Meet The Team: Sue
Mathisen & Macara Partner and Formalities Officer, Sue Stevens, has an extensive career in Patents and Trade Marks, reaching back to 1985 where she began as a patent and trade mark paralegal in BP’s Patents Department. This is where Sue’s career and specialism in global company-to-company assignments and transfer of patent portfolios, began.
A vital part of the Mathisen & Macara team, as well as a partner in the business, here’s some more information about her career and experience to date.
Biography
From beginning her career in the patents department at British Petroleum, Sue was with the company for 21 years before founding Compass Patent LLP alongside five other likeminded IP professionals who together became partners in the business.
In 2010, Compass Patent LLP merged with Mathisen & Macara LLP to form the experienced team you know today. Having passed both the CIPA Patent Administrators’ and CIPA Trade Mark Administrators’ examinations, Sue has held the role of partner and Formalities Officer within the business for 12 years now and leads the wider formalities team.
Becoming partner in a formalities role
Formalities is all about attention to detail, given that the role can be especially complex. Sue thrives on solving complex issues and states that’s her favourite part of the role:
“My expertise lies particularly within the Recordal of Transfer and Changes of Ownership. I have completed so many complicated transfers, bank registrations, and changes of ownership on Patents, Trade Marks and Designs, each one different from the next. The complexity of these means I have to be knowledgeable and accurate – some countries can take years to finalise and you get a great amount of satisfaction once they are finally completed.”
The experience, skill, and attention to detail that Sue brings to the role is the reason why Sue has become a partner in the business, in a non-legal role. At Mathisen & Macara, Formalities is recognised as a complex and unique discipline in itself, one which requires a huge amount of dedication, qualifications, and a particular skillset. Sue’s achieving partner is one of the proudest moments in her career, stating hard work and dedication as the reasons for achieving this.
Outside of work
When she’s not keeping a keen eye over formalities across Mathisen & Macara’s Patent and Trade Mark function, Sue thrives on a variety of fitness pursuits. Netball, spin class, walking, gymming, and playing tennis are just a few of the ways in which Sue keeps fit. In fact, when asked what she’d do if she didn’t work in Formalities, Sue stated she would love to be a sports presenter – where she could watch and comment on live sporting events.
Since the Covid 19 pandemic, Sue has benefitted from homeworking, with Mathisen & Macara offering a hybrid working pattern between the office and home. This allows Sue to continue her physical hobbies more easily, while still getting to spend time together with the team in the office.