Steve has worked in both private practice and in industrial patent departments. Prior to founding Gilholm Harrison, Steve was European Patent Counsel with the Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy. This provided Steve with an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector and also considerable experience in licensing.

Steve started his career as a research chemist at Fisons Pharmaceuticals, subsequently joining the IP department where he qualified as a Chartered and European Patent Attorney in 1990.

Steve joined Smith & Nephew where he prosecuted patents and trade marks in a variety of disciplines including polymer chemistry, tissue repair, wounds care, casting and bandaging, orthopaedics, surgical gloves, feminine hygiene and pharmaceuticals.

For six years Steve was a partner with Harrison Goddard Foote where his practice areas included chemical, pharmaceutical and medical and mechanical devices. He also managed a large trade mark portfolio.

He is experienced in both Opposition and Appeal procedure before the European Patent Office, UK Trade Mark Registry and OHIM.

Steve is currently editor of the European case law book, Source Finder.

Michael's practice is currently in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical and mechanical patents and also in trade marks and registered designs. He is active on the Council of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and was its president in 2005/06.

Michael's early training was carried out at the private practice firms of Boult Wade & Tennant (1970 to 1972) and Stanley Popplewell Francis & Ross (1972 to1973). He joined Urquhart-Dykes and Lord in 1973 as a qualified patent attorney and later became a full partner of the firm, having considerable involvement with the firm's management and record systems. His professional activities covered a wide subject matter range and he also had a large trade mark and registered design practice.

Michael joined the law firm DLA in 1990 to set up a new patent agency department. Over a five year period he established and managed a department covering three offices in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. His practice included patents, trade marks and registered design work.

In 1995 Michael founded, with others, the practice of Harrison Goddard Foote and helped it grow to become one of the larger patent attorney firms in the country.

In 2006 Steve Gilholm and Michael Harrison founded the new firm Gilholm Harrison Limited.

Rob is a European Patent Attorney specialising in all aspects of biotechnology patent prosecution. Rob handles patent matters on behalf of Universities, University spin-out companies and pharmaceutical companies. Before joining the patent profession Rob was a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Texas, South Western Medical School in Dallas, University of Oxford and University of Manchester primarily studying the regulation of gene expression.

Rob's practice relates to a diverse range of subjects. He has particular experience in technical areas such as transgenic plants and animals, embryonic and adult stem cells, cancer therapy and diagnostics, protein pharmaceuticals, angiogenesis, immunology, vaccine development and antibody therapy.

He provides patentability and infringement opinions and has experience of Opposition and Oral Proceedings at the European Patent Office.

Michelle is a Chartered and European Patent Attorney. She holds a BSc in Biochemistry and chemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biology.

Michelle's practice centres primarily on biotechnology and chemistry, including pharmaceutical chemistry. Her specialist technical subjects include immunology, cancer therapy, diagnostics, organic synthesis and plant molecular biology.

Michelle is involved in all aspects of patent work from the preparation and prosecution of applications in the UK, Europe and overseas to defending granted patents in Opposition and Appeal procedures at the European Patent Office. She provides advice on building patent strategies and on third party patents. Michelle has managed patent term extension filing programs, both in Europe and the US, in the pharmaceutical area.

Her clients include universities, UK companies, overseas attorneys and a number of International pharmaceutical companies. Many of her clients are start-up companies.

John is a Chartered and European Patent Attorney and also a European Trade Mark Attorney. John holds a degree in Physics and a PhD in Solid State Physics and is currently studying for a further degree in Information Technology and Computing. Before joining the profession John was a post-doctoral research fellow in Solid State Physics at the Centre For Atomic Energy, Grenoble, France.

John's practice is split between patent and trade mark matters. On the patent side John's practice relates to electronic and optoelectronic devices, signal processing, semiconductor processing and devices, computer software and a wide range of mechanical and medical devices. On the trade marks side John has handled large trade mark portfolios for clients in a number of sectors including food and drink, clothing, chemicals and paints.

John is experienced in both opposition and appeals before the European Patent Office; he has also been involved in patent litigation before the UK High Court and Court of Appeal and the US Supreme Court.

Simon is a Chartered Patent Attorney with a degree in physics and electronics and a masters degree in magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy.

He began his career working in the patent department of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) and subsequently moved into private practice where he was a director of a firm of patent attorneys in Scotland.

He specializes in direct client work and has advised a wide range of clients including plcs, Universities and SMEs.

Simon deals with patent applications in a wide range of technologies and has particular expertise in computer software for financial services, banking, point of sale and internet security, mechanical engineering, medical devices, renewable energy including wind and wave power generation, offshore engineering including pipe laying technologies and electronics.

Simon joined Gilholm Harrison in September 2007 and works out of the Edinburgh office.

Heather is a Chartered Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney and she has worked in both private practice and in industrial patent departments. Heather holds a degree in Maths and Physics.

Heather started her career as a patent attorney with the Ministry of Defence in 1990. On qualifying she moved to work at Black & Decker, where she was responsible for patent drafting and prosecution and freedom to operate opinions in mainly electro-mechanical subject matter and gained knowledge in patent licensing and patent litigation.

Since then Heather has worked in private practice, in the patents field. Heather has experience with patent applications in a wide range of technologies and has particular expertise in telecommunication networks, electo-optics, mechanical and electro-mechanical devices and software related inventions.

Heather joined Gilholm Harrison in November 2007 and works in the Manchester area.

Natalie began her career as a trade mark attorney at Zeneca Limited in 1996, and was responsible for a portfolio of marks in the specialties and agrochemical businesses as well as the pharmaceutical business. Following the merger with Astra in 2000, she became a trade mark advisor at AstraZeneca with responsibility for the oncology and infection therapy area portfolios. During this time Natalie dealt with all aspects of domestic and international trade mark portfolio management, from creation, clearance and registration to enforcement, licensing and assignment, and post-patent expiry exploitation.

In 2001 she move into private practice, where she expanded her knowledge to many other product areas, including healthcare products, clothing, food and drink, household and building products. Natalie has been involved with several major divestment/acquisition projects for various clients.

Natalie joined Gilholm Harrison in February 2007. She is experienced in opposition and appeal procedures at the UK Trade Marks Registry and OHIM.

Anne is a European and Registered Trade Mark Attorney with an EC and business law degree and a Masters degree in intellectual property law.

Anne started her career as a trainee solicitor in a law firm specialising in intellectual property in Paris in 1999 where she gained experience in litigation involving trade marks and other intellectual property rights, including patents and copyright. She later moved to the UK and obtained a postgraduate certificate in intellectual property law from the University of Manchester. In 2002 Anne joined another firm of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys where she handled large trade mark portfolios for clients in sectors such as healthcare products, clothing and footwear, food and drinks, and assisted some of these clients with large divestment projects.

Anne advises on all aspects of trade mark law, from administrative procedure for trade mark clearance, registration, opposition and appeal procedures with the UK and OHIM Offices, to transfer and enforcement of trade mark rights. She also handles domain name disputes.

Deborah is a consultant on technology transfer who has accrued a broad range of experience in the life sciences since entering the technology transfer profession in 1993. She has extensive experience in negotiating, drafting and closing licenses and collaborative agreements with both spin outs and small and large Pharma and Biotech companies.

Deborah also has expertise in managing worldwide patent portfolios, developing patent strategies and carrying out due diligence prior to fund raising.

Previously Deborah was an Associate Director at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research where, in addition to managing a large and varied patent portfolio and negotiating many licenses and collaborative agreements, she was responsible for setting up the Institutes first two spin out companies PIramed and Lymphatix.

Deborah has first class degree and a PhD in Pharmacology from Kings College London. She also studied part time for an MSc in Management of Intellectual Property at Queen Mary Westfield College which she passed with distinction.

Philippa has a very strong administrative background and experience of working for a variety of organisations including local government, the financial sector and industry. She has many years specialised IP experience gained in the in-house department of an international healthcare company.

She is a qualified Trade Mark Attorney.

Tony is a consultant to Gilholm Harrison. He is heavily involved in the practice development of the firm. He works with clients and prospective clients of all size, and particularly enjoys helping smaller clients and start-ups who often find it difficult to get started with intellectual property rights.

Tony has many years background in sales and sales management. He has extensive experience in practice development for patent and trade mark attorneys having been brought in to develop this role at Harrison Goddard Foote in the years 2000 to 2006.

His experience in dealing with individuals, start-ups, SMEs, large firms and institutions is substantial. In his active marketing practice he has developed sound working relationships with many helping agencies, including West Yorkshire Ventures and Business Link, and is able to put together inventors and agencies where this is relevant and helpful.