Reflections & future-gazing on World Automobile Day
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Paul Loustalan
Partner
Paul Loustalan handles patents in the advanced engineering, automotive, materials and consumer products fields.
Paul joined Reddie & Grose in 2011, having qualified as a UK and European Patent Attorney in 2009. Paul is a mechanical engineer whose PhD focussed on fuel injectors for direct injection spark ignition engines, and was carried out under the sponsorship of two large automotive manufacturers. His specialities include developments in the fields of automotive research, power and control systems.
In the office, Paul’s practice includes drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications relating to the automotive field including electric vehicles and associated technologies such as cooling, battery mounts, control and autonomous driving systems. In addition, he has substantial experience relating to underwater vehicles and associated tooling, systems and sensors for the oil & gas industry, manufacturing processes, medical apparatus, as well as software, consumer electronics and even toys.
Paul has a great understanding of how to develop intellectual property portfolios for individual inventors, multinational manufacturers, and SMEs in between. He advises on the most appropriate form, scope, and combination of protection for the project at hand – whether that be patents, designs, copyright, or trade secrets – in order to build a robust and commercially appropriate IP portfolio.
Along with the high-level portfolio development, Paul has in-depth experience of drafting and prosecuting patent applications for international prosecution in the UK, Europe, and worldwide, as well as advising on complex issues of ownership and assignment. He also advises on commercial issues, such as due diligence and Infringement Risk Analysis (Freedom to Operate), considering the validity and potential infringement risk of third party patent rights to provide his clients with visibility on the risks involved in any new project.
Paul equally has a great record at Opposition oral proceedings before the EPO, helping his clients to reduce the risk and barriers to entry for their new products entering the market. That European Patent Opposition experience also includes working within teams handling multi-jurisdictional litigation, where the outcome of the Opposition proceedings can be critical for obtaining positive decisions elsewhere. In those cases, strategic thinking, carefully thought through lines of argument, and in some cases the ability to force the other side to make statements that are useful in other jurisdictions, become even more important.
Paul is recognised as one of the IAM Top 1000 patent attorneys.
Outside of work Paul is a rock climber, and used to enjoy running, cycling and participating in triathlons, but is now a dad with bad knees.
