World Intellectual Property Day is an annual event which celebrates the role of intellectual property in stimulating innovation and creativity. Taking place on 26th April, the theme for this year is “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future”, with a focus on how intellectual property can help young innovators, creators and entrepreneurs to tackle global challenges and achieve their goals.

With that in mind, we’ve spoken to some of our trainees at Carpmaels & Ransford to find out what intellectual property means to them. They share what inspired them to pursue careers in intellectual property and how their work supports important innovations addressing real-world problems.

Corey Chapman, Technical Assistant in the Life Sciences Biotechnology team:

“My interest in a career in IP stems from a talk I attended as a placement student during my undergraduate degree. I was fascinated by the opportunity to work so closely with innovators at the cutting-edge of their field across the breadth of bioscience, from antibodies to CRISPR to CAR-T cells. I was also keen to bring my knowledge and love of science outside of the traditional laboratory environment and apply it in the legal world.

“IP allows inventors to get protection for their most creative, ground-breaking ideas and inventions and to be properly rewarded for their expertise and innovation. Some of the most exciting new technology comes from small start-ups, and patent protection can make the difference in attracting new investment in their vision and getting their work off the ground. For larger, more established pharma and biotech companies, patents and other IP are among their most valuable assets and are central to their growth and strategy for the future. Helping clients of all sizes to obtain this protection is incredibly important in allowing them to continue to innovate freely.” 

Anna Kinsella, Technical Assistant in the Chemistry team:

“My interest in IP was first sparked during my industrial placement year at university, where I was working in research and development at a pharmaceutical company, designing and synthesising molecules for drug discovery projects. The team that I was part of worked closely with an in-house patent attorney and, even at an early stage in the project, IP was a key factor in guiding which molecules would be selected for synthesis. 

“I began to appreciate the essential nature of IP, ensuring a reward for the extensive resources invested to yield new products, and providing a motivation to push the boundaries of science and technology. The uniquely entwined nature of cutting-edge research and IP is what led me to want to train as a patent attorney.  Since joining Carpmaels & Ransford last year, I have worked at numerous different points in the IP timeline, from drafting an initial application, similar to the one I saw from the perspective of a researcher during my industrial placement, to extending the protection of products already on the market.”

Oliver Jones, Technical Assistant in the Engineering and Tech teams:

“What drew me to pursue patent law is that I get to use the entire breadth of my degree all the time – in the mornings I might be working on medical instruments and mechanical systems but in the afternoon, I will be doing research on communications systems or AI.

“Often the most enjoyable aspects of the job are discussing with clients their business strategies and how the patents we work on help fit into that – understandably inventors are very passionate about their work and so hearing the detail of how their inventions function not only helps us prepare our arguments to support their applications but also helps drive my interest in their fields.”

Anaïs Cassaignau, Technical Assistant in the Life Sciences Biotechnology team:

“I spent my PhD and postdoctoral stay at University College London studying protein folding and developing novel therapeutic approaches in disease based on this research. These activities led me to interact with, amongst others, the UCL Therapeutics Innovation Network and UCL Business, and highlighted the importance of IP, especially at the early stages of translational research.

“In my role as a patent attorney, I enjoy a breadth of interactions with a diverse base of clients ranging from independent university researchers, via start-ups, all the way to large pharmaceutical companies. I get to think about a wide variety of biological topics and products, some of which subsequently turn out to make a real contribution to society. What is particularly satisfying is the knowledge that Carpmaels’ strategic advice enables clients to develop an awareness of the IP that sets them apart, and this clearly feeds into their long-term visions.”

Maxwell Haughey, Technical Assistant in the Chemistry team:

“While at university I attended a conference titled ‘What a Chemist Needs to Know About Patents’ organised by the Society for the Chemical Industry. Whilst listening to the lectures, I realised that patent law itself could provide a challenging and stimulating career.

“A highlight of the job for me is speaking with the inventors. Learning about new inventions before they’re published in academic journals, and even whilst research is still ongoing, is quite unique. I’ve learned about new pharmaceutical products, manufacturing processes, dosage regimens, novel disease pathways, and more.

“At the same time, I’ve learned how the patent system protects innovator products from being copied, drafting new patent applications, responding to examination reports, and attacking and defending patents before the European Patent Office. I’m looking forward to continuing to apply my knowledge of organic chemistry to help inventors protect their research.”

For further information about pursuing a career in IP, visit the Carpmaels & Ransford Careers site.