As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal Debbie Williams about developing her career in IP, building client relationships and her family’s passion for Bristol Rovers.
Debbie, described by colleagues as a “superb paralegal” with “a wealth of knowledge and expertise” began her career in 1997, joining Mewburn Ellis straight from college where she had studied business administration.
“I was just 17 when I joined the firm as a patent secretary in the life sciences department, working on filing and prosecuting patent applications,” says Debbie. “It was the first insight I’d ever had into IP and I found I really enjoyed it.”
In 2016, she gained her first formal qualification in patent law, taking the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorney’s certificate in patent administration. Three years later, when Mewburn Ellis introduced a new paralegal role to the firm, Debbie saw it as the obvious next step for her career and applied.
“I was already doing a lot of the work involved in being a paralegal, so it was a great opportunity,” says Debbie. “Since taking on the new role, I have a lot more autonomy and am able to apply the knowledge I have gained of the procedures associated with filing and prosecuting European, international and foreign IP rights. I am now the main point of contact for the clients I work with, managing their patent portfolios and all the client and IPO correspondence that goes with that, freeing up the attorneys to spend time on the technical work. I enjoy building relationships with new clients that come my way”.
Career development
At the end of last year Debbie sat the Certificate of European Patent Administration (EPAC) course. It was the first time the European Patent Office had made it possible to gain certification for European patent law.
“Several of Mewburn’s paralegals took the brand new course. It was challenging and intense but I really enjoyed increasing my knowledge of European law and the patenting process. It was an interesting experience and I learnt so much,” says Debbie. “Gaining qualifications and progressing at the firm has made me really passionate about training new paralegals. Since the firm developed a career path for patent administrators interested in becoming paralegals, I have mentored a new paralegal and am now supporting her through the EPAC. I love being able to pass on my knowledge of patents and the processes involved.”
University wasn’t right for Debbie and she didn’t have any strong ideas about what she wanted to do when she left school. “Sometimes not having a university education can make you feel like you don’t have what it takes to progress in a world where many of the people you work with are highly educated,” says Debbie. “I think it’s really important that Mewburn Ellis now offers a clear career path for its administrators and paralegals and I hope that I have shown that even if you didn’t go to university, you can still develop a strong career and gain new qualifications at any age.”
Managing costs
Debbie works with a wide range of clients, from UK research charities to large biotech companies and overseas patent attorney firms. One of her key achievements in recent years has been to help her clients with better management of the costs relating to their patent portfolios. Her biggest client is a large American corporation for whom she manages the prosecution of a large portfolio of European patent, opposition and appeal cases.
“When they approached us with some specific pricing and billing requirements, I engaged in implementing fixed fee pricing for some of the common tasks we conduct for them,” says Debbie. “In order to manage their costs, I created a budget planner for the individual applicant entities, capturing detail on all of their cases, including outstanding actions and costs. This provided them with a running total of expected costs for the year broken down into our service charges and official fees. I managed this on an ongoing basis, keeping them updated to provide regular status and budget updates during a significant period of transition for them”.
Football fans
Debbie describes herself as loyal, hardworking and good fun. When she’s not at work she spends time at home in Bristol with her husband, two sons, aged 9 and 14, and her two cats.
“I love animals, particularly cats, and when I was growing up I wanted to be a vet,” says Debbie. “I think if I won the lottery I would definitely set up my own cattery!”
Most of Debbie’s spare time is spent on football related activities. “My sons both play for football teams so I’m often found driving them to various matches and cheering them on from the side lines,” she says. “The family are also committed Bristol Rovers fans and we go to watch them at the Memorial Stadium as often as we can.”
