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Dr Michelle Pratt in conversation with Dr Nina White
Dr Nina White, Partner, European Patent Attorney, Registered UPC Representative in the biotechnology and life sciences field at Boult in conversation with Dr Michelle Pratt.
MP: Thank you for agreeing to take part in our very first conversation series which highlights and celebrates the incredible people at the heart of our organisation. I know that you are very busy, so I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.
NW: You’re most welcome.
MP: You have been at Boult since leaving university with an MA in biochemistry and a DPhil in Molecular Biology, both from the University of Oxford.
NW: Yes that’s right. I started at Boult as a trainee, then qualified and I now head up Boult’s biotechnology and life sciences team.
MP: You must be very proud of all you have achieved in your professional career. To name but a few of these accolades, you’ve been Nominated for Patent Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms), MIP, 2024; named as an MIP Star, Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020; named as a Recommended individual, IAM Patent 1000, 2024,2023, 2022, 2021; named as a Recommended leading individual, Patent Attorney with technical speciality, JUVE, 2024, 2023; Recommended individual, JUVE, 2022, 2021; Recognised as a thought leader, Who’s Who Legal, 2024, 2022, 2021 and Global Leader, 2020; Listed as a World Leading Patent Professional, IAM Patent 1000, 2022…Of all of these awards and recognitions, which one are you most proud of?
NW: From that list? Probably being on the recommended leading individual, Patent Attorney with technical speciality, JUVE 2024 and 2023. There are some very well-known names on there so being in that company feels like an achievement. It’s developed with the input of peers in the profession and in-house counsel – which means people who matter know who you were. That’s a good feeling.
I’m also proud of how we’ve built the team in biotech up, especially in the last five years. When I first started, over 25 years ago, there were just three of us! Now we have a large team enabling us to have expertise in diverse areas in biotech.
MP: I remember it being small, but not that small to start with.
NW: Historically, we were just a little side-expansion from the chemicals practice. We’ve definitely grown significantly. That said, I’m really keen to keep the culture of the team. With attorneys in London and Cambridge, we make sure that partners in London work closely with attorneys in Cambridge and vice versa. It’s a supportive environment which is collegiate. We aim to help develop the talent we have within the team.
MP: What skills do you have that you would you say have been most important to you in your career?
NW: I’m quite a perfectionist, but also quite pragmatic. I set high standards, but really, I try not to tie myself in knots about it. You have to be quite confident in your own capability and decisions. There’s no use losing sleep over it.
I have quite an old-fashioned, strong, work ethic, but I do like a proper balance of work and my own time. There are times where you’re going to need to perform under pressure, and work hard, but it’s important not to lose yourself to it.
MP: What advice would you give to your younger self?
NW: To have confidence – but equally, that you don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room to succeed.
MP: That’s an interesting point to make, I’ll make a note of that… Over the years has your work focus changed much?
NW: The type of work I do has changed a lot. I did lots of drafting initially which meant that I got to work with some great scientific minds, leaders right at the top of their fields. That was and always will be, exciting! Nowadays, I’m much more likely to be working on contentious matters, particularly EPO oppositions and appeals. It’s a very different type of work. It can be in-depth, but getting stuck in and pitting your wits against someone is really rewarding.
MP: I’m lucky enough to have witnessed first-hand what an amazing job you do of analysing vast amounts of complex information and simplifying it.
NW: In contentious matters, having the ability to make decisions is very important. You need experience and confidence to achieve this.
MP: What advice would you give to incoming trainees and younger attorneys?
NW: Above all, I would teach patience. It takes time to get good at this job. Trainees who are really strong scientifically and academically when they join have to start again at the bottom, learning new skills and the legal aspects of the job. It can be frustrating. I understand that it can feel limiting in some ways, but you’ve got to do the groundwork to succeed as an attorney. Take your time, take everything on board and don’t be put off if you get things wrong at first.
MP: What are your favourite parts of the job?
NW: As I said earlier, I really enjoy writing complex oppositions and appeals. I enjoy the European Patent Office opposition and appeals process. I also take a lot of pride in seeing a client develop from a start-up to a clinical-stage biotech company. I’ve defended patents I’ve drafted – there is an extra bit of stress involved when it’s a client’s most important patents you’re defending. Outside of that, I always find the variety of technology we work with so exciting.
MP: Thanks Nina – do you have any final thoughts?
NW: I’d say it’s important to stay grounded in your career. It’s important to have a good balance between work and home. Having some interests outside of the office lends perspective on your career. It makes it all more manageable.
MP: It was great talking to you. Thank you. You are an inspirational and highly regarded figure to those inside Boult, and within the patent profession as a whole.
If you wish to find out more about Nina and her patent practice, details can be found here. She can be contacted at nwhite@boult.com. Thanks for reading our conversation with Nina, giving you a chance to get to know our fantastic people just a little bit better.