Training & Courses:
IP management

Arnaud Gasnier

Arnaud Gasnier is founder and CEO of Patentopolis BV. With 20 years experience in IP, he has practiced globally in various IP (patents, trademarks) departments and in various leading roles (Patent Attorney, Licensing Associate, Portfolio Manager, Associate General Counsel) for Swatch, Philips, adidas and Dutch contract research organisation TNO. He is a qualified European Patent Attorney. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 Patentopolis and Arnaud won IP Awards for best IP management, attributed by Acquisition International based on a survey among professionals in the industry.

Matthias Reischle

Matthias is Deputy Director of the PCT Legal Division of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Since joining the staff of the PCT Legal Division in 1998, he has participated in the drafting and implementation of various amendments to the Regulations under the PCT and other PCT-related texts such as the Administrative Instructions, various Guidelines, and publications such as the PCT Applicant’s Guide and the PCT Newsletter.

Catherine Van Houten

Catherine has over 30 years’ experience in United States patent prosecution support and administration. She currently holds the position of IP Administrator with Venable LLP, working in the firm’s Washington DC office. A significant portion of Cathy’s career in intellectual property was spent with Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner, LLP, most recently as Manager of Docketing and Intellectual Property Training.

Christina ten Hövel

Christina is a Formalities Expert in the Department of Practice and Procedures at the European Patent Office in The Hague. She joined the Office in 2003 and is involved in the implementation of procedural changes as well as issuing instructions and procedural advice to formalities officers. In addition, she has been a member of the project for the technical implementation of the Unitary Patent for the last five years.

Tim May

Tim is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Finnegan LLP. He has over 20 years’ experience in the field of US patent law, with significant experience counselling clients on software patent matters. Tim currently manages the patent portfolios for several European clients in various software, medical device and electrical and mechanical technologies.

Alan Boyd

Alan Boyd is a partner at D Young & Co. Before he joined the patent law profession, he was a software engineer researcher and research assistant. Alan’s main areas of expertise include computer architectures, embedded systems, digital electronics, telecommunications and networks. He is a member of D Young & Co’s electronics, engineering & IT team, and has a great deal of experience in drafting and prosecuting patents for a range of clients. He is also an examiner for the legal paper in the European Qualifying Exams.

Andy Spurr

Andy Spurr is a patent attorney at Canon Europe, specialising in software related inventions with a particular focus on video encoding and standard essential patents. Before joining Canon, Andy spent 8 years at a private practice IP firm where he worked with numerous software start-ups, advising on how to best leverage their IP to create commercial value.

Stephen Adams

Stephen is Director of Magister Ltd, a patents documentation consultancy and training service. He worked in technical information for over 20 years, latterly for nearly 9 years with Zeneca Agrochemicals (now Syngenta) as their principal patent searcher. He is Director-at-Large for PIUG Inc.

Jane List

Jane List has run her own business, Extract Information Limited, providing consultancy, search services, and training, all with a focus on commercial uses of patent information, since January 2013. Prior to this Jane worked on both sides of the information business – the commercial information provider side, in content development, product management, commercial strategy and training roles, and in industry in technology consultancy, and science focused organisations where she was responsible for IP matters, scientific, technical and market information. She teaches on commercial searching including patent landscaping and state of the art searching and reporting in the UK and The Netherlands. She has a BSc, MRSC in Chemistry; MSc in Information Science and Cert. in Intellectual Property Law. She has published papers and spoken at global conferences on patent information matters, and is an active member of PATMG, PIUG and BPIP, professional patent information user groups. In July 2014 she became co-Editor in Chief of ‘World Patent Information Journal’.

Daniel X Thomas

Daniel X. Thomas is an electronics engineer by training. He started his career in the patent field as search examiner at the former Institut International des Brevets in The Hague in 1971. After incorporation of the IIB into the EPO in 1978, he was search examiner in the EPO’s DG1. He joined the EPO’s DG2 in 1979 as substantive examiner in the field of computers and memories. He became a Director in DG2 in 1989, and subsequently headed directorates in various fields of electronics, physics and mechanics.