Martin Kwan

I work as a senior patent attorney in Bird & Bird's Intellectual Property and Tech & Comms groups based in Singapore. I am a registered Singapore patent agent with over ten years' experience practising in the electrical, electronic, ICT and mechanical fields.

I was previously working in leading IP boutique firms, where I drafted patent specifications for clients ranging from individuals, research institutions to international corporations. The technology sectors in which I drafted include semiconductor fabrication, photonic devices, software applications, financial technology, medical devices and mechanical devices. My present role has expanded my patent drafting experience to include blockchain applications and casino self-service kiosks. I also now work closely with inventors, in-house counsel and their management to guide them through all stages of registering a patent.

I particularly enjoy providing advice that is practical and catered to client needs. While I advise mainly on Singapore's patent system, I have knowledge of the patent systems of the European Patent Convention, South East Asia and the United States. I also have experience in performing and reporting on prior art searches; providing freedom to operate opinions and undertaking patent infringement analysis.

My experience includes ensuring compliance with client docketing protocol when their patent management software is updated with developments to their patent portfolio. This was learnt from being the point of contact for a major card issuer in my previous firm, where the client provided access to their patent management software to counsel for them to assist with keeping it updated.

To encourage the growth of the patent attorney profession in Singapore, I have set and marked one of the examination papers leading to the qualification of a Singaporean patent attorney. I am an IAM 1000 recommended individual for Patent Prosecution.