Leeds-headquartered intellectual property (IP) law firm UDL has further enhanced its software specialism as two new hires join its youthful and fast-growing team. Newly qualified UK patent attorney Dr Clare Collins and patent assistant Arthur Roberts are set to work with UDL’s industry-leading clients including Amazon, CyberCube, nChain, Sony Interactive Entertainment, NTT and ZTE.

Dr Clare Collins, while newly qualified, already possesses excellent experience of drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to electronic devices, medical devices, computer-implemented inventions, mathematics and gaming. With a physics background and PhD in engineering from University of Cambridge, Clare brings broad spectrum of experience to UDL’s software team.

With a background in electrical and electronic engineering, Arthur Roberts joins UDL as a New Zealand-qualified Patent Attorney, specialising in blockchain, cybersecurity, gaming and immersive technologies. Having worked in-house at a technology transfer business and in private practice in New Zealand, Arthur truly understands the nuances of technology development from a business perspective, especially for start-ups. He brings this unique hands-on expertise in commercialising software to the team at UDL.

Karen Fraser, partner and head of the software team, says: ”I’m delighted that Clare and Arthur have joined our young and dynamic team of software patent experts. They are already producing work of exceptional quality and impressing clients with their drafting skills, adding real value to my team. Clare and Arthur have dived straight into their work on cutting-edge technologies within the blockchain, gaming and cybersecurity spaces with ease. It’s great to be working with such brilliant, personable and fun team members.”

Clare and Arthur will play a key role in supporting UDL’s industry-leading expertise in blockchain technologies. UDL’s software team has drafted and prosecuted a vast number of patent applications directed to inventions that exploit the software and mathematics underlying blockchain technology and cryptographic techniques. UDL is regarded as one of the top firms in Europe when it comes to patenting technologies relating to cryptography, mathematics and blockchain.