Our people

With twenty years of experience in the world of patents, David has worked with a wide range of clients across many traditional engineering disciplines – with a practice focused primarily on his considerable expertise in the Oil & Gas, Construction and Automotive sectors.

David is a specialist in most ‘upstream’ Oil & Gas technologies. He proudly manages a team handling a large portfolio of ‘North Sea’ patent applications for a major oilfield service company, including direct filings at the UKIPO and EPO, as well in Norway and Germany. Not surprisingly, David is a regular visitor to the USA, in particular to Texas.

David has a real passion for working in Japan. He has been visiting Japan twice a year for over ten years, continues his Japanese lessons whenever possible, and is extremely pleased to represent a leading Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company.

David has in-depth expertise in complex automotive technologies, managing a patent portfolio for a leading developer of clutches, dual clutch transmissions and engines for over ten years. An ex-civil engineer, David also represents many clients in the Housing & Construction industries. He also manages a worldwide portfolio of patents, designs and trade marks for a UK-based food services company.

David loves to work closely with his clients, both at management and inventor level. He has considerable expertise in advising senior management on strategic IP issues to benefit business strategy, and is particularly skilled at harvesting valuable invention disclosures from product development teams.

A dynamic communicator, David is a skilled adversary at Opposition Proceedings before the EPO. He also has considerable strength and expertise in patent and design right disputes, both as plaintiff and defendant. As a result, David is often called upon to help businesses design around IP rights in competitor products.

Education & background

David entered the patent profession as an Examiner at the UKIPO in 1998. He moved to private practice in 2000, before joining Withers & Rogers in 2004. David was made a partner in the firm in 2009, and co-founded the Sheffield office shortly after. In March 2023, he was registered as a representative before the new Unified Patent Court, one of the first European patent attorneys to be entered on the list of UPC representatives.

On a personal note...

For a break from work, David loves to visit the coast and has an avid passion for wildlife, particularly birds. He also collects whisky and vinyl, and DJ’s his collection of Jamaican Ska and Northern Soul in the USA, Japan and Europe.