Meet The Russell IP Team

Our Expertise & Background

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Iain Russell

Patent Attorney, Director
BSc, CPA, EPA, FRSA

A UK and European patent attorney with almost 20 years’ experience, specialising in computer-implemented inventions (CIIs) and music technology.

Iain is an inventor on 25+ patents ranging from drones to dishwasher spray arms. He built and sold a patent portfolio of his own drone technology inventions, giving him first-hand experience of the inventor journey, patent portfolio due diligence, patent portfolio development strategy, and patent monetisation.

As an entrepreneurial patent attorney who has set up several small businesses, Iain understands complexities and pressures of running and building a small business. He has also successfully exited one of the companies he co-founded, selling his shares to the other co-founder who continues to run that business. Iain loves to help other inventors build the foundations of their business by helping protecting their technology.

Iain is the author of two books on patents; one on passing the UK patent drafting exam and one on music technology patents. Iain has helped well over 1,000 candidate patent attorneys pass their qualifying exams to become UK and European patent attorneys.

BSc (Hons), Mathematics and Physics, University of Warwick, First Class
- Awarded top marks in each year of degree
Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
Unified Patent Court (UPC) Representative
IP Litigation Certificate

Founded Russell IP after 15+ years’ experience in patents, including several years as a Partner in an international firm of IP attorneys and solicitors
Secondment with in-house legal team of telecommunications company, supporting strategic invention capture and review programme
In-house IP consultant for innovation consultancy
Managed large, international patent portfolios for multiple telecommunications companies
Helped build a patent portfolio for a company that was acquired by one of the world’s largest technology companies
Extensive experience of leading formal and informal examiner interviews, especially before the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the European Patent Office (EPO) and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Inventor on 25+ granted patents, ranging from drones to dishwasher spray arms
Built and sold a drone patent portfolio of his own inventions

Personally recommended in the Legal 500 twice for being “extremely technical” and for having a “thorough understanding of telecommunications”
Telecommunications, including Unified Communications (UC), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), mobile networks, Radio Access Networks (RANs), and Standards Essential Patents (SEPs)
Computer technology, including virtualisation, computer networking, artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML), data security, home automation, image and video processing, and telematics
Music technology, including musical instrument accessories, professional audio equipment, instrument amplification, software for musicians, and HiFi (including wireless smart speakers)

Ben Hoyle

Patent Attorney (Consultant)
M. Eng, MA, CPA, EPA

A UK and European Patent Attorney with almost 20 years’ experience, specialising in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and information technology (IT).

Ben is a seasoned patent attorney and information engineer with a background in software, telecommunications, and machine learning (ML). Ben earned his engineering degree from Cambridge University, where he specialised in information and computer engineering which was complemented by further professional studies in artificial intelligence (AI), web development, and data science.

Throughout his career, Ben has developed and managed intellectual property strategies for large organisations and has overseen significant patent portfolios. The expertise and dedication Ben has shown to his craft has led to multiple successful multi-million pound tax-saving claims though the UK Government’s Patent Box scheme.

Within this work, he has drafted and prosecuted patent applications for big data, robotics and 3D printing, across the UK, Europe and the US.

M. Eng, MA, Engineering, University of Cambridge
- First class result for third year
- Honours with Distinction for M. Eng
Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
Unified Patent Court (UPC) Representative
IP Litigation Certificate

Jeff Sweetman

Patent Attorney (Consultant)
BSc, LLB, CPA, EPA

Jeff joined the patent profession in the mid 1990s, spending his first few years within the mechanical engineering team of a large firm of patent attorneys in Sydney, Australia. Jeff is insatiably curious about how things work and gradually expanded his practice to include electronics, telecommunications, signal processing, semiconductor fabrication, medical devices, software and materials science.

Jeff’s experience includes patent drafting, prosecution, opinion work, and litigation support.

Jeff has worked for large and small patent firms in the UK and Australia, and spent over two years in house as Senior Patent Counsel at a MEMS-based printer research company.

Jeff was also the first paid employee and an executive director at inovia, an online patent administration startup that was eventually bought by RWS in a deal worth around US$30 million.

Jeff has worked as a consultant patent attorney since 2016.

BSc (Electronics), Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
LLB, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
Unified Patent Court (UPC) Representative
IP Litigation Certificate

Consultant patent attorney since 2016, mainly assisting large British companies and patent firms
Extensive experience across the entire patent process, from invention harvesting through to grant, including patentability and infringement opinions
Wide range of in-house and private practice experience, in the UK and Australia
Provided patent litigation support to solicitors across a number of high-profile telecommunications cases in the UK and Germany
Recently completed an 18-month part-time secondment in the IP department of a major automotive manufacturer
First paid employee, Head of Patent Services, and executive board member at startup patent services company inovia, which was eventually acquired by RWS for c. US$30 million

Mechanical technologies of all kinds, including automotive engineering, aeronautical engineering, gas turbines, construction technology, consumer packaging, wind turbines, power tools, and many more
Digital and analogue electronics, including amplification, power conversion, and signal processing (including filtering and compression of audio, video, and images)
Telecommunications, including technologies from GSM to 5G, and Standards Essential Patents (SEPs)

Simon Davies

Patent Attorney (Consultant)
BSc, LLB, CPA, EPA

An experienced Patent Attorney, Dr Simon Davies’ IP career started in-house at IBM before joining a private practice where he was a Partner for many years. He has a physics degree from Oxford University, a PhD in High Energy Astronomy from the University of Southampton, and a postgraduate certificate in IP Law from Queen Mary and Westfield University.

Throughout his career, Simon has drafted and prosecuted patent applications for high technology inventions, and has worked with start-ups, multinationals, and global technology companies.

Simon is Chair of the Computer Technology Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and is a member of CIPA’s AI Committee.

BA Physics (Oxford)
PhD Astronomy (Southampton University), including processing radio, optical, X-ray and gamma ray signals in time and image domains
Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
IP Litigation Certificate

12 years’ in-house experience, from Trainee Patent Attorney to Deputy Manager of department. Most areas of computing, hardware and software covered
17 years’ experience in private practice (mostly as a Partner). Most areas of computing, consumer electronics and data processing covered for a wide range of clients
7 years’ patent consultancy experience. Particular focus on medical devices and imaging, quantum computing, and telecoms

Wide range of experience in computing and electronics, including for a major consumer electronics firm. Worked on imaging devices, data communications and networks, video games, data compression, optical storage devices, video and data conferencing, satellite navigation, medical imaging including virtual reality, memristors, smart cards, virtual machines, artificial intelligence (primarily at application level).

Ben Charig

Patent Operations, Research and Business Support (Consultant)
BSc, CPA, EPA

A UK and European patent attorney with over 10 years’ experience, providing patent operations, research and business support.

Ben is a Maths and Physics graduate. As part of his degree, he spent a year studying abroad at a German university. Ben then trained as a UK and European Patent Attorney, gaining experience working in several private-practice firms of varying sizes.

After qualifying as a European Patent Attorney, Ben spent 3 years working in house for a FTSE-listed technology and retail company. There he focussed on providing IP support to his technical colleagues, and on drafting and prosecuting patent applications directed to automated storage and retrieval system robotics and associated infrastructure. He also helped manage growing portfolios of registered designs and trade marks, and worked with the Legal Operations team to implement a new e-billing and matter management tool.

Ben has 3 years’ experience providing patent operations, research, formalities, billing, copywriting and other business support services. Ben enjoys designing processes and workflows to help make businesses run smoothly.

BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Physics, University of York, First Class
- Top-performing 2nd year student – awarded Ede & Ravenscroft Prize for “[combining] academic excellence with an outstanding contribution to departmental or University life”
Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
European Patent Attorney
IP Litigation Certificate

10+ years’ experience in patents, including time spent working in house as well as in small and large firms of patent and trade mark attorneys and a global law firm
3+ years’ experience in strategy and planning roles, in the fields of telecommunications and higher education
10+ years’ volunteering experience, including as treasurer for a charity providing low-cost IT support and training, and as treasurer and then committee leader for the trainee patent attorneys committee of CIPA