Welcome to the latest instalment of Managing IP’s ‘Five minutes with’ series, where we learn more about intellectual property practitioners on a personal and professional level. This time, we have Thomas Rukin, group IP litigation director at Zacco in Oslo.
Someone asks you at a party what you do for a living. What do you say?
I would normally tell people that I’m an attorney at law within intellectual property, then when they ask what that means, I’ll explain that I help our clients develop, monetise, and protect their patents, trademarks, and designs.
Talk us through a typical working day.
I’m the group IP litigation director, so most of my work involves working with the wider leadership team on building Zacco. A lot of my work also revolves around our contact with clients, so I’ll have an ongoing overview of cases we’re currently involved in from the team, updates on court appearances, and supporting colleagues or advising on potential options and outcomes.
What are you working on at the moment?
We recently received a request from a large client to support their purchase of a patent portfolio. We have already guided them through IP due diligence, conducting a thorough portfolio review, and advised on the value and pricing negotiation, so this last task is about making sure everything is correct before they sign.
Does one big piece of work usually take priority, or are you juggling multiple things?
Depends on the day. Mostly, there is some juggling involved, but I have an excellent team, so I often only need to support them with tasks that actively require my input.
What is the most exciting aspect of your role, and what is the most stressful?
Seeing my colleagues succeed is one of the most satisfying aspects of my work. Seeing them solve a problem makes me proud to work with such a great team. As for stressful? Well, it would have to be those rare times when we have been unable to find the perfect solution for a client prior to a deadline, but fortunately, such examples are few and far between.
Tell us the key characteristics that make a successful IP lawyer/practitioner.
Definitely an eye for detail, but we also have a word in Norwegian, ‘klienttekke’, which roughly translates as ‘Client Appeal’, perhaps something like a personable nature. To me, this means the ability to invest time getting to know your client and their needs, but also building a relationship that allows you to push back when you think a request could be counterproductive to their IP strategy.
What is the most common misconception about IP?
Underestimating the importance of IP rights is a big one, but also that there is no ‘worldwide patent registration’ that covers the entire globe. We have a lot of conversations about territory suitability and cost-benefit analysis for client portfolios.
What or who inspires you?
My wife, she is one of my biggest fans, and she continues to be a constant source of inspiration. It would have to be her.
If you weren’t in IP, what would you be doing?
I always wanted to join the medical field when I was younger, perhaps as a doctor. I know it’s not an easy career path, but the opportunity to help people and see immediate results was appealing. I still get to help people, but in a very different way.
Any advice you would give your younger self?
Remember the importance of technology development. Knowing what I know today, I would focus more on some particular technologies that we just didn’t predict. We have seen so many technological revolutions throughout my lifetime, and it would be great to give the younger me a heads up!
What is your motto in life?
'The Happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts' – Marcus Aurelius is credited with saying it, but I think it means that thinking positively or negatively will impact how you feel, so it’s a reminder to try to stay on the positive side of things.
