"The days when patent attorneys used to sit and write patent applications day in, day out are long gone."

Patent attorney Walter Hart’s week takes in wind energy inventions, a start-up brainstorm and a freedom-to-operate check for a takeover. Along the way he mentors a trainee. At the weekend he works on his own patented sailing boat.

"The nicest thing about my job is the team."

Charlotte keeps the patent process on track. She checks filings, tracks deadlines and keeps clients updated. It’s precise work, where one wrong date can stall an application. What surprised her most was how much she enjoys it.