Research, Risk and Protection

Chris Smith is a policy advisor at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Chris started at the IPO in 2008 as a patent examiner before moving to working in business outreach, education and knowledge exchange. Chris has worked within the education and knowledge exchange team as a policy advisor for 4 years. Chris has developed and maintained the IP for Research online resources and face to face workshops. IP for Research helps researchers understand and make the most out of the intellectual property (IP) they generate. You can find the IP for Research resources here.

Philip Ashworth - I have been a corporate lawyer since 1983 having worked in major practices in Manchester, Leeds and Hull. I have also been in-house counsel at a major northern based property investment and finance company and on the board of numerous public and private companies. I am considered by many clients and colleagues to be both a businessman and a lawyer – thus enabling me to really get under the skin of businesses and understand the real problems facing their owners and managers. I established Philip Ashworth & Co, a niche corporate law firm in York in 1992 and developed that practice until February 2007 when in merged with a major national law firm. I now run the York office of a major shipping and international trade law firm, Andrew Jackson. I advise clients across a wide range of industry sectors and have been involved in significant private company, plc and private equity transactions over the past 20 years.