Michael Vallance

Michael assists clients at all stages along the journey from capturing new ideas through to the enforcement of any resulting IP rights.  In so doing, Michael has helped businesses protect their IP and harness it to maximise their return on R&D.  This includes having enabled clients to eliminate copyists, preserve market share, extract valuable licence fees, secure tax breaks and receive investment.

Michael also helps clients navigate the IP rights held by third parties so that they can better understand their own freedom-to-operate.  The opinions Michael has provided has helped to inform commercial decisions, keep companies out of court and secure distribution agreements previously in jeopardy.

Although the majority of Michael’s practice is related to patents, Michael has particular expertise in the field of registered designs.  He has obtained over 400 registered designs for clients and advised on drafting applications that strike the right balance between obtaining between a broad scope of protection to deter copyists but also having sufficient individual character to be defendable under scrutiny.

Working with outside counsel, major corporates, SMEs, start-ups and universities, Michael is familiar with helping clients across a spectrum of different experience levels.  Accordingly, he strives to provide a level of service that is consistent with the needs and expectations of each client.

Michael regularly works across a range of different technology areas.  These include:

• Cryogenic refrigerators
• Oil & gas reservoir surveying
• Medical devices (including medical imaging)
• Microscopy
• Printers
• Software
• Telecommunications
• Spectrometers
• Fibre optics
• Clothing and household accessories

European Patent Attorney
UK Patent Attorney
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)
Member of the European Patent Institute (EPI)

Michael graduated from the University of Manchester with a First Class Master’s Degree in Physics.

After joining GJE in 2012, Michael qualified as a UK Patent Attorney and a European Patent Attorney in 2017.  He became a Senior Associate in 2020.