David Herman

David followed academic strengths in Chemistry through to a PhD, which now supports his work as an intellectual property patent attorney in Australia.

Portrait of David Herman, who smiles and looks off camera. David has brown hair and wears a dark blue jacket over a light blue shirt. A skyline of tall buildings can be seen in the out-of-focus background.

Based on my interests it seemed a natural choice to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science as it balanced both chemistry and biology into one degree. I realised that Chemistry was academically my strength and the subject that intrigued me the most, so I kept going and pursued an Honours degree, then a PhD in Chemistry. In my PhD, I investigated new synthetic routes to develop magnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy and diagnosis, which evolved further into a two-year postdoctoral research position building on my previous work.

What I enjoyed most about studying Chemistry was the hands-on practical experience in the laboratory. All the theories and fundamental principles you learn in lectures play a part in the experiments you are doing at the bench. From seeing these theories in action, I understood how even the simplest materials can be manipulated to afford significant changes in their properties and practical applications. It also allowed me to critically analyse complex systems by breaking them down into their fundamental components, a skill that can be applied in nearly every real-world scenario.

Chemistry played a significant part in leading me into my current career in intellectual property (IP) law, where I am a patent attorney. Becoming a patent attorney requires a strong scientific education, and many of the top IP firms require a PhD in Chemistry to enter the profession in this discipline. Some IP firms also favour candidates with law degrees, however most do not consider it essential. Having another degree in Biomedical Science also meant that I could also offer credibility across all aspects of the life sciences to the role.

My role involves liaising with clients and foreign attorneys across a range of issues, such as prosecution, opposition, drafting, searching, and opinion work. There is a lot of researching, reading, and writing (often in a very formal manner), and both require a high level of attention to detail. You also have to be able to switch your attention to different tasks quickly and efficiently. It is a desk job, but I don’t ever feel chained to my desk with all the meetings and networking going on. And after 11 years in the lab, having a desk job is still a novelty I enjoy.

Update: David is currently a Senior Associate Patent Attorney with FB Rice in Melbourne.