Matt joined EIP after three years as IP Director in an IP-rich photonics start-up. For the 10 years before that he was an in-house IP counsel in BT and then Hewlett-Packard, developing patent portfolios for HP Labs in the fields of Internet security and cryptography. His commercial experience from in-house roles combined with an innate ability to distil complex legal subject matter into easily digestible advice underlies Matt’s approach to practice. Matt is well placed to advise clients on the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) - see further details at EIP Amar, our alliance created to support clients in any litigation before the UPC.
Matt is head of the EIP Strategy practice group, and in 2013 and 2014 was acknowledged as being one of the world’s leading IP strategists in the IAM Strategy 300. He has extensive experience of developing, communicating and implementing IP strategies and is regularly called upon to do so by companies ranging from start-up, through SME to leading FTSE-100 names.
Matt's patent practice spans a broad base of technologies including electronics, software, machine learning, computer hardware and architectures, semiconductors and telecommunications networks and systems.
Published articles
Education
Matt has a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Surrey, and sits on CIPA’s Computer Technology Committee.
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1987 — 1991
MEng, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey
Career history
- 2005 — present
Partner, EIP - 2004 — 2006
IP Director, Zoo Digital Group plc - 2001 — 2004
IP Director, Blaze Photonics - 1997 — 2001
IP Counsel, Hewlett-Packard - 1992 — 1997
Patent Attorney, BT - 1991 — 1992
Data Comms Engineer, BT - 1989 — 1991
R&D Software Engineer, Philips Medical Systems
Awards and recognition
- Recommended patent attorney, Legal 500 2025 (link)
- IAM Patent 1000 2024 (link)
- Legal 500, 2024. 'Matt Lawman conducts high-level analysis of the patentability, especially on very difficult cases.' (link)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2023. 'Lawman’s unrivalled commercial acumen and vast technical expertise are best exemplified in his strategic portfolio development and commercialisation advice for the highly complex post-quantum cryptography spin-out PQShield.' (link)
- Ranked as 'Highly recommended' in Patent prosecution in UK, Leaders League 2022
- Recommended IAM Patent 1000, 2022. Matt “provides clear guidance on how to approach difficult cases”. (link)
- Legal 500, 2022. (link)
- Recommended IAM Patent 1000, 2021. (link)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2020. Matt is “very knowledgeable, timely and has great attention to detail.” (link)
- Legal 500, 2020
- IAM Patent 1000, 2019. "Matt Lawman has worked in-house at both BT and Hewlett-Packard, which gives him an acute appreciation of what industry professionals need to hear." (link)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2018. “The depth of Matt Lawman’s technical knowledge is very impressive; he gets the hang of complex concepts quickly and always asks pertinent questions. As a bonus, he’s really accessible.”
- IP Stars 2017, A "notable attorney". (link)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2017. "Matt Lawman heads the strategy practice group and is the trusted adviser of aerospace giant Airbus and e-cigarette leader British American Tobacco."
- Ranked in IAM Strategy 300, 2013, 2014
Speaking engagements
- May 2023
Codiphy Launch, Introduction to the launch of Codiphy - 11 April 2019
TechGC, San Francisco Private Dinner + CLO - 26 November 2018
Unscripted, The challenges of managing and resourcing a modern IP team (link) - 11 June 2014
One Nucleus BioWednesday, The Value of Intellectual Property (link) - 17 May 2013
Low Carbon South West, Intellectual Property Rights and Wrongs (link) - November 2012
Connect Yorkshire, Fit for Funding (link) - November 2012
Venturefest Bristol, IP Clinic (link) - March 2012
Connect Yorkshire, Fit for Funding (link) - 21 February 2012
EIP seminar, The Patent Box - November 2011
Venturefest Bristol 2011, IP Clinic (link)
Specialisms
Digital
- Additive manufacturing
- AI
- Applied maths & cryptography
- Computer hardware
- Electrical engineering
- Fintech
- Photonics and optics
- Robotics
- Software
- Telecommunications
- Telemedicine and remote surgery
Dynamics
- Additive manufacturing
- Electrical engineering
- Robotics
Energy
- Geothermal
- Grids
- Packs
HealthTech
- Additive manufacturing
- Telemedicine and remote surgery