Lucy Coe (committee lead), Patent Attorney at Mewburn Ellis
Lucy is a UK and European patent attorney working in the Engineering and ICT group at Mewburn Ellis in London. Lucy leads the IP Inclusive Women in IP community. She is recognised as a WIPR Diversity 2023 “Trailblazer” – an individual with a decade or less experience in the IP industry who stands out due to their impressive practice in IP and their determination to promote inclusion and diversity within the sector.
Lucy works primarily in the computer software, computer-implemented inventions, medical devices and communication technology sectors. She is involved with all stages of the patent process, with a particular focus on EPO opposition work and litigation.
Andrea Brewster OBE, IP Inclusive Lead Executive Officer
Andrea is a Chartered Patent Attorney. Until her retirement in 2015 she was a partner in the Somerset firm Greaves Brewster LLP, of which she was a co-founder. Her technical field is chemistry but she handled a wide range of patent work during her time at the IP “coal face”.
A former CIPA President, Andrea established and now leads the IP Inclusive initiative. She often speaks publicly and writes about equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the IP professions.
Megan Briggs, Senior Associate at Burness Paull
Megan is an associate based in Glasgow. She specialises in IP and IT disputes, along with contentious matters involving protection of confidential information.
Megan advises clients in a range of sectors, including the protection of various brands and litigation in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, where Scotland’s IP court sits. She has also appeared on BBC Radio Scotland discussing recent intellectual property/brand protection developments and news stories.
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Joanna Conway, Partner at Deloitte Legal
Joanna is an IP disputes/advisory partner at Deloitte Legal. She helped set up and also co-led IP Inclusive’s Women in IP community in previous years.
An experienced litigator, Joanna advises on soft IP and tech IP and on contractual disputes with a technology or scientific focus. She has particular expertise in digital content risks, combining brand/IP enforcement with reputation management, defamation, advertising, privacy and related matters to tackle harmful online content, including in the social media space.
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Triona Desmond, Trade Mark Attorney at Pinsent Masons
Triona is a trade mark attorney and Legal Director in London. She manages extremely large trade mark portfolios with thousands of marks and a high volume of contentious matters. She also enjoys pro-bono work.
Triona was seconded in-house, as Head of IP for a global clothing and household brand, and is very active in D&I – speaking on LGBT+ issues at conferences, webinars, events and schools. Triona is a CITMA Council member as well as a committee member for IP Out; CITMA Education, Qualification & Standards; and CITMA Paralegal. Further, she lectures and assists with setting and marking the CITMA paralegal exam.
Susi Fish, Partner at Boult Wade Tennant
Susi is a patent attorney based in Reading. She has been UK- and European-qualified since 2004 and, in addition to her fee earning patent work, oversees the firm’s European Patent Validation Group. She also previously co-led the Women in IP community.
Susi came into the profession following a degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Leeds. She continues to do work in the medical field, especially relating to medical devices, as well as doing a significant amount of work in the aerospace field.
Catherine French, Patent & Trade Mark Recruiter at Sacco Mann
Catherine is a Director and Head of the Patent & Trade Mark Division at Sacco Mann Recruitment. She and her team recruit for private practice and industry across the UK at all levels (including formalities, paralegals, secretarial staff, part- and fully-qualified attorneys, partners and IP directors), often on an exclusive basis.
After training as a solicitor, Catherine joined Sacco Mann in 2002, with an inherent interest in people and their businesses, particularly the vital links between enjoyment, motivation and productivity. In 2019 she joined the IP Inclusive community, working with clients and contacts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
Catherine Haworth, Head of Legal at NuBreed hotels
Having specialised in IP in her LPC, Catherine followed this path through both niche and international firms from a paralegal to a qualified lawyer. Catherine now works as in-house counsel at a tech start-up, where she uses her IP and brand knowledge to advise the CEO.
She is the sole lawyer and female in the senior leadership team. She is passionate about supporting women across all elements of business, but especially within the legal and technology sectors which have less female representation at the top of organisations.
Amy McSkimming, Solicitor (Contentious IP & IT) at Burness Paull
Amy’s bio will follow soon.
Michelle Montgomery, Patent Attorney at Carpmaels & Ransford
Michelle is a UK and European patent attorney working in the chemistry group at Carpmaels & Ransford in London.
Michelle handles prosecution and opposition work at the European Patent Office across a broad range of chemical subject matter – including pharmaceuticals, electronic devices, catalysts, polymers, nanomaterials and industrial processes.
Yelena Morozova, Associate at Finnegan Europe
Yelena is a US and European patent attorney. She focuses on software, imaging technologies and telecommunications. She also has experience in mechanical engineering and electronics, and also as a field support engineer at DialogBank in Russia.
Yelena is Co-Chair of AIPLA’s IP Practice in Europe Committee and European Liaison for AIPLA’s Women in IP Global Networking Event.
Kate O’Rourke, Partner at Mewburn Ellis
Kate is a trade mark attorney and solicitor in London. Apart from her management responsibilities, she provides strategic advice on selection, adoption, protection and enforcement of brands internationally.
A Past President of CITMA, Kate remains an active member of the CITMA Council and leads the CITMA taskforce on the need for reform of rights of representation at the UKIPO. Kate is also a member of INTA’s Leadership Development Committee, is co-opted onto the Council of FICPI-UK and is actively involved in the UK IP pro bono programme, now run through LawWorks.
Wendy Peet, Patent Attorney at Procter & Gamble
Wendy is a Chartered and European Patent Attorney based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Wendy gained experience in private practice before moving in-house, where she now works in the legal department at Procter & Gamble. Wendy specialises in IP in the chemical area, including IP strategy and collaboration agreements.
Sabine Rehaber, Project Manager at HGF
Sabine is a Project Manager at HGF. She obtained a vocational degree as an IP paralegal three decades ago and has since worked in a variety of roles and countries, both in-house, in private practice and as a freelancer. She also holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy & History.
Sabine is keenly interested in project and change management in IP private practice, in organisational learning and development and in creating healthier work environments. Sabine has a passion for teaching and writing and is a published author.
Natasza Shilling, Solicitor at Vodafone Group PLC
Natasza is a Solicitor and Lead Legal Counsel at Vodafone, managing the Brand Legal team. She has been at Vodafone since 2016 and is responsible for all legal aspects of the Vodafone brand, including clearance of new product/service names, management and enforcement of trade marks and domains, and intellectual property licensing.
Natasza has led on brand licensing for Vodafone’s key M&A deals including the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK, the sale of Vodafone Hungary and Vodafone’s acquisition of Liberty Global’s assets.
