28Nov
Congress

Thursday 28 November

CIPA Student Induction Day

When and where

Date and time

Start: Thursday 28 November 2024, 09:30 AM

End: Thursday 28 November 2024, 06:30 PM

Location

CIPA, Viaro House, 20-23 Holborn, London, EC1N 2JD

Event Overview

Join us for this highly anticipated the long-awaited return of our Student Induction Day, marking our first in-person gathering since 2019.

 

The Student Induction Day is a unique opportunity for new trainees to kickstart their journey in patent law, gain invaluable insights, and establish connections within the industry. This full-day conference is designed to provide essential knowledge, foster professional growth among aspiring patent law professionals and set the stage for a successful career.

 

We strongly encourage firms to support their students’ attendance at this event. Participation in the Student Induction Day is not only beneficial for individual development but also contributes to the overall growth and success of firms.

 

Please note this event is for student members only. To register your new employees for CIPA student membership you simply have to fill out a application form, which can be found on the CIPA website – CIPA Membership Application. You can also find information about prices on our Fees & Benefits page, membership applications take usually up to 2 weeks to be approved.

Audience

Programme & Speakers

Thursday 28 November

  • 09:30 - Coffee & Registration
  • 10:00 - Welcome & Introduction
    Speakers
    Matt Dixon, CIPA President

    Matt Dixon, CIPA President

    Matt has been a member of CIPA Council for over 15 years. During this time, he has focused particularly on business practice and regulatory issues, especially consulting vigorously with IPREG on the issues of client accounts and anti-money laundering regulation with the ultimate aim of achieving clarity and simplicity for members. He has been a regular speaker to CIPA new entrants on commercial matters. In his own business career, he has been a partner at Dehns in both Munich and London, a director and founder of the London office of IP21 and a partner, London office head and head of the engineering group at HGF. He now has a role of counsel at Cranach, a brand-new patent attorney firm based primarily in Aberdeen.  In 2023, Matt served as the Vice President of CIPA and assumed the role of President in 2024.

  • 10:10 - Introduction to CIPA
    Speakers
    Lee Davies, Chief Executive, CIPA

    Lee Davies, Chief Executive, CIPA

    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.

  • 10:30 - Introduction to the CIPA Informals
    Speakers
    Kathryn Taylor, Ocado

    Kathryn Taylor, Ocado

    Kathryn is a part-qualified patent attorney in the in-house IP team at Ocado, mostly working on drafting and prosecuting patent applications to protect different aspects of technology for automated storage systems. Kathryn holds an MPhys in Physics from the University of Oxford, a PhD in physics from the University of Nottingham, an MSc in Engineering from Open University, and is a Chartered Engineer. After 10 years working in industry as an engineer, Kathryn joined the patent profession in 2019. Kathryn is the Hon Sec of CIPA Informals, heading the committee and representing student members of CIPA.

    Sophie Knott, Murgitroyd

    Sophie Knott, Murgitroyd

    Sophie Knott joined the IP profession in 2022 and is the Welfare Officer for the CIPA Informals. Established during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Welfare Officer position is dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing within the trainee patent attorney community.

    Sophie is supported by the Informals’ Wellbeing Working Group, and works closely with the mental health charity, Jonathan’s Voice. Together, they provide a wealth of mental health and wellbeing resources, including blog articles, webinars and monthly Wellbeing Coffee Clubs.

  • 11:00 - Refreshment Break
  • 11:20 - Introduction to CIPA EdCom and the UK Qualification System
    Speakers
    Debbie Slater, Prevayl Ltd

    Debbie Slater, Prevayl Ltd

    Debbie works as a patent attorney with Prevayl Ltd: a new company developing wearable technologies.  She is a member of the CIPA Council, vice chair of the CIPA education committee and co-Editor of the CIPA Patents Training Manual.

  • 12:05 - Lunch Break
  • 13:20 - Introduction to EPI and the European Qualification System
    Speakers
    Julia Gwilt, Appleyard Lees

    Julia Gwilt, Appleyard Lees

    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.  Several members of the PEC have been heavily involved in the proposal for a new digital EQE.

  • 14:05 - Mental Health and Wellbeing – Dealing with challenges during your training
    Speakers
    Darren Smyth, EIP Europe LLP

    Darren Smyth, EIP Europe LLP

    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 among others.

    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 speaks Japanese and Spanish, and is conversant with French, German and Russian.

    Darren is co-chair of IP Out, the LGBT+ networking 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.

  • 14:50 - Refreshments Break
  • 15:20 - Introduction to IP Inclusive
    Speakers
    Andrea Brewster OBE, IP Inclusive

    Andrea Brewster OBE, IP Inclusive

    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.

     

  • 16:00 - Panel session featuring recent student members and recently qualified members
    Speakers
    Sophie Knott, Murgitroyd

    Sophie Knott, Murgitroyd

    Sophie Knott joined the IP profession in 2022 and is the Welfare Officer for the CIPA Informals. Established during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Welfare Officer position is dedicated to raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing within the trainee patent attorney community.

    Sophie is supported by the Informals’ Wellbeing Working Group, and works closely with the mental health charity, Jonathan’s Voice. Together, they provide a wealth of mental health and wellbeing resources, including blog articles, webinars and monthly Wellbeing Coffee Clubs.

    Nickeal Sidhu, Elkington + Fife LLP

    Nickeal Sidhu, Elkington + Fife LLP

    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.

    Elinor Northey, Syngenta

    Elinor Northey, Syngenta

    Elinor has been serving as an in-house trainee at Syngenta since February 2023 and participated in the Queen Mary course within the same year. She holds an MChem with Industrial Experience from the University of Manchester and currently acts as the In-house Representative on the Informals Committee.
    Erin Turner, Kilburn and Strode

    Erin Turner, Kilburn and Strode

    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.

  • 16:50 - Closing remarks
    Speakers
    Lee Davies, Chief Executive, CIPA

    Lee Davies, Chief Executive, CIPA

    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.

  • 17:00 - Drinks Reception

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