21 May 2013
What does your current job
involve?
I am a partner at Dehns (previously Frank
B. Dehn & Co), a firm of patent and
trademark attorneys. Rather unusually
amongst my contemporaries, I have
worked for the same firm ever since
leaving university. I initially started as a
technical assistant, training on the job
before taking the relevant professional
exams and qualifying as a European and
United Kingdom patent attorney.
My job involves advising clients on obtaining patent protection for their inventions around the world, defending their granted patents and enforcing them against third parties. I also advise clients on possible infringement risks in relation to third party patents. As my background is in chemistry, I specialise in chemical patents, particularly agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. I am involved in training some of our current technical assistants and also have various management responsibilities. As with most jobs, as I get more senior I seem to spend more time on management and less on 'real' work.
Did you have an interest in
science from childhood?
I don't recall being particularly interested
in science at primary school, although
apparently my first teacher told my
parents that I found numbers easy. My
interest in science was sparked when I
went to secondary school, where I was
lucky enough to have three inspirational
teachers. I can still remember my first
science lesson, investigating the effect
on the appearance of the flame of
opening and closing the air vent on a
Bunsen burner, something health and
safety might not even allow today. When
general science split into chemistry,
physics and biology, I found chemistry
the most interesting. Physics seemed
rather dry and, being slightly squeamish,
the dissections rather put me off biology.
Both my chemistry teachers suggested
that I think about studying chemistry at
university, and encouraged me to apply
to Oxford.
How did you decide that you
wanted a career in science?
I toyed briefly with the idea of reading
mathematics at university, but eventually
decided that I enjoyed chemistry more. I
did not have any particular career in mind
at that stage, and had not even heard
of patents as a profession; I just wanted
to continue studying a subject that I
found interesting. At university, I found
organic chemistry particularly rewarding
and started having visions of a career in
research.
My fourth year undergraduate research project was in the organic chemistry department and I was then lucky enough to be accepted to study for a DPhil in the same lab. I do not regret doing the DPhil, as it helped me to realise that I did not enjoy research enough to make it my career.
Still being interested in chemistry as a subject, rather then joining the majority of my peers and applying for a job in accountancy, I looked around for alternative career options, which would still involve chemistry. I was sponsored through my DPhil by GlaxoWellcome (as it was then) and my industrial supervisor suggested I consider a career in patents. That sounded interesting, and after doing, and after doing some more research I applied to various firms for a job as a trainee.
What are the most important
things you've learned in your
career so far?
That I am fortunate to have an
intellectually challenging and stimulating
job; that the continued success of our
firm depends on recruiting top class
science graduates and training them
to become the best possible patent
attorneys; and that being a good patent
attorney doesn't necessarily make you a
good manager.
What have been the significant
milestones in your career?
Obtaining my professional qualifications
and being asked to join the partnership
at Dehns.
Would you have done anything
differently?
Not really, although occasionally when
visiting the European Patent Office in
Munich I wish I had kept up German
at school instead of dropping it for
geography.
How did you first become
involved with SCI and what has
that involvement meant for
you?
I honestly can't remember how I first
found out about SCI. I have been a
member for many years and
have always found C&I a
good way of keeping
abreast of what's
going on in the
chemical sector,
especially with
my clients
and their
competitors.
If you
hadn't
pursued
a career
in science,
what would
you be doing now?
I cannot imagine doing
anything different.
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