Spear’s Review

Richard Penfold joined Withers in 2018, when JAG Shaw Baker merged with the firm to create a specialised technology and venture capital practice.

As a partner in the intellectual property and technology team, Penfold advises his clients on a broad cross-section of intellectual property, life sciences and technology matters, including database rights, copyright, cybersquatting and patents. ‘Most of our technology clients are either creating or using AI to some extent, which has raised all sorts of issues with intellectual property, ownership and infringement,’ he tells Spear’s. ‘We’re also seeing more and more integrations of art and cultural assets into technology – for example, online galleries.’

A notable success was when his team advised ‘a clinical-stage oncology company, Akamis Bio, who have developed a portfolio of tumour-targeted T-SIGn therapeutics which enable a patient’s own immune system to recognise, attack and clear their cancer’.