Pete Pollard

Originally from the UK, Pete Pollard began his career as an engineer before venturing to the Netherlands to become a Dutch and EU patent attorney. With a wealth of experience gained from more than a decade of in-house and in private practice, Mr Pollard founded Fireball Patents in 2017 with a mission to provide cost-effective services to start-ups both locally and internationally.

What sets Fireball Patents apart is its unique approach to patent law. By being virtual and collaborating closely with clients, Mr Pollard finds pragmatic routes to protection, such as treating innovations as trade secrets, focusing on getting US patents and using national filings for quick searching. This approach has earned him a reputation as a creative problem solver and trusted advisor.

Mr Pollard is also part of IP.DESIGN, a German-Swiss IP boutique offering one-stop solutions to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. Since 2018, his European and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) know-how has enriched the firm’s patent and design competence.

He is also an author for PCT.App and EPC.App, pioneering online platforms that allow users to customise legal references with their own annotations and to print their own textbooks. With his forward-thinking approach to IP, Mr Pollard is a sought-after speaker at events across the continent.

Mr Pollard’s technical expertise lies in the fields of physics, software, and mechanics, with experience in medical devices, materials, optics, blockchain, and data, image and payment processing. He has taught European and PCT patent law since 2009 to IP attorneys and administrators, and has given lectures at the EPO, FORUM Institut, EQELIBRIUM and the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting.

He is also an EU design and trademark attorney and a certified formalities officer. In addition to his native English, he is fluent in Dutch and has a working knowledge of German.