Thomas GauntPartner

I have an Honours degree in Biomaterials and a Masters degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Birmingham University. I also have a strong background in electronics and processing, having started my career at a firm Patent Attorneys in Japan handling patent applications for the consumer electronics industry. I joined the London office of Ablett & Stebbing in 2003, becoming a partner of that firm in 2010, before joining Lewis Silkin in 2019.

I handle patent portfolios over a broad range of technologies and industries, with an emphasis on electronics and engineering. In addition to my experience of consumer electronics patents from my time in Japan, I also have extensive expertise in handling power systems, medical device, software, and green technology patents. I am also responsible for a number of important patent families used by major players in the fields of telecommunications, green technologies, connectivity, automation and cloud computing services. I am very interested in Patent Licensing and I am an active member of the Licensing Executives Society.

My background in materials engineering means I have a keen interest in all manufacturing and engineering technologies. I have handled patent applications across these sectors, from small medical devices to major engineering projects, including patents for iconic structures and major offshore wind farms. At the start of my career in Japan, I handled various patents related to semiconductor manufacture, and today my practice includes a number of portfolios related to optimizing manufacturing processes.

Over time, my practice continues to evolve with the changing focus of technical innovation. I have handled a number of important telecommunications patents, and more recently focus has shifted to streaming services, cloud computing systems, and more extensive device connectivity. Most significantly, the situation where a company is able to operate solely within a particular technological field is changing. For example, medical device companies are now having to look at electronics to implement monitoring functionality, and the automotive sector is driving innovation in AI and battery systems. In this changing landscape, I particularly enjoy helping businesses use patents to capitalize on their existing expertise to open new markets and collaborate with new partners.