On 20 November 2024 Nigel Swycher (St Chad’s/Law,1981-84) and Richard Kempner (Aidan’s/Law, 1981-84) returned to Durham Law School 40 years after they graduated to speak to law undergraduates and post graduates on the many paths to a successful IP career.
29 November 2024This was an inspirational session from two lawyers who have reached the pinnacle of the IP profession. Richard shared a journey from Linklaters to Addleshaws in Leeds to founding (and later merging) his own firm specialising in intellectual property (now Haseltine Lake Kempner). Nigel’s journey started at Slaughter and May and ended with establishing a patent analytics company (Cipher) which he subsequently sold to LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions. Mike Adcock led a Q&A session with active participation from the attendees.
The guest lecture, held in Durham Law School, is part of a series of initiatives to encourage greater involvement from Durham Law School Alumni. Nigel is a founding member of the Law School Alumni Association. Nigel said:
“Coming back to lecture to Durham students was an honour. My time in Durham introduced me to IP, by one of the great IP academics of the time (Dr Jeremy Phillips). I also have Durham to thank for lining up a vacation scheme with Slaughter and May which shaped my professional career. There have been some big changes since the 1980s, not least the new home for the Law Faculty at the Palatine Centre but the same commitment to excellence is palpable”.
Richard outlined the pathways from the study of IP law to qualification, specialisation and then building a successful career in private practice with some career highlights including representing Tesco in the landmark decision in the Court of Appeal upholding Lidl’s claim for trade mark infringement and passing off against the Tesco Clubcard. The audience were enthralled by stories of copyright and superyachts, patents and BASF chemicals not to mention how the Royal Mint has bought in technology to convert IT waste into gold. Richard said:
“I loved the opportunity to share my knowledge and insights with students to help them to think about the right questions and how to answer them so that if an IP career is something they are interested in, they will make more informed and better choices as to how to achieve their goal . It was a fantastic way for me to “give back” to the University that helped me have the career I have had.”
The audience asked probing questions around the threats and opportunities of AI (artificial intelligence) for the legal profession, the differences between the roles of an IP barrister and solicitors (in numbers terms the IP bar is very small) and the need for science backgrounds (yes for patent attorneys, not necessary for IP solicitors). Dr Mike Adcock, Assistant Professor in Intellectual Property at Durham Law School, who moderated the questions, said:
“The Law School is delighted to welcome Richard and Nigel back to the Law School and to hear the insights from two very distinguished practitioners in the field of IP law about their career paths and the opportunities in IP law”.
Richard and Nigel were also welcomed back to St Chad’s and St Aidan’s by the respective Principals for a nostalgic tour of the Colleges and the opportunity to hear about the many changes and initiatives that contribute to College life.
With thanks to Margaret Masson, Principal of St Chad’s, Susan Frenk, Principal St Aidan’s and to Dr Claire Molloy, Jessica Smith and Emmanuelle Chambon from the University Development Office for organising the visit.
Notes:
More about Nigel Swycher here
More about Richard Kempner here.
More about Dr Mike Adcock here here
More about the Durham Law School Alumni Association here
Visit our gallery to see some photos celebrating the occasion
