Meet the team

experience

Our team is made up of experienced professionals in the intellectual property field including patent & trade mark attorneys, IP lawyers, IP managers and accountants.

Dr Derek Palmer: Managing Director 

Derek, the founder of ProspectIP, is a proven IP and innovation practitioner with a strong entrepreneurial background and a passion for technology commercialisation. He has over 18 years experience in technology commercialisation and has had first hand experience in starting, securing equity finance, developing and commercialising IP rich businesses. He has co-founded two IP rich technology businesses, a number of other non technology based businesses and has a clear understanding of how IP should be managed and how it adds value to a company.

  • Extensive experience in the commercial exploitation of all types of intellectual property assets and rights
  • Co-founder of two venture capital backed start-up companies based on his research
  • Involved in the commercialisation of a number of innovations in the UK and North America
  • Significant experience in commercial and technical project management and in raising funds from both Private and Public sectors
  • Non-executive Director of a number of technology companies

 

Peter McLeod: Services Director

Peter, a founding member of ProspectIP, is an experienced innovation and IP practitioner with a broad range of technology development and engineering expertise. He is an expert in the delivery of IP and innovation services to clients from a wide range of industry sectors and has extensive experience in the management of projects on behalf of commercial and public sector clients.

  • Development of IP and innovation products used in the delivery of consultancy services to clients to maximise new product and new service opportunities
  • Delivered innovation support to businesses, universities and public sector organisations
  • Extensive project and contract management expertise, and has managed multi million pound contracts
  • Experienced in the evaluation and development of emerging technologies

 

Dr Martin French: Director of Innovation

Martin is an entrepreneurial leader with broad experience of developing and managing programmes and teams addressing technology innovation, product development and commercialisation. He has wide ranging experience of building relationships at Board or equivalent level in private and public sector organisations and is familiar with public sector and equity financing of technology and businesses.

  • Significant experience of building partnerships and developing business with senior decision makers in business, government, the public sector and universities
  • Developed and implemented science and innovation based strategies and delivery plans in private and public sector organisations
  • Experienced people manager and programme leader, involving both in house and third party teams, with budget responsibility in excess of £20m per annum
  • Co-founder of an IP based company and is familiar with VC funding processes and grant schemes at regional, national and EU levels

 

Donal O'Connell: Non-Executive Director

Donal is an experienced senior R&D, innovation and intellectual property manager with extensive experience in the delivery of services to clients across a broad range of industries and technologies. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Imperial College, London teaching 'IP management', 'open innovation' and 'services innovation and IP'. Donal is a member of the Executive Board of the Eco Patent Commons initiative and author of "Inside the Patent Factory" (2008) and "Harvesting External Innovation" (2011)

  • Founder and Managing Director of Chawton Innovation Services, offering consultancy in the areas of innovation and intellectual property management
  • Former Director of Intellectual Property Rights at Nokia
  • Extensive consultancy and coaching experience at all levels
  • Expertise in the provision of IP process development, including corporate IP department auditing, IP benchmarking, IP strategy development and implementation
  • Delivered MBA lectures and provides basic and advanced IP management training

 

Nick Kirkham: Non-Executive Director 

Nick is a patent and trade mark attorney with 17 years experience and a partner of Graham Watt & Co LLP.

  • Extensive experience working with UK and US universities and biotechnology companies 
  • Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents (CIPA) Education Committee, including giving lectures
  • Member of the Press and PR Committee of CIPA which promotes public awareness of the profession
  • Member of FICPI, ECTA and INTA
  • Graduated with an Honours Degree in Chemistry from the University of Durham in 1989

 

Scott Farnsworth: Associate

Scott is a practising barrister regulated by the Bar Standards Board and partner in Howes Percival Solicitors. Scott was called to the Bar in 1991 and practised as a barrister in Nottingham before moving to London, where he worked in the City with the law firms McKenna & Co and Baker & McKenzie.

  • Specialised in intellectual property law for over 19 years and has practised life sciences law for over 12 years
  • Managed complex intellectual property disputes brought before the UK & European courts
  • Advised upon and negotiated multi-million dollar joint ventures, collaborations and transfers involving engineering technologies, pharmaceuticals and biologics across Europe and South-East Asia
  • Registered by The Bar Council to provide direct public access work and the author of articles and papers on Intellectual Property law and life sciences practises

 

Nigel Lambert: Associate 

Nigel has gained extensive experience working within companies from high technology start-ups through to global organisations (Philips Electronics and Sharp) in a 15 year career devoted to the innovation process and the realisation of new technologies, predominantly in the production engineering, consumer electronics, medical, biotechnology, diagnostics, ICT and clean tech sectors.

  • Clients have included AstraZeneca, AB, BD, Biocompatibles, Boston Scientific, Coloplast, Depuy, GE Healthcare, GSK, Gyrus, Huntleigh Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Sorin Smith & Nephew, Department of Health and BIS
  • Innovation advisor to a number of European Universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, University College London, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin and IRCCS Foundation Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
  • Innovation Consultant to the Department of Health and NHS National Innovation Centre and The Design Council 
  • An expert in the acquisition of public funding R&D and innovation and has raised over £100 million in public funding for academic and high technology companies
  • An expert reviewer of grant funding applications for government agencies in the UK (TSB, SBRI, Regional Development Agencies) and the European Commission (FP7)
  • Masters degree from Warwick University

 

Find out more

To find out more about ProspectIP please view our services or alternatively feel free to contact us.