Hector Manly

Background

Hector is a Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney. Following a four year Master’s Degree in Physics at Oxford University, with specialisation in Astrophysics and Biophysics, he joined Dehns in September 2016, and now works at the firm’s Brighton office.  Hector became an Associate of the firm in 2025.

Type of clients and client work

Hector works with a variety of clients, ranging from multinational corporations to SMEs. Working with these clients, he has extensive experience of patent prosecution in mainstream IP jurisdictions including Europe, Japan, Korea, China, USA, Canada, GB, as well as regular experience in further jurisdictions such as Australia, Brazil and Indonesia.

Hector’s work experience includes the drafting and prosecution of patent applications, as well as working on opposition and appeal proceedings at the EPO. Additionally, he has worked on providing infringement and validity assessments in Europe and Japan, as well as preparing freedom to operate opinions for upcoming products.

Expertise

He works with a wide variety of engineering patents in industries which include oil and gas exploration, semiconductors, medical devices, mass spectrometry, tobacco industry products, and telecommunications.

Qualifications and Memberships

• Authorised Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), 2023
• European Patent Attorney, 2023
• UK Chartered Patent Attorney, 2022
• Certificate in IP Law, Queen Mary University of London, 2017
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)

Higher Education

MPhys (Physics), Oxford University, 2012.

His final year at university was spent researching self-assembled structures and devices in the field of nanotechnology as part of the DNA group in the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford.