Alison's experience extends to IP commercialisation support for companies, government agencies and higher education establishments in the UK and Internationally. Alison's career started in IP private practice advising local and international clients, primarily in the field of Life Sciences on all types of Registered and Unregistered Intellectual Property Rights, including Patent, Trade Mark, Design and Copyright issues, gaining experience in the preparation and prosecution of UK, European, International (PCT) and foreign patent applications and pre- and post-grant patent issues, including hearings before the European Patent Office in Munich. After leaving IP private practice, Alison worked for a leading innovation consultancy, delivering and managing various projects for companies and government organisations including the European Commission (EC), Scottish Enterprise. Projects included technology brokerage services and inward/outward technology missions and events for the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and others. More recently, Alison was Head of IP Relations for an IP valuation company, involved in the development of online IP profiling, management and valuation tools and development and delivery of the company's services offering. These extended to delivery of IP audits, IP education, IP Strategy assignments, bespoke IP valuations and research for government and other organisations, such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
A large part of Alison’s experience has involved working with and educating SMEs, business advisers and government organisations on IP strategy and how these valuable intangible assets can be identified, managed, better protected, commercialised and valued.
In her IP Strategist's role, Alison will be assisting businesses, academic institutions and other organisations in connection with their IP strategy, helping them understand, evaluate, protect, manage and exploit these valuable intangible assets. Based in Leeds, UK, she is part of the continued expansion of the successful and acclaimed UK IP team, working closely with the 150 plus IP attorneys based in Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP offices in the USA.
Experience
Prior assignments include:
- Delivery of numerous IP audits, IP strategy assignments and bespoke IP valuations for clients of varying size and technology sector, including valuation assignments for government organisations and early-stage university spin-outs. Alison was involved at an early stage of the IP audit offering for UK SMEs (via the EEN, Innovate UK Edge and UK Intellectual Property Office - UKIPO), such that she was invited to train IP professionals from across Europe by the EC on the delivery of IP audits. Such contracts extended to delivery of a series of ‘train the trainer’ events for the EU’s IP SME Fund ('IP Scan') and International Cooperation Project ‘EUGIPP’ for IP professionals and IP examiners across the EU and Georgia
- Development and use of innovative Intangible Asset Profiling and scoring tools (for her previous employer) as a means of providing standardized ways of identifying and valuing intangible assets for various purposes, including informing licensing negotiations, providing business insights and as part of credit-decision making processes for high street banks
- Author on several pieces of research, including: WIPO (Co-author - WIPO Publication and study (pending as of November 2022) entitled 'MEASURES TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS' - a research study of SDG initiatives across international IPOs, involving interviews with IPOs, analysis, commentary and recommendations thereon; and high-profile assignments for the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, including a series of business-friendly IP guides and case studies
- Alison has delivered IP education, IP audits and strategy for various sectors and accelerators, such as the UKIPO's IP masterclass series and the Advanced Propulsion Centre's Technology Developer Accelerator Programme.
