Peter Gemmell

I joined Dummett Copp in 1993 and qualified with the firm as a UK and European Patent Attorney before becoming a partner in 1997.  I retired in 2020.

From an early age, I was interested in science, and particularly in chemistry. After achieving a first class honours degree in chemistry I completed a PhD at Hull University on liquid crystal polymers. Following post-doctoral work on ferroelectric liquid crystals, I joined ICI as a research and development scientist.

During my time with ICI I worked in a variety of product development areas, including large-area display devices, optical data storage media, dye-diffusion thermal transfer printing media and novel xerographic films.

I found working as part of a multidisciplinary team to be a valuable aid to developing technical communication skills, as also was the process of taking a new product from a bench experiment, through pilot-scale trials, to a handover to full-scale production.

In addition to chemical subject matter, during my career with Dummett Copp I dealt with a range of technologies, including display devices, medical devices, and general mechanical inventions. I also advise clients on related trade mark and design matters, and licensing of IP rights.

In my spare time you will generally find me outdoors, in the gym, or playing bridge, tennis or squash. I also enjoy skiing, my appreciation of which is in no way diminished by both my daughters now being better at it than I am.