AA THORNTON - Key Persons


Adrian Bennett

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Author
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Adrian Bennett is a Partner and UK Chartered & European Patent Attorney within our Engineering, Physics and Mechanical devices patent department. His specialist areas of knowledge include fluid mechanics, oil and gas exploration technology, hand-held power tools, engine design, control systems, aerodynamics and aircraft design. Adrian is currently the Chair of the partnership. Adrian works from central London and near Guildford, Surrey. Author: Adrian Bennett Greetings once again everyone, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to this new series of short articles reporting on the latest challenges and successes in the Space Industry. It is our mission to keep you updated with the latest news, and provide wider background context around the various players… Read more

Alex Bone

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Alex Bone is a UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Engineering, Physics & Mechanical Devices department. Alex handles patent and design matters in the UK, Europe and around the world. Alex's degree in chemical engineering, and interest in engineering in general, allows him to quickly understand a broad range of chemical, mechanical and electromechanical technologies. Alex draws on his years of in-house experience to provide his clients with pragmatic, practical advice allowing them to move projects forward in a cost effective manner with a clear understanding of the IP situation and options. Alex has considerable experience in advising businesses about IP strategy, including managing freedom to operate risks and the harvesting and protection of product developments. Alex directly represents a variety of established multinational clients at the UK and European patent offices, but has always enjoyed advising smaller clients, particularly those at an early stage of a development project where appropriate IP input can really make a difference to the business. Alex trained and qualified in private practice with a focus on automotive technology including exhaust treatment, and engine and chassis components, but also technology like medical devices and paint compositions. Alex then moved in-house with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Ltd to provide IP support for medical delivery device and packaging projects. During his time in-house he was involved in IP due diligence relating to a number of acquisitions and licence deals. Alex then joined AA Thornton and continues to advise clients regarding medical devices, and has also worked extensively in oil and gas drilling and food packaging technologies. Alex works in close proximity to both London and West Sussex regions, but regularly travels across the country and internationally to meet clients.

DABUS Case

Job Titles:
  • UK Supreme Court Affirms Human Inventor Requirement
Capturing the attention of both legal experts and technology enthusiasts alike, the UK Supreme Court handed down its highly anticipated decision in the case of Thaler (Appellant) v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (Respondent) on 20 December. In a unanimous decision, the UK Supreme Court dismissed Dr Thaler's appeal which relates to two inventions… Read more

Daniel Byrne

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Daniel Byrne is a Partner and Barrister with extensive experience in intellectual property disputes and transactions. He has spent many years dealing with complex and technical patent matters and he has experience of multijurisdictional litigation and coordination, particularly across Europe where he spent two years practising in Paris. He has acted for clients across the full range of intellectual property rights at all levels of tribunal and has been a Deputy District Judge in the County Court since 2015. He also sits in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court to hear, primarily, trade mark and copyright claims. He sits on the consulting editorial board for LEXIS-NEXIS IP and contributes to books, journals and academic programmes.

Devyani Patel

Job Titles:
  • Trainee Trade Mark Attorney
  • Trainee Trade Mark Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co
Devyani is assisting with: Advising on infringement and enforcement of intellectual property rights, including supporting work on opposition, revocation and invalidity proceedings at the UK IPO and the EU IPO Assisting with clearing of Trade Mark for use and/or registration Advising in relation to various aspects of trade mark clearance and searching, filing and prosecution of trade mark applications. Legal research and analysis Practice Areas Trade Marks

Dr Craig Turner

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Dr Craig Turner is a Partner and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Chemistry, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical patents department. Craig's key client base are large corporations in the oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry sectors. "Craig is ‘very persuasive in getting examiners to allow patents in difficult cases'"

Dr Marianne Privett

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Lead Partner of Our Internal Diversity & Inclusion
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Dr Marianne Privett is a Partner and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Chemistry, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals patent department. Marianne has experience in a variety of fields including catalysis, materials, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratory equipment and packaging.

Dr. Simon Davies

Job Titles:
  • Consultant
  • Chairman of the Computer Technology Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
  • Consulting Attorney
  • Consulting Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co
Dr. Simon Davies is a consultant and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Electrical, Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patents department. Simon has extensive experience supporting clients across a wide range of computing technologies, including silicon devices and fabrication, network and storage infrastructure, compilers, cloud computing, database systems, image, speech and signal processing, artificial intelligence, and data and voice communications. Simon is chair of the Computer Technology Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and a former member of CIPA Council. He has spoken many times on topics relating to the patentability of computer-implemented inventions.

Fergus Brown

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Solicitor
  • Associate, Solicitor a.a. Thornton & Co
Fergus is a solicitor whose main practice area is IP litigation concerning the full range of intellectual property rights. He advises clients across a broad range of sectors such as electronics, food & beverages and financial services. Practice Areas Litigation across the full IP spectrum

Geoff Hussey

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Geoff Hussey heads the litigation team. Geoff's main practice areas are IP litigation and Commercial IP. His experience as a Partner and Solicitor includes acting for a broad range of clients in many sectors including life sciences, electronics, telecoms, chemicals, aviation, food & beverages and financial services. "Geoff Hussey simplifies everything and makes managing litigation easy for in-house counsel. A strategic, pragmatic and commercially minded lawyer, he knows how to read adversaries and when to apply leverage. Straightforward and easy to work with." "Following the arrival of IP litigator Geoff Hussey, who joined from Bird & Bird LLP, the team is increasingly handling high-stakes contentious patent cases." ‘Not having Geoff Hussey on the other side of a dispute helps me sleep at night.‘

Ian Gill

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Ian Gill is a Partner and a UK Chartered Patent and Trade Mark Attorney in our Trade Mark team who are highly ranked by Legal 500 and a number of IP directories, obtaining particular recognition for the strength of client support and service they provide. Ian's practice covers the full range of IP rights and issues. "Ian Gill is a star, a good businessman, and strategy head. He is always calm, clear, and appropriately guiding."

Isabel Palma García

Job Titles:
  • Practicing Attorney
  • Practicing Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co
Isabel Palma is a Spanish Practising Attorney, with a degree in Law from Madrid Complutense University and is a member of the Spanish Bar Association. Isabel has experience in civil, contentious-administrative and criminal procedures (litigation). She specialises in both real estate and administrative and legal assistance for the protection of intellectual and industry property rights, including registration of trade marks in the EU Intellectual Property Office located in Spain, and in the Spanish courts.

Karen Genuardi

Job Titles:
  • Head of People
Core Responsibilities: Responsible for all areas of HR and People including administration, employee relations, training, recruitment and health and safety.

Leonita Paulraj

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
  • Senior Associate a.a. Thornton & Co
Leonita Paulraj is a UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Chemistry, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals patent department. Leonita has specialist expertise in pharmaceuticals, agro-chemicals and life sciences. "Leonita has a very impressive ability to handle a large number of quite complex European patent applications."

Lloyd Palmer

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
  • Senior Associate a.a. Thornton & Co
Lloyd Palmer is a European Patent Attorney in the Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patents department. Lloyd's client's operate in a range of sectors including oil and gas exploration, as well as IT and communications. Lloyd has experience in patent prosecution and oppositions, with specialist expertise in communications and signal processing and computer-related inventions.

Louise Foster

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
  • Senior Associate a.a. Thornton & Co
Louise Foster is a UK Chartered and European Trade Mark Attorney in our Trade Mark team who are highly ranked by Legal 500 and a number of IP directories, obtaining particular recognition for the strength of client support and service they provide. Louise handles trade marks, copyright and domain name cases in the UK, EU and overseas. Louise's client base operate in sectors such as fashion and food & beverage. "Just to say thank you (Louise Foster) for having Jessica for the last 3 days, it is really appreciated. She really enjoyed her time with you and found the work very interesting."

Lucy O'Brien

Job Titles:
  • Attorney
  • Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co
  • Author
Lucy O'Brien is a UK Chartered Patent Attorney within our Chemistry, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals patent department. Lucy's clients operate in industry sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemistry and oil & gas technologies. Author: Lucy O'Brien WIPO Green launched in 2013 as an online database for users to exchange needs and solutions in the field of green technology, with green technology being defined in by the United Nations as technologies that "protect the environment, are less polluting, use all resources in a more sustainable manner, recycle more… Read more

Lucy Pope

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Lucy Pope is a Partner and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney in our Legal 500 ranked Top Tier IP Team. Her practice includes managing international trade mark portfolios for global brands and her expertise covers contentious matters, dispute resolution, searches, clearance and all aspects of trade mark, design and domain name portfolio management.

Martin Hedges

Job Titles:
  • Consulting Attorney
  • Consulting Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co
Martin Hedges is a UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Engineering, Physics and Mechanical devices patent department. Martin has specialist expertise in vehicle mechanics, including engines and transmission systems and electro-mechanical wireless pressure and torque sensors.

Mike Jennings

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Mike Jennings is a Partner and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patents department. Mike has vast experience and an enviable success rate in patent prosecution, oppositions and appeals, with specialist expertise in physics-related technologies and computer-related inventions. Mike is frequently asked to present to IP associations and UK attorneys on behalf of CIPA on various topics including patenting computer-implemented inventions such as AI and computer simulation. "Mike Jennings is ‘able to solve even the most complex problems with ease'."

Nick South

Job Titles:
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co

Nikesh Patel

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co
Nikesh is a UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in the Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patents department and has been practising in the field of intellectual property law for over 15 years. Nikesh has specialist expertise in computer systems and electronics. Nikesh directly advises UK and overseas clients on patent matters including identification of patentable subject matter. Nikesh has drafted and prosecuted patent applications in a wide variety of technologies, including computer implemented inventions, in which he has considerable experience in advising on the threshold of patentability in the UK and Europe. He also provides strategic advice for SMEs and large multinationals and manages worldwide patent portfolios for his clients.

Pablo Carlos Infante Cabello

Job Titles:
  • Practicing Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co

Peter Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Solicitor
  • Associate, Solicitor a.a. Thornton & Co
  • Author
Peter is an intellectual property litigation lawyer with extensive experience of complex patent litigation matters before the High Court and Court of Appeal. He also advises in relation to copyright and trade mark matters. Practice Areas Patents Author: Peter Lyons Patentees should be aware of the potential consequences of making unjustified threats of infringement proceedings. On 4 August Mr Justice Meade handed down his decision in Shenzhen Carku Technology Co, Ltd v The NOCO Company [2022] EWHC 2034 (Pat). This was a revocation action brought by Carku against NOCO's GB… Read more

Philip Moores - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Finance Director

Rebecca Brenton

Job Titles:
  • Patent Administration Team Leader / Patent Paralegal / Services

Sarah Darby

Job Titles:
  • Partner a.a. Thornton & Co

Sarah Neil

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate a.a. Thornton & Co

Suzanne Power

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate a.a. Thornton & Co

Victoria Jones

Job Titles:
  • Attorney a.a. Thornton & Co

Vince Bixby

Job Titles:
  • IT Systems and Infrastructure Manager