Kaya Elkiner—Ashfords LLP

Ashfords LLP has announced the appointment of Kaya Elkiner, a UK and European patent attorney, as its new head of patents. Kaya joins from Keltie LLP. This appointment marks the launch of the firm’s new international patenting service aimed at companies developing new technology. 

Kaya has been in private practice for 12 years and was awarded dual qualification as a UK (Chartered) and European Patent Attorney in 2008. He works closely with technologists, inventors and developers to understand their commercial needs, and guide them through the patent application process. Kaya’s range of work includes patent portfolio due diligence, freedom to operate and patentability assessments, as well as undertaking patent drafting, filing and prosecution in the UK and overseas. He advises a variety of clients, ranging from SMEs to large corporate entities and has obtained protection for a broad range of inventions including: powerboats; smartphones apps and even beer kegs. Kaya has additionally become an Examiner for one of the final-level examinations associated with the infringement and validity of patents.

Kaya comments: “I am thrilled to join Ashfords, a forward thinking and innovative law firm that is clearly looking to widen and match its services—and the way they are delivered—with what clients in the technology sector really want.”

Mark Lomas, Ashfords' chairman and head of IP law at Ashfords, says: "We are delighted to welcome Kaya Elkiner: an extremely talented chartered and European patent attorney as our new head of patents and to launch our new patenting service. It is incredibly rare amongst UK law firms of our size and type to be able to offer this service and it represents a long term investment by the firm driven by demand from our existing clientele. The new patenting service allows us to build on our work and our established reputation in advising technology companies of all shapes and sizes on protecting and exploiting their intellectual property rights and investors in the technology sector—whether a fund or someone buying or selling a technology business.

"Apart from being an outstanding professional in his technical field, the reason we chose Kaya for this key appointment is that he is very personable, client-friendly and commercially focussed when giving advice. These are qualities that we look for in every appointment we make. In due course we will make further appointments as Kaya builds the patents team in the same technical field.”