Partners

Robert Ackroyd is a graduate of Durham University where he obtained BSc and PhD degrees. He joined the intellectual property profession in 1978, qualifying as a UK Chartered Patent Attorney in 1982 and a European Patent Attorney in 1983. He is also a UK Registered Trade Mark Agent, a Professional Representative before OHIM in trade marks and designs and a Member of the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys. He handles a wide range of intellectual property cases, including chemical and non-chemical patents, as well as trade marks and designs. He is a contributor to the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys’ Guide to the Patents Act (“Black Book”) and has for many years been a member of CIPA’s International Liaison Committee. This has involved his being a member of CIPA delegations to its counterpart professional bodies in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, as well as assisting in welcoming delegations to the United Kingdom. He regularly visits Asian countries representing W P Thompson & Co and attends the Asian Patent Attorneys’ Association’s annual meetings. He is a member of UNION of European Practitioners in Industrial Property and of the Pharmaceutical Trade Mark Group (PTMG), whose conferences he attends.

Nick Manley is a graduate of Durham University and holds a BSc honours degree in physics.  He entered the intellectual property profession in 1982, qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 1986 and as a European Patent Attorney in 1987.  Nick joined W. P. Thompson & Co. in 1984 and became a partner in the firm in 1990.  Nick has built up considerable expertise in all aspects of intellectual property.  In particular, he has a wide experience of handling European patent applications and regularly represents clients before the EPO Examining Divisions, Opposition Divisions and Boards of Appeal. Nick has written several articles concerning intellectual property, including contributions to the Handbook of Management and the Company Administration Handbook.  He has also served as a member of the Designs & Copyright Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and is a member of CIPA's International Liaison Committee, having led delegations of that Committee to China and Japan.  He is also an Examiner for the United Kingdom Joint Examination Board for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.

Jacqueline Freeman read physics at Oxford University with an option in electronics. Entering the patent profession in 1977, she qualified in 1981. She joined WP Thompson & Co at the beginning of 1992, after a career break in which she lived in Germany and the former Soviet Union and after taking a refresher course leading to City & Guilds certificates in electronic servicing and information technology. She became a partner in the firm in 1994. She deals with patents in mechanical, electrical and electronic fields and with designs, trade marks and copyright.

Jennifer Maddox is a graduate of Kent University and holds a BA degree in economics.  She joined W.P. Thompson & Co. in 1978 as a trainee Trade Mark Attorney and qualified in 1981.  She has been a partner of the firm since 1995.  Jennifer advises on trade marks, copyright and design matters.  She is qualified to represent clients at OHIM and WIPO as well as in the UK Trade Mark and Design Registries.  She has a Trade Mark & Design Litigator Certificate.  She is a member of ITMA, ECTA, PTMG and INTA and attends their conferences on a regular basis.  She is a contributor to the Community Trade Mark Handbook and has been a guest lecturer on the Post Graduate Certificate in Intellectual Property course at the University of Manchester.

David Gill graduated from Liverpool University in 1986 with a degree in electronic engineering having specialised in the areas of optoelectronic devices and the design and fabrication of semiconductor devices and in particular those involving VLSI. He has retained this speciality while developing particular expertise in the handling of patent applications in the mobile communications field. David is a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney and has broad experience in the handling of trade mark applications. He is a contributor to a variety of publications including entries in Patents Throughout the World, and Designs and Utility Models Throughout the World.  He is also a contributor to, and joint editor of, the European Patents Source Finder issued by the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, summarizing and cross-referencing, EPO Board of Appeal case law. David became a partner in the firm in 1997.

Tom Brand is a Chartered Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Trade Mark Attorney and Registered Trade Mark Agent, and is a partner of the firm.  Tom is a chemist by training, with B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Manchester.  He is also a Chartered Chemist (C. Chem) and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (M.R.S.C).

Entering the patents profession in 1992, Tom trained initially with W. P. Thompson & Co in London, practising across a wide range of technology areas, including mechanical, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech, and gained a great deal of experience in European Patent Office opposition and appeal proceedings for a wide variety of clients both domestic and overseas, large and small. 

After completing his training with the firm, Tom gained further experience working for another private practice and as corporate counsel for a major multinational chemical company, an experience which gave valuable insight into the strategic considerations of large corporations in connection with intellectual property, and further experience with the European Patent Office, and other patent offices around the world from the big company perspective.

Returning to the firm as a partner at the turn of the millennium, Tom has built a practice based primarily on domestic clients, but encompassing a wide range of clients from around the world and from many different technology areas.  These areas include mechanical, automotive, fuel cells (both electrochemical and graphitic), organic and polymer chemistry, chemical engineering, medical devices, wound care, diagnostics, cell separation, catalysis, microencapsulation, therapeutics and assay equipment. The strong domestic nature of his practice means that Tom has developed particular strengths in advising clients from the standpoint of acquired knowledge of the client’s industry as well as a good understanding of the client’s technology.

Tom has longstanding experience in filing and prosecuting patent applications on a global basis.  For example in the field of polymer chemistry, Tom acts effectively as in-house counsel for a major global manufacturer in the areas of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films and cellulosic films.  Tom performs a similar role for a leading supplier of force protection equipment to the US and many other militaries.  Tom files and prosecutes patent and trade mark applications worldwide for these and other clients, and represents his clients in oppositions, in an advisory capacity in litigation, and also advises in connection with operational freedom and in all commercial areas affected by intellectual property.

Tom is also a contributor to various publications, most recently The United Kingdom Trade Mark Handbook (Sweet & Maxwell, 2010) and From Innovations to Cash Flows (Wiley, 2009).

Robin Bartle read physics at Durham University, graduating with honours in 1992. After a period spent studying advanced scientific computation at the University of Liverpool, he joined W. P. Thompson & Co. in 1993. Robin deals principally with patent matters including mechanical and electronic engineering and computing. He is a Chartered Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney.

Gill Smaggasgale has a BSc(Hons) degree in Chemistry from Exeter University. After a period working in pharmaceutical research she joined the patent profession in 1989, and W. P. Thompson & Co. in 2001, becoming a partner in the same year. Gill’s patent practice covers all aspects of chemistry and chemical engineering. Gill is the UK contributor to Worldwide Pharmaceutical Law and Practice. Gill is also a Trade Mark Attorney and is actively involved in anti-counterfeiting activity. Gill is a contributor to the Community Trade Mark Handbook and is a member of ECTA and INTA.

Simon Eddowes read biological sciences at Edinburgh University, graduating with honours in microbiology in 1982.  After being employed as a development microbiologist and a formulation chemist, he joined the patent department of a multinational household and pharmaceutical company in 1990.  Simon has worked in private practice since 1997, and joined W.P.Thompson & Co. in 2004.  He deals principally with patent matters, particularly in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry.

David Read deals principally with patent matters, particularly in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical related inventions. He also advises on design and copyright matters. David read biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Leeds. He spent some time in industry working for a multi-national corporation before joining the firm's Liverpool office in 1998. He is a European Patent Attorney and Chartered Patent Attorney.

Julian graduated from the University of London in 1986 with a degree in physics with microcomputer electronics and in 1990 obtained a Ph.D in millimetrewave physics. He qualified as a Chartered Patent Attorney in 1994 and a European Patent Attorney in 1995 and his practice encompasses all physics based disciplines, in particular telecommunications and associated technologies. He has wide experience of drafting and prosecuting patent applications and representing clients before both the UK Intellectual Property Office, and the European Patent Office. Julian is also an experienced Patent Attorney Litigator and has been involved in both Patents Court and Patents County Court litigation covering a wide range of technologies ranging from cryptographic key exchange architecture (Irdeto v Telewest),  design methods for oil exploration drill bits (Halliburton v Smith) and GPS applications (GPS Industries v Prolink).  Whilst managing the UK patent department of a leading global cellular telecommunications company he gained wide experience of the commercial and strategic value of intellectual property on a global scale and regularly advises clients on the development, exploitation and enforcement of a global intellectual property portfolio.