AA Thornton

Adrian Bennett

Adrian is currently the firm’s partnership chairperson with responsibility for working with the other partners to set the long term strategic direction of the firm.A partner within the engineering, physics and mechanical devices patent department since 2007, Adrian Bennett has approaching 20 years' experience in the profession, with a focus in mechanical engineering. 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 has considerable experience in the original drafting of patent applications and their prosecution around the world. He also has considerable experience at leading oral proceedings at the European Patent Office and regularly handles these matters, including proceedings before the Examining Division and particularly proceedings before the Opposition Division and Board of Appeal. Other principal areas of work include advising clients in infringement matters, for example by way of freedom to operate opinions, and instructing counsel as appropriate.Adrian's clients include individual inventors, start-up companies, SMEs and large corporations, in industry sectors such as oil and gas exploration, medicament dispensing devices, automated cow milking machinery, heat exchangers, separator devices, hand-held power tools, and personal hygiene and hair treatment devices, amongst others.Adrian is a member of the firm's systems group, who is responsible for IT hardware and software, including the specialist IP software systems that support the smooth and efficient running of the firm.

Alex Bone

Alex is a partner and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney in theEngineering, Physics & Mechanical Devices department and hasmany years of experience, having entered the profession in the year2000. Alex joined the firm in 2014 following seven years working inhouseat Novartis Pharmaceuticals Ltd where he was responsiblefor IP support relating to medical delivery devices and packagingprojects across the Pharma division. During that time he was alsoinvolved in the IP due diligence relating to a number of acquisitionand licence deals.Alex’s professional experience covers a broad range of technologiesincluding medical devices and associated formulation technology, oil andgas drilling, food packaging, wind and water turbines, waste treatmentand automotive technologies. Alex has considerable experience inadvising businesses about IP strategy, including managing freedom tooperate risks and the protection of product developments.

Craig Turner

Dr Craig Turner is a partner within the chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals patent team and has been in the profession for over 17 years. Craig’s patent practice covers both contentious and non-contentious matters in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Craig’s clients include large corporations in the oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry sectors. Craig heads up the patent team for one of the firm’s biggest clients, an American multinational corporation and one of the world’s largest oil field service companies. Other clients include SMEs, start out companies and academic institutions. Craig is a member of the firm’s finance management group and is involved in the implementation of the financial strategy and plans for the firm.

Daniel Byrne

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 journals and academic programmes.

Geoff Hussey

With over 14 years’ experience, Geoff joined A.A. Thornton & Co. in 2016 as a Partner bringing IP litigation to the firm for the first time. Geoff’s (IP) litigation practice relates to all forms of IP rights and a wide range of industries. He has extensive experience in patent litigation before the UK Patents Court and in patent oppositions, and his experience spans sectors including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals and electronics. His contentious trade mark experience also includes passing off, reverse passing off and disputes involving trade mark licences; and he has experience in relation to disputes concerning contractual arrangements involving IP and copyright, design right and confidential information disputes. Geoff also sits on the marketing management group, which focuses on business development activities for the firm.

Ian Gill

Ian Gill has been a partner since 2001. With over 20 years in the field, Ian specialises in contentious and non-contentious issues relating to trade marks and design. Ian’s technical expertise spans the full spectrum of intellectual property law, including trade marks, registered designs and patents. The bulk of his work relates to trade mark prosecution and enforcement, including related issues such as intellectual property portfolio management and domain name dispute resolution proceedings. Ian’s clients span a diverse range of industries, but his particular focus is in the food and beverage and fashion sectors. Ian also leads the firm’s systems group, who are responsible for IT hardware and software, including the specialist IP software systems that support the smooth and efficient running of the firm.

Marianne Privett

Marianne began her patent career in 2003 at Johnson Matthey. Whilst at Johnson Matthey, Marianne helped draft and prosecute patent applications relating to platinum-based anti-cancerpharmaceutical products, opiate and opioid pharmaceutical products, pharmaceutical compositions and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, and helped to manage global patent portfolios in a range of technical fields.She moved into private practice in 2007 and has subsequently gained further experience in life sciences and biotechnology.Marianne is a partner in our Chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals department. She also sits on the firm's systems group, who is responsible for IT hardware and software, including the specialist IP software systems that support the smooth and efficient running of the firm.

Mike Jennings

Partner Mike Jennings leads AAThornton’s highly rated Electrical Patents group. He specialises in patent protection, patent oppositions and IP strategy advice for a range of technologies including areas of physics, electrical engineering and computer-related inventions.Mike has more than 20 years' experience handling patent drafting and prosecution of European, UK and PCT patent applications in areas such as computer systems, storage and software including computer modelling and simulation, automated controls, electromagnetic and optical sensing technologies for locating hydrocarbons and for detecting gases, and telecommunications. Mike handles a substantial opposition case load and has an enviable success rate in EPO oppositions and appeals thanks to commitment and proactivity.Mike also advises on software patentability and infringement and validity of patents. Mike's clients include multinational corporations and leading companies in the UK and many other countries, including clients in the oil and gas industry, the telecommunications sector, engineering, gas detection, consumer electronics and computing.

Nick South

Nick is a partner in the firm’s Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patents department, where he has nearly 20 years of experienceadvising a wide range of clients in patent matters relating to technologies including electromagnetic sensors, semiconductor technology, electric motors and medical instruments, as well as design registrations and unregistered design rights. Nick has long been involved with the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys as a lecturer on their training course for the profession’s patent administrators. He also writes legal updates on developments in patent law, and has been published in Intellectual Property Magazine.Before joining the firm, Nick followed his Engineering degree by obtaining a post-graduate certificate in Design, Manufacture and Management, visiting over 100 companies and carrying out projects across a range of manufacturing industries, to gain an insight into different manufacturing practices and commercial issues.Nick is a member of the firm's systems group, who is responsible for IT hardware and software, including the specialist IP software systems that support the smooth and efficient running of the firm.

Nikesh Patel

Nikesh is a partner and UK Chartered and European Patent Attorney inthe Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms & IT patentsdepartment and has been practising in the field of intellectualproperty law for over 15 years.He directly advises UK and overseas clients on patent mattersincluding identification of patentable subject matter. Nikesh hasdrafted and prosecuted patent applications in a wide variety oftechnologies, including computer implemented inventions, in whichhe has considerable experience in advising on the threshold ofpatentability in the UK and Europe. He also provides strategic advicefor SMEs and large multinationals and manages worldwide patentportfolios for his clients.Nikesh is a member of the firm's systems group, who is responsible for IT hardware and software, including the specialist IP software systems that support the smooth and efficient running of the firm.

Sarah Darby

Sarah is a partner and UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and European TradeMark and Designs Attorney. Sarah handles trade marks, designsand copyright in the UK, EU and worldwide.Sarah advises on all types of trade mark matters from the inceptionof a brand and checking its availability to obtaining registrations,commercialisation of rights and enforcement of rights in oppositionactions, cancellation actions and litigation.Sarah also deals with domain name registrations, purchases andcomplaints, as well as customs and counterfeit issues. Sarahadvises both domestic and international clients, in industry sectorssuch as food & beverages, luxury goods, agriculture, gaming andsports.

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