Mr Mrs Miss Ms Dr Other

Mr
David
Akerman

Patent Attorney

Newcastle Office York Office

Engineering

Telephone. +44(0) 191 205 8360
Email. [email protected]

Experience

David’s wide-ranging IP experience includes undertaking patent searching and freedom to operate projects, patent drafting and prosecution, and developing IP strategies to match the commercial priorities of a business.

Before qualifying as a UK and European Patent Attorney, David gained 20 years' IP management experience through in-house roles in textile and consumer-goods companies who were making significant investment in innovation and IP.

David has had significant involvement in contentious IP matters in Europe, USA and Japan, including disputes involving patents, designs, trade dress, breach of confidence and know how. He has also had involvement in IP due diligence in company and asset purchase projects.

After graduating from the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology with an honours degree in Chemistry, David stayed on to undertake a PhD in Textile Chemistry. His research investigated the mechanism of oxidative bleaching of dyed cotton substrates during domestic laundering. The project was funded by industry and led to the publication of a patent application and three academic papers.

Qualifications

Patent Attorney

Chartered (UK)
Europe


BSC

Chemistry

PHD

Textile Chemistry

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE

PG Certificate in Intellectual Property

Publications

HGF client SymPhysis Medical secures €2.2M to develop palliative care solutions

View publication online

Related News

HGF ranked among Europe’s top patent firms in IP STARS Patent Rankings 2025

HGF has once again made a bold mark in the latest Managing IP Stars 2025 firm rankings, with top-tier recognition across multiple jurisdictions for our patent expertise. This year’s results …

Read article

HGF Sets the Gold Standard – Recognised for 7th Year in a Row by Financial Times

We are extremely honoured to announce that HGF has once again been ranked ‘Gold’ across all six bands in the Financial Times Special Report – Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms …

Read article

HGF receives exceptional results in IAM Patent 1000 rankings 2025

We are proud to announce that HGF has once again achieved outstanding recognition in the IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2025. With 29 of our attorneys …

Read article

Innovation in the Energy Industry - Do You Have Freedom to Operate?

The energy transition has brought unprecedented change to the energy sector. Whilst change can bring uncertainty and challenges, it also brings opportunities. Many companies have already seized on the opportunity …

Read article

The Strawberry Patent Battle: Seeds, Speculation, and Jurisdiction

  This case, relating to infringement of a US plant patent, deals with the evidentiary burden required to show infringement of a plant patent in the US, as well as …

Read article
Event - 3rd June 2025

Salzburg Seminar: Patents, trademarks, intellectual property rights – how startups can act strategically

Young companies make many important decisions during the start-up phase. One of the most important questions is: How do I deal strategically with innovations, ideas, and brand development? Those who …

Event details

European Innovation Remains Strong: The EPO Patent Index 2024

The Patent Index 2024, recently published by the European Patent Office (EPO), provides a rich dataset from which key patent trends can be identified. The data shows that demand for …

Read article

A £2.1M Lesson: The Power of Confidential Information

A recent High Court ruling1 serves as a stark reminder of the importance of respecting confidential business information. Hambro Perks, was found guilty of breaching confidentiality and ordered to pay …

Read article

Let's talk

If you would like to discuss how HGF could help you, contact one of our IP specialists.