Karl Barnfather is a senior attorney at Withers & Rogers LLP, a leading firm of IP specialists, and a member of its electronics, computing and physics group – one of the largest specialist groups in Europe. He is the immediate past chair after nine years in the role.

The use of intellectual property to help to maximise the commercial value of a business is at the core of Dr Barnfather’s advice to the boards of forward-thinking businesses. In his words, intellectual property “is only a means to an end – namely an enabler for the exploitation of a company’s hard-won innovation”. Dr Barnfather has been at the heart of Withers & Rogers’ development of strategic engagement for companies, recognising that what really counts are commercialisation (in whatever form) and the ability of a company’s IP counsel to use the IP system – from concept to commercialisation – to best meet the company’s objectives.