Mr Mrs Miss Ms Dr Other

Mr
Chris
Vaughan

Senior Partner

Leeds Office

Engineering

Telephone. +44(0) 113 233 0100
Mobile. +44(0) 779 875 7925
Email. [email protected]
UPC Representative
Our team of specialist European patent litigators, oppositions specialists and patent attorneys bring together an extensive depth of legal and technical knowledge and are qualified to represent you in the UPC.

Experience

Much of Chris’ practice involves working closely with SMEs, often born out of promising academic research by major UK universities, helping them to develop effective intellectual property strategies and secure multi-million pound investments. He also works with in-house patent attorneys and senior executives at major multinationals, and has expertise in worldwide patent prosecution.

Chris has particular experience in relation to fuel cell technologies, mobile phone antennas, metal coatings, oil and gas exploration, medical devices, civil engineering, electronic article surveillance and endoscopy.

After taking his first degree in natural sciences and a postgraduate diploma in computer science at Christ’s College Cambridge, Chris entered the profession directly in 1991, training with a large private practice firm in London. He qualified in 1995, and joined HGF as a partner in 1999.

Chris is fluent in German, and is experienced in acting before the Opposition and Appeal Divisions of the European Patent Office in Munich.

Chris heads the Engineering team in HGF's Leeds office, and serves as Chair of HGF's Conflicts Committee.

Qualifications

Patent Attorney

Chartered (UK)
Europe


MA

Natural Sciences (Cantab)

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE

Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science (Cantab)

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE

Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property Law (London)

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE

Intellectual Property Litigation Certificate

Recognition

"Best for SME IP Strategy - UK", Acquisition International Awards 2015

"UK – Niche Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year (Academic Spin-Off)", ACQ5 Global Awards 2019

"UK – SME Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year", ACQ5 Global Awards 2020

CSR

Chris regularly leads tutorials, both in-house and externally, for trainee patent attorneys preparing for UK and European qualifying examinations.

Related News

New Blog Series: IP Ingredients, Part 1: Can you patent a recipe?

A patent is a legal right that enables the patent holder to prevent others from making and using their invention in the country where the patent is granted.  To many …

Read article

UPC and Forum Shopping – Rule 17.3

Order of the classifications listed on the front of a patent and why it matters? On 1 June 2023, ASTELLAS INSTITUTE FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE lodged a statement of revocation of …

Read article
Event - 16th November 2023

Webinar in cooperation with the BVIZ: Licensing and Technology Transfer

HGF is pleased to invite you to our upcoming German-language webinar in cooperation with the BVIZ on “In- and Out-licensing of Technologies” on 16th of November 2023. The webinar will …

Event details

Investing in Patents for Space Tech: Safeguarding Innovations in the Space Sector

The advent of commercial launch capabilities has opened up space as a unique frontier for innovation. However, in space, any acts of patent infringement almost always go unseen. Thus, it’s …

Read article

End of EPO "10 day rule" from 1 November 2023 – 4 weeks to go

Any communications sent from the EPO on or after 1 November 2023 will no longer have the “ten day rule” applied to them.   This means that communications are deemed to …

Read article
Event - 21st, 28th November 2023

Dresden & Salzburg Seminar: Licensing and Technology Transfer

HGF is pleased to invite you to our upcoming German-language seminar on “In- and Out-licensing of Technologies” in Salzburg and Dresden. The seminar will offer you the opportunity to gain …

Event details
Event - 26th September 2023

Bioforward OBN Conference 2023

Bioforward, OBN’s ‘Roadmap for Growth’ Life Sciences event is set to take place at The King’s Centre in Oxford on Tuesday 26th September 2023. This event is designed to provide the support, skills, know-how …

Event details

AI-Powered Personalised Medicine

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare has ushered in a new era of personalised medicine, promising more effective and tailored treatments for patients. Traditional medical approaches often adopt …

Read article

Let's talk

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