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Optimus Personnel Profiles
> Antony Wray
> Derek McCormack
> Colin Treleven
> Ross Marcel Kay
> Siok Manzur
> Matthew Westcott
> René Pihl Jepsen
> Mandy Hunt
> Helen Kerr
Antony Wray - tony.wray@optimus-patents.com
European Patent Attorney, Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng), Member of Institute of Electrical Engineers (MIEE).
MSc (RF & Microwave Engineering), BSc (Electronic & Electrical Engineering).
Background
Tony spent 12 years at Motorola, formerly as a Research engineer and later as Research Project Manager in Motorola's European Research Laboratory. Whilst working in Motorola's Research department, he was named as an inventor on more than twenty patent applications that have subsequently been granted. Having developed a keen interest in patenting inventions, Tony transferred to Motorola's Intellectual Property Department and subsequently qualified as a European Patent Attorney. Latterly Tony's role within Motorola was as European Patent Portfolio Manager for Motorola's communications-related technologies, strategically creating and managing a substantial patent portfolio in key technology areas, implementing and refining supporting programmes, and proactively developing significant licensing opportunities. As Patent Portfolio Manager, Tony was also heavily involved in a number of Patent License negotiations, US and European Litigation, European Patent Office Oppositions (both enforcing and defensive), in addition, Tony instigated and managed Advanced Inventing sessions and Product sweeps for many of Motorola's key technology areas. Notably, Tony benefitted from hands-on patent drafting and prosecuting experience in a broad range of technologies, including all aspects of: wireless telecommunications, software processes and applications, circuit design, video/image/speech processing, embedded architectures, data communication systems, internet-based technologies and protocols, semi-conductor technology, cryptography, manufacturing processes, etc.
After leaving Motorola in 2000, Tony was a partner in an internet-based Private Practice firm with responsibility for creating and managing patent portfolios for a number of International Organisations patent portfolios.
The Present
Tony established his own Private Practice firm - Optimus - as a sole practitioner, in early 2002. Tony has built up this Practice, which now utilises the skills of six Patent Attorneys, an IP solicitor, a Technical Assistant and corresponding Administration support. Tony has written a number of articles and given presentations at International Conferences on the subject of Patent Portfolio Management. Optimus was incorporated in 2006 and is a thriving Patent Firm that specialises in original patent drafting, prosecution of patent applications in various jurisdictions, and advising a wide variety of clients, from Multinational Companies through to SMEs, on all aspects of Patent Law, particularly targeting a development of a strategic and valuable patent portfolio for those clients.
Legal Snapshot
- Original Patent Drafting
- Patent Prosecution
- Patent Portfolio Management
- European Patent Office Oppositions
- US and UK High Court Litigation
- Due Diligence
Derek McCormack - derek.mccormack@optimus-patents.com
European Patent Attorney (EPA)
UK Chartered Patent Attorney (CPA)
BSc Hons (Birmingham)
Chartered Physicist
Background
Derek worked for 16 years in the Patent Department of the Ministry of Defence beginning as a trainee patent agent in 1968 and later qualifying in 1980 as a CPA and EPA. He also worked at RSRE Malvern, London Headquarters and RAE Farnborough (RSRE and RAE are now part of QinetiQ). At RSRE and RAE he handled patenting of inventions in various technologies ranging across the fields of electronics, physics, engineering and chemistry. Whilst at RSRE, Derek worked on patenting of many of the UK's basic liquid crystal inventions. In London, Derek worked on intellectual property rights in defence contracts and international memoranda of understanding.
Derek subsequently worked for Royal Ordnance / BAe where he handled patenting and international licensing of defence technologies and defence contracting IPR. Following that he spent four years as Intellectual Property and Patents Manager at British Nuclear Fuels managing patents and agreement work relating to the nuclear fuel cycle (which embraces many aspects of engineering, physics, chemistry and chemical engineering). Next, he worked for six years as Patents and Licensing Manager at English China Clays/Imerys handling in both UK and US patenting, patent infringement analysis and licensing work relating to minerals processing. Most recently Derek spent four years as Senior Patent Attorney with Motorola handling patenting of inventions in various technologies related to telecommunications.
In these various jobs Derek has therefore gained considerable experience of working directly with inventors and other technical staff (in UK and elsewhere in Europe and also in US), advising on all aspects of the patents process particularly the selection of inventions for patenting, preparing original patent drafts in many technologies, processing patent applications internationally, representing clients in person at the European Patent Office, preparing patent infringement analyses, advising on protection and confidentiality of technical information and preparing, reviewing and negotiating licensing and other intellectual property related agreements.
Colin Treleven - colin.treleven@optimus-patents.com
European Patent Attorney
BA Natural Sciences, Physics (Oxon); MSc (University of Bath, Distinction)
Background
Colin worked from 1986-1997 for the European Patent Office in the Netherlands and Germany. This work involved patent searching, the 'examination' of patent applications, and patent oppositions. Colin was also a training instructor. Technical subjects included telecommunications, the measurement of electrical and magnetic variables, heating and lighting. From 1997-2003 Colin worked at Motorola's European Intellectual Property headquarters. This work included the provision of patent drafting and support to one of Motorola's advanced research laboratories.
From 2003-2007, Colin worked for the consultancy 'TRL Ltd'. This period included both patent work and consultancy in the field of transport and the environment. Laterly, Colin held the post of Principal Consultant in TRL's Climate Change team.
Colin has worked on all stages of patent drafting and prosecution, and has gained experience in a variety of electrical, electronic and other technical areas.
Ross Marcel Kay - ross.kay@optimus-patents.com)
UK Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Trade Mark Attorney
Background
Ross holds an honours degree in Electronic Engineering with Optoelectronics. At University, he spent his second year at a French "Grande Ecole", known as the ENSTBr (postgraduate school for telecommunications) and is a French speaker. Thereafter, he spent some time working in Paris writing routing software for a company involved in a European telecommunications project.
Ross has practiced in the intellectual property departments of Motorola and Siemens. There, he was exposed to a broad range of technologies, including: Semiconductor devices and processing techniques, digital signal processing, cryptography, Fourier optics, parallel processing, and cellular telecommunications (GSM, 2.5G and 3G). In the past, Ross has also spent a considerable amount of time prosecuting patent applications in the field of liquid crystal displays.
The Present
Ross has written numerous articles on intellectual property and has presented on various current topics at conferences both domestically and overseas. Ross joined Optimus, of counsel, in 2005 and Ross' work involves a large amount of original patent drafting, UK litigation and European Patent Office Oppositions. Ross' technical skills include: Semiconductor Processing Techniques; Integrated Circuits; Optoelectronic Devices and Packages; Liquid Crystal Displays (Manufacture, Structure and Driving); Bioinformatics (Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Thermocyclers, On-chip Assay Systems, Microfluidic Devices, Electronic Noses); RF Communications Systems, including Cellular Telecommunications Systems; Channel Estimation Techniques and Signalling for Telecommunication Networks; Web-Based Content Delivery Systems; Multimedia Messaging Service technology; On-Line Dealing Systems for Trading Options Contracts; Computer Networks, including the Internet Protocol; Neural Networks; Machine Language Translation.
Legal Snapshot
- Original Patent Drafting
- Patent Prosecution
- European Patent Office Oppositions
- Opinions as to Patentability of Business Methods
- UK High Court Litigation
- Due Diligences
- Multi-jurisdictional Transaction Recordal
Siok Manzur - siok.manzur@optimus-patents.com
LL.B. (2.1 Hons) University of London. Siok was awarded the University of London Convocation Trust Bookprize for achieving first place in her 2nd year law exams and was also awarded a Company Law Bookprize by Professor Robert R. Pennington. Called to the Bar as Barrister 1989 and admitted to the Roll of Solicitors of England & Wales in 1992.
Background
Whilst working with law firms in London and Singapore and as in-house Counsel at Lloyd's of London, Siok gained considerable experience in advising on a wide variety of legal and strategic issues relating to international business development and cross border transactions in the Asia Pacific region, particularly China, Hong Kong and Singapore. She handled in a wide range of commercial work, with particular interest in the areas of intellectual property, information technology, e-commerce and internet law.
During her time with Motorola as the Senior Intellectual Property Attorney for EMEA, Siok was involved in advising, structuring, drafting and negotiating technology patent licensing and intellectual property research and development agreements including software/hardware licences, distribution agreements, software evaluation agreements, collaboration, website development agreements, assignments, consortium and consultancy agreements, strategic alliances and mobile technology standard development participation agreements and computer source code and other related escrow deposit agreements.
She also has experience in advising on internet e-commerce start-ups, in particular, advising on intellectual property law on the internet such as privacy, data protection, trade marks and domain names registration, domain name dispute resolution and copyright protection, as well as drafting and negotiating agreements for server system providers and web designers. She has also provided legal advice and support in auditing corporate web pages to ensure legal compliance, establishing compliance procedures and policies, drafting legal terms and conditions of use for corporate websites and drafting online sale and purchase agreements in compliance with the EU Distance Selling Directive for online e-tailers.
In her early years, Siok also spent some time as in-house Solicitor with the Office of Innovation and Research Support of the University of Southampton, where she provided legal advice and support services in relation to the entrepreneurial activities of University staff and student researchers regarding R&D collaborations between business corporations, government departments and the University, providing advice and assistance in securing intellectual property protection, intellectual property acquisition, intellectual property asset management and intellectual property exploitation in terms of drafting and negotiating licensing, assignments, R&D agreements and marketing agreements.
Matthew Westcott - matt.westcott@optimus-patents.com
Patent Engineer
BEng. Electronic Engineering (Southampton)
Background
Matt spent three and a half years working for a UK mobile phone manufacturer, Sendo, managing their intellectual property portfolio. Whilst working for Sendo, Matt was responsible for creating and implementing intellectual property procedures and educating employees about intellectual property. Matt's responsibilities also included discussing ideas with engineers and identifying potentially patentable inventions, advising on which ideas to progress to patent applications, and managing the prosecution of patent applications. Other aspects of Matt's role within Sendo included managing trade mark and design registrations, and advising senior management on intellectual property licensing and infringement matters.
Prior to working for Sendo, Matt spent two years working in private practice for a firm of patent attorneys in Birmingham, and two years working as an integration test engineer for network management operating systems at Marconi.
The Present
Matt is currently working towards his European Patent Attorney qualifications.
René Pihl Jepsen
UK Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Chartered Engineer (MIEE)
Background
René Pihl Jepsen has an M.Sc.E.E. and Ph.D. in telecommunications from the Technical University of Denmark. In addition, he has obtained a Certificate in Intellectual Property Rights (Distinction) from the University of London and is a qualified European Patent Attorney and Chartered Patent Agent (awarded the Strode price).
Prior to entering the patent profession, René gained eight years experience in electronics research and development and participated in the standardisation of the third generation cellular communication system. René has been named as an inventor in seven separate patent applications. Since joining the patent profession in 1997, his activities have included drafting and prosecution of patent applications as well as oral proceedings, opposition and appeal work. In addition, René was responsible for the strategic management of a substantial patent portfolio and the proactive development of this to meet future business requirements.
The Present
Since May 2003, Rene has worked as an independent consultant providing IP services and consultancy, predominantly in the field of telecommunications, software and electronics.
Mandy Hunt - mandy.hunt@optimus-patents.com
Patent Administrator (CIPA 2004)
Background
Mandy Hunt joined Optimus in May 2003 having gained 15 years extensive legal and project management experience in a Solicitors' Practice within their Litigation Department.
Helen Kerr - helen.kerr@optimus-patents.com
Accounts Manager
Helen joined Optimus as their Accounts Manager in April 2007. She is responsible for all credit control for Optimus.