At school, I was fortunate to be taught by an excellent chemistry teacher who brought the subject to life. We’d often have judges from national teaching competitions sitting in to watch him teach.
Obtaining derisory product yields in university lab practicals suggested that my future may lie outside hands-on scientific research. Through some work experience placements at law firms and a product development company, I saw first-hand a number of IP disputes and realised I would enjoy a role protecting creativity and innovation. Specialising in IP litigation was a natural step to take.
I spent a gap year at the Royal Northern College of Music studying the cello and was then a university instrumental scholar and a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra, so I have been lucky to have had plenty of opportunities to play. Highlights that spring to mind include five BBC Proms concerts, playing Elgar on an open top bus with Nigel Kennedy to publicise his latest recording, and performing string quartets in a boxing ring before a match (we got out before the fighting started).
It’s been invaluable, particularly for reading in at the start of chemical patent cases and in discussions with expert witnesses.
My practice is split between patents and soft IP, which means there is a lot of law to keep on top of, but it gives my working day great variety.
As a junior lawyer at Powell Gilbert, I was part of the team that asserted the patents to controlled release oxycodone against generic market entry throughout Europe. I recall an afternoon sitting with our barrister, the late Henry Carr, at his computer keyboard working together on his cross-examination questions for part of the UK validity case. It was a real privilege to work so closely with him before he became a High Court judge.
I gave an after-dinner speech at the annual retreat to celebrate the firm’s 4th anniversary, which concluded with a rendition of ‘happy birthday’ arranged for the only instruments to hand – a pink-coloured plastic child’s violin and a tambourine.
This patent for a toilet snorkel doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves:
Toilet Snorkel Patent
I once demonstrated a card trick to Paul Daniels (he liked it, not a lot, but he liked it).
