Q and A with Matthew Bannister

Why did you become a Patent Attorney?

I was studying for a PhD when a recruiter contacted me about a role as a trainee Patent Attorney. At the time I wasn’t ready to make the change, but later when I realised that I didn’t enjoy the lifestyle of academic research, I decided to make the switch as being a Patent Attorney encompassed the bits of research that I enjoyed most, which is learning about new and interesting technology across a wide breadth of fields.

 

What attracted you to PWF?

I just got a good feeling about the firm during my interview – the workplace is fairly relaxed, which coming from an academic background suited me better than something more formal.

 

What’s the best part of being a Patent Attorney?

For me, it’s the variety of what I work on. While the majority of my work is in telecommunications (which I had no prior experience of before joining), I also do a lot of work in the semiconductor and photonics fields. I’ve worked on patent applications across a broad range of topics including video games, nuclear power, and exercise devices. Even within the same field of technology, each invention is different and provides challenges that require handling in its own way.

 

What’s your top tip for any new innovator/creator?

For a new innovator/creator, my top tip would be to have an IP strategy in place – even if that means not pursuing patents! In my opinion, it is a greater risk to ignore IP altogether, whereas if you have a clear strategy in place, you can mitigate any risks associated with your chosen approach.

 

What’s your greatest professional achievement/most interesting case?

Aside from qualifying as a UK and European Patent Attorney (which as any Patent Attorney will tell you is a difficult task), one case that comes to mind is a patent application that I drafted and filed for a small start-up company founded by a lady while she was on maternity leave. The invention was relatively simple but very clever, and while still pending, we have received a favourable search report, which is excellent news for her and her business.

 

What are your career ambitions?

I hope to take on more responsibility for training new patent attorneys in time, as I enjoy tutoring and teaching.

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

I’m probably misquoting slightly, but it was along the lines of “an ant should be able to walk from one end of the claim to the other”. In other words, every word in a claim is important and should link together to make sense without requiring significant leaps.

 

How do you keep busy when not at work?

Aside from looking after my 2 year old son, I enjoy watching and playing sport and am an avid Fantasy Football player. I also enjoy cooking and have an extensive board game collection, although I have less time than I used to to be able to indulge in it!

 

Who's the most famous person you've ever met?

I once played in a charity Twenty20 cricket match where the opposition included Chris Tarrant

 

What superpower would you most like to have, and why

Definitely teleportation – not having to rely on the train network would be fantastic!

 

For information about careers at Page White Farrer please contact careers@pagewhite.com.