Alistair Hindle

Alistair Hindle

Director; UK and European Patent Attorney; UK Trade Mark Attorney

Alistair is a founding member and Director of Hindles, a firm which has grown under his care since it began in 2005. He has a Masters degree in Natural Sciences (Physics) and a PhD in biosensing, both from the University of Cambridge.

Alistair began his career in intellectual property in 1998 after a period working as a research scientist for a Cambridge-based technology company. He qualified as a patent attorney in 2002 and as a trade mark attorney in 2003. His broad technical interests are reflected in his patents portfolio which includes inventions in engineering, electronics, computer software, medical devices and biosensing, and he also advises clients on trade marks and registered designs.

Alistair has particular expertise in working with start-up companies and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the development and management of their intellectual property portfolios. He is very familiar with the life cycle of such companies and has experience of being involved from the safeguarding of core technology to the development and management of a larger intellectual property portfolio. Alistair has seen quite a number of his start-up and SME clients through to acquisition by a multinational corporation. He has considerable experience in drafting patent applications, managing and advising on international filing programmes and prosecuting patent applications throughout the world. He has worked with many companies who have had the role of being the newcomer entering a market space held by established larger competitors, or who are creating new fields of technology and would like to make it difficult for competitors to follow.

Alistair frequently advises on freedom-to-operate and validity issues, and on contentious matters. He has experience of successfully bringing entitlement proceedings before the UK Intellectual Property Office and conducts oppositions and appeals before the Europea Patent Office. Alistair also routinely deals with due diligence requests, for example, from potential investors. He is always proactive, naturally strategic, and he invariably thinks about the commercial context of the advice which he gives.

Professional Qualifications

Chartered Patent Attorney European Patent Attorney Chartered Trade Mark Attorney European Trade Mark Attorney

Education

University of Cambridge, Natural Sciences – Physics (MA) University of Cambridge, Institute of Biotechnology (PhD)

Alistair Hindle is the best patent attorney I've worked with during my engineering career - MD of a successful Edinburgh University Spin-Out Company

MD of successful Edinburgh University Spin-Out Company

[Alistair Hindle has an] affinity for working with start-ups that share his enterprising spirit and want to become world beaters.

IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2018 edition

[Alistair Hindle has] established a track record of getting the balance right between breadth of claim and limitation and navigating prior art [and] is able to skilfully manage a complex roster of clients and applications.

IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2019 edition