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Event Listing

The North West Meeting: Manchester and Merseyside

8May

The North West Regional Meeting will be taking place on the 8 May 2025 at the Voco Manchester

Don’t miss this exciting event, where you can connect with industry peers, gain insights from top experts, and stay informed about the latest advancements in intellectual property.

It’s a perfect chance to engage with the region’s vibrant professional community. Reserve your spot today and be part of this dynamic gathering!

Details of the programme will be announced soon.

Audience

Programme & Speakers

Thursday 8 May

12:30 - 13:30 - Registration & Networking Lunch
13:30 - 13:40 - Introduction from the chair
13:40 - 14:25 - IP Insurance: Protecting investment in IP

David intends to present on the cost of the policies, the process for obtaining cover, how the policies operate, their scope and application, and the benefits of having cover in place.

David Bloom, Safeguard IP
David Bloom, Safeguard IP

David Bloom was a solicitor for 15 years, helping companies capture, exploit and protect their IP. With a special interest in patent and trade mark disputes he has first-hand experience of how investment in IP can be undermined by copycats and predatory competitors. David left the legal profession in 2015 to establish Safeguard iP, the UKs only dedicated IP Insurance Broker and his clients include innovative business of all sizes looking to protect their investment in IP.

David writes and speaks regularly on the benefits of IP insurance, especially for the SME market and works closely with CIPA, CITMA and the UKIPO to raise awareness of the availability of IP Insurance.

 

14:25 - 15:10 - The UPC needs YOU! A practical introduction to acting before the UPC.

Did you know that, despite the UK pulling out of the UPC, UK-based representatives make up the second-largest national group? This means that most Chartered Patent Attorneys are likely either to be UPC representatives themselves or to work with colleagues who are.

The UPC has been a huge success in its first year and there is now a fairly large body of case law to guide us on its approach to the law. However, this session aims to provide you with practical guidance about how to use your right to represent that you won’t find in books or case reports. We hope it will encourage you to add to the already significant number of UK attorneys who are acting before this new court.

Robert Jackson, Dehns
Robert Jackson, Dehns

Rob is a Chartered and European Patent Attorney. He is a Patent Attorney Litigator, having acted before IPEC and the Patents Court, and a UPC Representative.

Rob formed and chairs CIPA’s UPC Committee, and has appeared before the UPC, including the Oral Hearing of the first case to be filed at the Paris Central Division, and before its Court of Appeal. Rob’s background is in physics and he is also experienced in patent prosecution and contentious matters before both the IPO and EPO.

Laura Ramsay, Dehns
Laura Ramsay, Dehns

Laura is a UPC Representative and Chartered and European Patent Attorney, recognised in the JUVE UPC 2025 firm rankings as a recommended individual who is “a tenacious and versatile advocate who builds a good rapport with the judges”. She is currently working on UPC litigation involving both revocation and infringement actions.

Laura regularly represents her clients in EPO opposition and appeal proceedings. She is experienced in using oppositions as a tactical tool during disputes and licence negotiations between parties. Laura handles patent work in various fields spanning physics, engineering and materials science – particularly medical devices, renewable energy and robotics.

15:10 - 15:40 - Refreshment Break
15:40 - 16:25 - Open the EPO Patentability Doors, HAL! Patenting AI- and other computer-implemented inventions in Europe

This session covers key principles and practical tips for obtaining patent protection for AI – and other computer-implemented inventions at the EPO.

Pawel Piotrowicz, Venner Shipley
Pawel Piotrowicz, Venner Shipley

Pawel (Pav) Piotrowicz is an attorney in Venner Shipley’s Electronics, Software and Communications team with over 25 years’ experience, and is the firm’s former Managing Partner. Pav played a central role in Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) G1/19 (Pedestrian Simulation), for which he won the Managing IP award for European Impact Case of the Year in 2022.

16:25 - 17:10 - Double patenting in the UK IPO and EPO: A refresher
Speakers
Nicole Cordy, Murgitroyd
Nicole Cordy, Murgitroyd

Nicole is a patent director at Murgitroyd, having a physics background she works in a number of technical fields including electronics, software, mechanics and medical devices. Nicole also currently has the additional role of Head of Client Conflicts. Nicole entered the profession in 2013 straight from university graduation and has remained in private practice ever since

17:10 - 17:20 - CIPA Update
Speakers
Dr Bobby Mukherjee, CIPA Immediate Past President | BAE Systems plc
Dr Bobby Mukherjee, CIPA Immediate Past President | BAE Systems plc

Dr Bobby Mukherjee, Chief Counsel, IP & Technology Law – BAE Systems plc and Past President (2012-2014) of the IP Federation. He was the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) President for 2025. He previously served and currently sits on CIPA Council, and chaired the CIPA Internal Governance Committee in its formative stage.

Bobby is a qualified UK and European patent attorney with over 28 years’ experience of IP gained in private practice and at BAE Systems plc. He is currently the Head of IP (2009 -) at BAE Systems plc (a FTSE 30 company), which has one of the largest in-house IP teams in the UK.

Bobby has been named a Corporate IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property every year since 2015.

17:20 - 19:00 - Drinks Reception with Canapes

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