General

Born Sydney 1962

Australian Citizen

Schooling

Primary and secondary education at Newington College, Stanmore to Higher School Certificate in 1980

Tertiary Qualifications

Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wollongong 1987

Post-graduate Qualifications and Institute Fellowship

Graduate Diploma in Industrial Property from the University of Technology, Sydney 1992

Patent Attorney's Professional Standards Board examinations passed for qualification and registration as a Patent Attorney 1997

Became Fellow of The Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia (now The Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia) 1997

Recognised and registered as a Trade Marks Attorney 1999

Employment History

Accounts clerk with family Chartered Accountancy practice - Millar Partners, Sydney 1981 to 1983

Technical Assistant/Patent Attorney/Associate with Spruson & Ferguson, Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, Sydney 1988 to 1998

Patent Attorney, Associate with Halford & Co., Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, Sydney 1999 to 2001

(Justifiably reluctant) Patent Attorney/Associate with Marks & Clerk, Hong Kong, 2001 to 2005

Self-employed, 2005 to present

Technologies Covered during Patent Career

I have drafted over 1500 patent specifications during my career for technologies ranging from simple hand tools to complex wireless communications systems.  Technologies have included commercial cooking lines,  plastics pipe extrusion lines, burglar alarm systems, motor vehicle suspensions, internal combustion engines, gear boxes, ink-jet printers, domestic electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners and coffee machines just to name a few.

Other Interests

Vintage and modern technologies - especially sound reproduction technologies, restoring old cars,  gardening, collecting antiques and vintage items such as Bakelite telephones, old valve radios, cameras, old clocks,  modern art, walking (the dog), swimming, modern hi-fi systems, DIY audio including building audio components such as these active crossovers and speaker construction including designing and building folded horn subwoofers for the home cinema, classical music, English Springer Spaniels, wine, coffee and friends.