Sam Lees is an intellectual property adviser at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare in New Zealand.

He has worked at the medical devices company since 2016.

Lees looks after a product group operating in a crowded patent space and, therefore, has to be very strategic in identifying, filing, and prosecuting new applications. According to the nominator, he carries out these tasks with ease across several jurisdictions.

“He is clever, strategic, and great to work with – I think he has a glowing career ahead of him,” they say.

In his role, Lees stays up to date on laws and processes in jurisdictions around the world and reports them to the rest of his team.

He then investigates the best way to adjust Fisher & Paykel’s internal processes in response and drives those changes out to the wider company.

Lees tells Managing IP that working in-house at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare allows him to split his time between a number of uniquely complex and rewarding tasks.

“I enjoy navigating the complexity that is inherent with intellectual property within the medical device industry and thrive on developing and implementing strategies that provide the best outcomes for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

“This, in turn, helps, even in the smallest way, to enable Fisher & Paykel Healthcare to provide the best outcomes for its patients.”