English Patents Court, Patents County Court and the Scottish Courts.

After qualifying as a Chartered Engineer, he spent five years as a Designer and Development Engineer of frequency agile radio receivers for the GEC-Marconi Company, before moving into that firm’s Intellectual Property department for seven years. He joined the private practice firm of Langner Parry in 1977 where he obtained Directorship, later becoming the Managing Director.

Martyn set up a London office for the USA law firm of Wildman Harrold in 2001, before joining Harrison Goddard Foote as a Partner in 2004 to lead their London office.

Martyn is now a Consultant for London IP Ltd.

Frederick Pate

BSc(Chem), CPA, EPA

Having obtained a degree in Chemistry from London University, Fred joined the Patents profession working firstly for a multinational chemical company for 14 years and then for a multinational food company for 22 years.

During this time Fred has acquired expertise in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in a wide variety of technical fields including dyestuffs, pigments, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, additives for lubricants and plastics, food technology, chocolate, confectionery, coffee, nutritional products, frozen and chilled products, packaging and mechanical inventions.

Fred also has experience in opposition proceedings before the UK patent office and has also represented his employer in Oral Proceedings before the European Patent Office.

Clifford Sturt

BSc, ARCS, CPA, EPA, RTMA, ETMA, MITMA, MinstP

Having obtained a BSc in Physics from Imperial College, University of London, Clifford joined one of the largest Patent Firms in 1977 before qualifying as a Chartered Patent Agent in 1981. Clifford became one of the managing partners before leaving in 1991 to become a sole practitioner and subsequently establish a new partnership. In 2004 established a new Consultancy partnership.
Clifford's specialist areas are electronics and computer related inventions. He has represented some of the world’s largest and most prestigious electronics companies, and has considerable experience of representing clients at Hearings and Appeals before the European Patent Office.

Clifford is now a Consultant for London IP Ltd.

Steve Townsend

MEng, CPA, EPA

Having become a Master of Engineering at Imperial College, University of London, Steve joined the profession in 1995 and has worked in various posts in both industry (notably, 7 years at the IP department of Philips Electronics) and private practice.

Steve's specialist areas are RF, software, signal processing, semiconductors, display manufacture and mechanical subject matter. Steve also has extensive experience in counselling in respect of infringement and validity matters including relating to both patents and designs, and relating to claims made both by and against clients.

Steve is now a Consultant for London IP Ltd.

David Warrilow

MSc(Chem), MSc(IP), CPA, EPA, ETMA

David joined the profession in 2001, and worked with major firms of patent and trademark attorneys in London until 2009, before joining London IP to become a co-ordinating attorney.