FICPI // Focus 45 // Going It Alone—Starting Your Own IP Practice

FICPI Focus 45: Going It Alone—Starting Your Own IP Practice

This webinar will take place at 10:00am Central European Time / 6:00pm Australian Eastern Time.

Have you ever considered starting your own IP practice—whether as a sole practitioner or alongside one or two trusted partners?

The prospect can be exciting: greater independence, the freedom to choose your clients and the opportunity to build a practice that reflects your own values and ambitions. But it is not for everyone. Running a firm means taking responsibility for everything from client work and business development to technology, administration—and, occasionally, emptying the bins.

In this practical Focus 45 conversation, seasoned IP professionals Andrew Jones of Sydney, Australia (https://www.jmsd.com.au/), and Stewart Cameron of Glasgow, UK (https://cameronintellectualproperty.com/), will share what they learned from establishing and running their own businesses.

We will explore the questions prospective founders should ask themselves:

• Do you want to operate as an independent consultant or build a business? 
• Do you want to remain small or grow a team? 
• How  detailed should your business plan be at the outset—and how should it evolve as you become more commercially experienced?

The discussion will cover the essential groundwork, including professional indemnity insurance, accounting and docketing systems, practice-management software and precedents. We will also consider how AI can assist with planning and establishing a new practice, as well as the important things it cannot provide.

Andrew and Stewart will discuss the value of developing a strong professional network, joining relevant organisations and seeking support from other small-firm practitioners. We will also examine flexibility, responding when circumstances disrupt the original plan, and the often-overlooked mental-health aspects of working for yourself.

Finally, our guests will share some of the books and resources they found valuable along the way.

Whether you are actively preparing to establish a practice, considering it as a future possibility or simply curious about what running an IP business really involves, this session will offer candid, practical insights from two professionals who have experienced the entire journey.

	Andrew Jones is a Partner at Jones Maxwell Smith & Davis and the Secretary of FICPI Australia.
	Stewart Cameron is founding partner at Cameron Intellectual Property. He serve clients throughout the UK and Europe and have extensive experience working with a wide variety of clients in many different industry sectors, with particular expertise in mechanical and electro-mechanical subject matter. I also practised in London for a couple of years prior to setting up Cameron Intellectual Property.
	Dr. Ronelle Geldenhuys is a Partner at Jones Maxwell Smith & Davis and the Secretary of FICPI Australia.  She is a registered patent attorney with over 15 years of experience in electronics and software-based inventions, spanning private practice and in-house roles.  Ronelle also lectures in Patent Systems at the University of Technology Sydney and was the founding Chair of the ChIPs Australia & New Zealand chapter.

This is part of our Eastern Hemisphere friendly series, at times accessible to countries and regions including: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, India, and Turkiye.

📖 CPD/CLE certificates can be provided.
❤️ There is no charge to attend the FICPI webinar.
🗣️ This webinar will be in English