James Tagg

Expertise

James specialises in intellectual property law with a particular focus on patent drafting and prosecution.

James holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton. During his studies, James undertook an internship at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) where he worked on various components of the JET and MAST fusion reactors.

James joined the patent profession in 2016 as an associate patent examiner at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) in Newport, qualifying as a Patent Examiner in early 2020. His duties involved searching and examining UK patent applications in various technical fields, such as packaging, 3D printing, plastic moulding, e-cigarettes, and tools.

James joined Adamson Jones in October 2020 to begin his training at the firm to become a Chartered Patent Attorney. James’ knowledge and experience of the UKIPO provides valuable insight into the inner workings of the UK patent application process and he assists in all aspects of UK and European patent drafting, searching and prosecution.

James's patent practice covers a wide range of technical areas in the engineering and software sectors, including fast-moving consumer goods, tools, fluid dynamics, power generation, machinery, controls, and manufacturing processes.

How do you help clients?

I advise clients on how to best protect, manage and enforce their intellectual property, especially with respect to patents and designs. I help clients to research the patent landscape in order to identify risks and patent opportunities.

I assist in all aspects of the patent process and have experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the United Kingdom, Europe, the US and elsewhere, helping to manage international patent portfolios, and performing prior art searches. I also assist with advice work relating to ancillary issues around the patent application process, including inventorship, assignments, and procedure.

I have a varied client base, ranging from individuals to multi-national companies. However, I have a particular focus on small and medium sized businesses in the engineering and tech sectors, including working with small start-ups and university spin-outs.

Experience

1. Assisting with advice to an international manufacturer in the FMCG space to design around a competitor patent and then draft a patent application to cover their product.
2. Securing quick and cost-effective patent protection for an SME to ensure they can claim Patent Box tax relief.
3. Providing IP audits to UK manufacturers to assess their IP assets and help them devise a strategy to protect and exploit those assets.
4. Conducting competitor patent watches for a medical device company to ensure they remain aware of competitor patent activity and correctly identify patents that pose the greatest potential risk.