Richard Davis Council Member

Hogarth Chambers, 5 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London WC2A 3RJ.

MA (Engineering), C Eng, MIEE, CPA, EPA, Barrister. Registered 14 June 1999.

Professional career: Digital design engineer at Marconi Defence Systems Ltd (1989-90), undertook legal training and pupillage (1990-94), trained as a patent attorney at Beresford & Co (1994-98), barrister in independent practice (1998 to date).

Services to Institute: Lecture regularly to CIPA/Informals. Recently have spoken to the epi on their European litigation course. Examiner for P2 since 2002. Member of Patents Committee and Litigation Committee.

Services to the profession outside the Institute: Extensively involved in the Nottingham Law School LLM for Patent Agent litigators’ rights since its foundation.

Other relevant information: So why is a practising barrister on CIPA Council? Well, whilst he no longer undertake day-to-day patent agency work the majority of his practice is in patents and, after five years as a patent attorney, Richard feels strongly attached to the profession.

In particular, after many years of student whinging he kept to his personal undertaking to become an examiner and feels that the paper to which he contributes represents a fair test of competence. He thinks it is important for younger members, who have been through the current exam system to contribute to its reform from the inside. He does not agree with handing the system over to academics since he cannot see how they can understand matters of practice.

In addition, he has been a long supporter of litigators’ rights and has worked with numerous patent attorneys on this basis. He thinks it important that members use these rights (where appropriate) for the benefit of the public.

Finally, Richard thinks it is important to have some young(ish) blood on Council, someone who has been born and bred with the ’77 Act, the EPC and the modern realities of being a trainee.