Meet our Team: Joseph Walker

As part of our ‘Meet our Team’ series, we ask Joseph Walker, one of our newly joined ESC (Electronics, Software and Communications) trainee patent attorneys based in our London office, about his journey to intellectual property, what he loves about Venner Shipley and what else he enjoys in life.

When did you join Venner Shipley and what office do you work in?
I joined Venner Shipley in September 2024, working from the London office.

How did you get into working in IP or your Current role?
I’ve always enjoyed learning about how things work and understanding different technologies. During my degree I also started reading about some older IP disputes that I found fascinating. When I realised that my background in Physics was sufficient to begin training at a firm, I decided to start applying for trainee positions. Venner Shipley was the first firm to respond to my application and I found their warm and professional approach to recruitment a pleasant change from the other industries that I had previously been applying for jobs in.

What areas do you currently specialise in in your role?
At the moment I’ve been dealing with patent prosecution, responding to objections raised by the EPO. I’ve had work covering autonomous vehicles, telecoms, and microelectronics. Every case I get to work on has something new in it, and I find that really exciting.

What do you enjoy most about working in IP law?
I enjoy getting to apply the knowledge I gained in my degree to real technologies. It makes a big change from thinking about these scientific concepts only in the abstract. It’s always interesting to see how something you might have learnt about in a classroom can be used to solve a tangible problem.

What recent successes/achievements have you had (personal/professional)?
Graduating with my Masters and getting offered this job as a trainee, I’m so excited to have started working in this industry.

What’s the best thing about working at Venner Shipley?
Definitely the people. Everyone is incredibly friendly and welcoming. It feels like you can go to anyone for help, the other trainees, your manager, even the other partners.

What do you do outside of work? (hobbies, family?)
I like to create things, I’m often knitting, sewing, or drawing when I’m at home. I also enjoy making computer animations; I think being able to talk about how 3D animation software works in my interview for Venner Shipley was part of what got me the offer.