My original degree in biochemistry and biological chemistry was, I thought, to be the start of a career in the pharmaceutical or health-care industry but I became interested in law and realised I could combine the two in the field of intellectual property law.

As a European and British patent attorney, with over 25 years’ experience in relation to patents, I have been able to work across a range of biochemical, chemical and mechanical subject areas, with a particular interest in the health-care industry. Protecting intellectual property (IP) is vital in many of these sectors.

The nature of my job enables me to work with a wide range of technologies. The list is almost endless, but includes wound healing preparations; agrochemicals; food supplements; anti-viral agents; pathogen detectors; drug delivery systems using nanoparticles; oil recovery processes; medical devices such as prosthetics, drip monitors and syringe drivers; assisted living products and packaging materials.

Intellectual property law is not just about patents protecting inventions – I also have considerable experience around the protection of trade marks and designs. It’s a fascinating area of work but the intricacies of that protection – patent applications, trade mark or design registrations, for example – are often unfamiliar to my clients, who range from individual inventors to multinationals. I can provide straightforward advice on the most appropriate types of protection available for a particular client and their business.