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Lee Davies has been the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) since February 2012. Prior to this, Lee was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute for Learning (IfL), the professional body for further education teachers. Lee’s professional background is in engineering (mechanical services) and further education teaching. Lee has experience of the governance of professional bodies, having served as the President of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) in 2011-12.
Lee says that such a varied career, from apprentice plumber to CEO of CIPA, via organisations such as the Highbury College in Portsmouth, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and IfL, has left him a little confused about his professional identity. Lee now identifies as an ‘association leader’, although the concept of association leadership is, in Lee’s words, “woefully undervalued and little recognised in the UK”. Lee is a passionate advocate for the association sector and is President and Chair of the Institute of Association Leadership (IAL), where he leads the Chief Executives’ Forum.

Lee Davies has been the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) since February 2012. Prior to this, Lee was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute for Learning (IfL), the professional body for further education teachers. Lee’s professional background is in engineering (mechanical services) and further education teaching. Lee has experience of the governance of professional bodies, having served as the President of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) in 2011-12.
Lee says that such a varied career, from apprentice plumber to CEO of CIPA, via organisations such as the Highbury College in Portsmouth, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and IfL, has left him a little confused about his professional identity. Lee now identifies as an ‘association leader’, although the concept of association leadership is, in Lee’s words, “woefully undervalued and little recognised in the UK”. Lee is a passionate advocate for the association sector and is President and Chair of the Institute of Association Leadership (IAL), where he leads the Chief Executives’ Forum.

Georgina joined the profession in 2022 at Wilson Gunn and is training to qualify as a UK and European Patent Attorney. She has a background in Chemistry, holding a PhD from the University of Birmingham. Georgina is the Welfare Officer for the CIPA Informals, a role dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing within the trainee patent attorney community.

Debbie is a Senior Patent Attorney at Granta IP Services Ltd. She is a member of Council and Chair of the Education Committee. She is a Co-Editor of the Patents Training Manual and currently working on the development and delivery of the Advanced Patent Paralegal Course.

Julia Gwilt is a partner at Appleyard Lees and specialises in software inventions.

She has had a passion for training for over 15 years.  As one of the patent attorney members who established the Patent Examination Board (PEB), she oversaw the UK professional examinations for over six years until her term ended in 2020.  She is now chair of the epi Profession Education Committee which oversees training and other aspects of the EQE for trainee European patent attorneys.  Together with other members of the PEC, she has been heavily involved in the proposal for a new digital EQE.

Darren Smyth is a UK and European Patent Attorney, and was the head of EIP’s chemistry practice group EIP Elements until 2023.  He now holds the position of Head of Knowledge, and is known as an authoritative commentator on IP issues, having been a regular contributor to the IPKat weblog and the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, and contributing the UPC reports to the CIPA Journal.  His practice is now heavily focussed on contentious work including EPO oppositions and UPC litigation.

Darren has a masters degree in chemistry and DPhil in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Oxford, and worked in Japan for two years at the Tokyo Institute of Technology before entering the patent profession.  Darren is an honorary professor at Queen Mary, University of London, where he teaches the Certificate and Masters courses aimed at trainee patent and trade mark attorneys.

Darren serves on the committee of IP Out, the LGBTQ+ community group within the IP Inclusive initiative in the UK Intellectual Property professions, and was a speaker at its inaugural event.  He is the convenor of the EIPride group within EIP.

Andrea is a Chartered Patent Attorney and a former CIPA President. In the past she has served on the Institute’s governing Council and several of its committees.

Before her retirement she was a partner in a small regional IP practice, Greaves Brewster LLP, of which she had been a co-founder.

Andrea established IP Inclusive in 2015 to promote equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and wellbeing throughout the UK’s IP professions. Alongside many enthusiastic volunteers, she has developed the initiative into a well-connected and influential player in the IP sector. She became its first Lead Executive Officer in 2019.

Georgina joined the profession in 2022 at Wilson Gunn and is training to qualify as a UK and European Patent Attorney. She has a background in Chemistry, holding a PhD from the University of Birmingham. Georgina is the Welfare Officer for the CIPA Informals, a role dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing within the trainee patent attorney community.

Nickeal is currently a London Regional Social Secretary and has been on the Informals committee for two years. He joined Elkington and Fife in September 2021 and works in the electronics and mechanical group. Nickeal did the Queen Mary course in 2022 and sat the pre-EQE exam earlier this year.

Erin has recently qualified as a UK and European Patent Attorney. She works at Kilburn and Strode with a focus on medical devices. Now Erin is fully qualified she will be stepping down from the Informals after three years of being on committee.

Nick is an experienced Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney having worked in both Private Practice and In-house. With a technical background in aerospace and mechanical engineering, Nick has worked in various industries, including agriculture, automotive, and advanced technology sectors.

Currently serving as the Lead UK Patent Counsel & Group IP Intelligence Manager at Airbus Defence & Space, Nick is responsible for overseeing UK patent strategy, advising on IP transactions and providing guidance on IP intelligence and litigation matters. Their work plays a crucial role in shaping Airbus’ global innovation strategy, particularly in areas such as AI, 5G/6G, optics, and communication networks.

Prior to Airbus, Nick held various roles, in both Private Practice and In-House including roles in IP litigation. At Bird & Bird LLP, they worked as an IP Intelligence Consultant, focusing on patent analytics, SEP mapping, and portfolio valuation, particularly in the telecommunications and licensing sectors.

Prior to working in IP, Nick gained hands-on engineering experience as a Lead Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, specialising in powertrain design, hybrid drive systems, and advanced chassis research. This technical foundation has been invaluable in their IP career, allowing them to bridge the gap between engineering innovation and IP.

Lee Davies has been the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) since February 2012. Prior to this, Lee was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute for Learning (IfL), the professional body for further education teachers. Lee’s professional background is in engineering (mechanical services) and further education teaching. Lee has experience of the governance of professional bodies, having served as the President of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) in 2011-12.
Lee says that such a varied career, from apprentice plumber to CEO of CIPA, via organisations such as the Highbury College in Portsmouth, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and IfL, has left him a little confused about his professional identity. Lee now identifies as an ‘association leader’, although the concept of association leadership is, in Lee’s words, “woefully undervalued and little recognised in the UK”. Lee is a passionate advocate for the association sector and is President and Chair of the Institute of Association Leadership (IAL), where he leads the Chief Executives’ Forum.