Howard Read

Background

Howard grew up in Brazil and has lived in Japan, UK and Norway. Before qualifying as a UK and a European Patent Attorney, Howard worked in academia, research and industry: from heavy engineering to computing to mass spectrometry.

Howard joined Dehns in Norway in 2026.

Type of clients and client work

Howard partners with universities & spin outs, SMEs and multinationals: building relationships and growing businesses. Howard advises pragmatically, from IP portfolio inception to business acquisition.

Howard obtains, defends, attacks and asserts patents: purposefully. Howard particularly enjoys drafting patent applications, providing opinions for freedom to operate (FTO) risk assessments and opposing & defending patents.

Expertise

Howard has multidisciplinary scientific, computing and engineering expertise. This enables Howard to understand innovations that solve complex real-world problems and that bridge disciplines.

Howard has particular expertise in physical sciences, materials, medical devices and software.

Howard also has particular European Patent Convention (EPC) & case law expertise and regularly contributes to amicus curiae briefs for the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal, on behalf of epi.

Qualifications and Memberships

• European Patent Attorney, 2017
• UK Chartered Patent Attorney, 2016

• Authorised Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), 2023

• Diploma in Patent Litigation in Europe, 2024
• IP Litigation Certificate, 2017
• Member of European Patent Institute (epi)
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA)

• Member of Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Intellectuelle (FICPI) & FICPI-UK
• Member of Global Intellectual Property Alliance (GLIPA)

Higher Education

• PhD, University of Cambridge, “Atomic structure of mechanically alloyed metals”, 1995
• MA, University of Cambridge, Natural Sciences, 1992
• MSc, Open University, Computing, 2006
• LLM, University of Manchester, IP Law, 2012

Other

Howard is an active substitute member for Norway for the epi Professional Education Committee, epi Professional Conduct Committee and epi Litigation Committee. Howard is Secretary of FICPI-UK and delegate for UK for FICPI. Howard is lead for LATAM for the CIPA International Liaison Committee (ILC).