Experience
Vanessa has nearly 30 years' experience in the patent field. She has a talent for building long-term trusted relationships with clients having IP portfolios at all stages of development, from start-up companies to global corporations with complex interrelated patent cases, always providing commercially focussed and proactive advice.
Vanessa enjoys working as closely with clients as an in-house advisor would, enabling her to create, implement and pursue tailored patent strategies that are aligned with the particular client’s commercial and strategic plans.
Vanessa leads HGF's medical devices team and has substantial experience of drafting and prosecuting patents with medtech and healthcare subject matter. She has particular knowledge of drug delivery devices including autoinjectors and syringes, from several years working with a global pharmaceutical company. Vanessa also has extensive experience of spinal and other orthopaedic instruments and all aspects of dental, knee and hip implants. Other areas of experience include fracture fixators, ventilators, EEG systems, ophthalmic technology, cardiovascular stents and catheters.
In addition to medical devices, her other areas of expertise include advanced manufacturing, food technology and energy technology including gas, water and electricity infrastructure.
With a keen interest in improving diversity and inclusion, Vanessa has been active in the UK profession-wide IP Inclusive initiative since its inception, leading its North of England network and was appointed to the IP Inclusive Advisory Board in 2021. Vanessa was elected to the Board of HGF in August 2020 and is HGF’s Board Sponsor for DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
Qualifications
Patent Attorney
Chartered (UK)
Europe
BENG
Electronic Engineering
POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA OR CERTIFICATE
Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property Law (University of London)
Recognition
World IP Review - Influential Women in IP 2021
Named and interviewed in #WIPRDiversity21 as one of @WorldIPReview's Influential Women in IP in 2021.
Vanessa Stainthorpe has more than 25 years of experience as a patent attorney and has been a board member for HGF since August 2020. She specialises in patent filing, prosecution and strategic IP advice in the mechanical engineering field with a particular specialism in medical technology.
She leads HGF’s medical devices team and this year, she spoke at HGF’s annual IP in Healthcare conference and at its Child Health Technology event. She is heavily involved in IP Inclusive, which aims to improve D&I in IP, ensuring that HGF was one of the early signatories to the organisation’s charter.
She set up and led the IP Inclusive North of England network, providing support to professionals across the region. She organised and hosted an “Allies” event to support D&I in June 2020 and presented follow up Q&A videos.
View recognition online
World IP Review - 2022 Leaders
Profiled as one of @WorldIPReview's Patent Leaders 2022
Vanessa Stainthorpe has over 25 years’ experience in the patent field. She has a talent for building long-term relationships with clients having IP portfolios at all stages of development, from start-up companies to global corporations with complex interrelated patent cases.
View recognition online
IAM Patent 1000 2022 - Recommended Individual
As one of the fastest-growing patent prosecution practices in Europe and one of the most oft seen in proceedings before the EPO, HGF is a solid choice for those who want a strategy that will protect their rights continent- and world-wide. Heading up the engineering group, meanwhile, is Lucy Johnson, while Vanessa Stainthorpe is head of medical devices – Johnson has been managing patent portfolios for 20 years both in private practice and in-house, and Stainthorpe nurtures medtech companies from start-up to multinational corporation.
View recognition online
World IP Review Diversity Champion 2022
With more than 25 years of experience in the patent field, Vanessa Stainthorpe currently serves as partner and head of HGF’s medical devices team. In August 2020, Stainthorpe was elected to HGF’s board and now serves as a board sponsor for D&I. Stainthorpe leads the firm’s D&I focus group and has been a member of IP Inclusive since its inception.
She leads IP Inclusive’s North of England network and was appointed to the initiative’s advisory board in 2021.
View recognition online
Publications
Conferences: 2023
January 17th 2023
CIPA Webinar: Enhancing Diversity in the Patent Profession How Can I Help
Speaker
Event details
Conferences: 2022
May 11th 2022
Child Health Technology 2022
Attended
Event details
March 16th 2022
Medical Technology UK 2022 - Women in MedTech Forum
Attended
Event details
Conferences: 2021
June 24th 2021
WSGR Medical Device Conference 2021
Attended
Event details
May 26th 2021
Hybrid Health - Houston Methodist and the Texas Medical Center (TMC)
Attended
Event details
April 26th 2021
Sheffield Hallam University - AWRC Wellbeing Accelerator
Speaker
Event details
March 2nd 2021
Child Health Technology Conference 2021
Speaker
Event details
January 14th 2021
HGF IP in Healthcare Virtual Conference 2021
Speaker
Event details
Conferences: 2020
March 3rd 2020
IP in Healthcare Conference 2020
Speaker
Event details
January 27th 2020
Arab Health 2020 - Dubai
Attended
Event details
Conferences: 2019
January 28th 2019
Arab Health 2019 - Dubai
Attended
Event details
CSR
Vanessa is a mentor for the AWRC Wellbeing Accelerator and is also a mentor for the P4 Precision Medicine Accelerator.
Vanessa is HGF’s Board Sponsor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is responsible for HGF’s involvement in IP Inclusive, which is a network of intellectual property professionals working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in our community. Vanessa is on the Advisory Board of IP Inclusive Management, is the lead for IP Inclusive’s North of England network and was one of the first signatories to the IP Inclusive Senior Leaders’ Pledge. Vanessa is a trained Mental Health First Aider.
Energy 
Food & drink 
Healthcare 
Medical devices 
