I have always enjoyed science and technology. Prior to joining Boult, I worked in an R&D department, developing technologies for fibre optic communications. My ambition, however, was to find a role in which I could use my knowledge of physics more broadly, across a wider range of technical areas, and in an environment which exposed me to a whole spectrum of exciting new technology. A career as a patent attorney felt like an excellent step to achieving this – and my time at Boult has certainly provided the variety I was seeking!
I have wide-reaching expertise across optics, semiconductors, semiconductor processing, telecommunications, fibre optics, display devices, aerospace, medical instruments and consumer electronics. I also have substantial experience in prosecuting applications before the European Patent Office and the UK Patent Office, as well as attending oppositions before the EPO.
For me, the most exciting thing about working as a Patent Attorney is visiting clients and hearing about their new product or technology. I enjoy learning about the client’s new technologies and seeing new start-ups build and expand on their initial work. I take pride in supporting their innovation, particularly when I have taken initial materials and discussions from a client and prepared and filed a new patent application for them. Building upon that, it’s also good to see the patent grant internationally too – which can be a longer-term process, but certainly a rewarding one.
I remain fascinated by the world of science, and physics, and am a committee member of the Quantum Electronics and Photonics Group of the Institute of Physics.