I did my primary school studies in Wolverhampton and then emigrated with my family to Hong Kong in the 80s and completed secondary school there. I was superbly geeky and, just to help out, looked like I was 12 until I was in my mid-20s. As a result I saw myself as academically strong but socially weak. After a physics degree I came into the patent profession as one of the potential routes for a scientist who didn’t want to do science, and didn’t think too much more about it.

Like everyone, I took a few years to qualify and I found that I was decently good at the job possibly because I’ve always been quite comfortable with language (my mum brought my literary tastes together very successfully!). I moved to my current firm, Kilburn & Strode, in the mid-90s, became a partner and more recently have spent several years as Chair of the firm.

I continue to love the day job – understanding technology, solving problems, arguing your point is all really interesting, as long as you maintain the energy to get into the detail, which I do, when I’m allowed. The Chair role has been really interesting as well. Internally this involves a lot of people management, getting our excellent partnership to function as smoothly as possible. It’s also quite a prominent role and I spent years lecturing in various places to get my confidence up in that area – now it feels quite natural to be in front of people unless I really think about it. Externally I love working with the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) as Honorary Secretary, basically sitting in on the meetings and helping if I feel my point of view is useful. Another part of my role is networking; in particular I have a strong group of friends amongst the senior end of the profession, judges, people running patent offices and so on. I am very proud that people have said I am good at bringing people together and we’ve achieved quite a lot as a group over some difficult years in the UK – I hope I have contributed a little bit.

I think I had the right skills to become a patent attorney, what has been amazing to me is that I’ve succeeded in additional roles that probably nobody would have predicted I was capable of when I was at school and shy and awkward. Loving the day job really helps and keeping trying and keeping improving yourself does as well. It’s a good job.

Patent Attorney / Kilburn & Strode

Last Updated: November 6, 2024