Linda Norrgård is Director and Team Leader, Chemistry and Process Technology & Eurasian patent attorney teams at Papula-Nevinpat, Helsinki, Finland
We asked Linda what she wanted to share with fellow members of the FICPI global community and she responded:
“I cannot stand loose screws and I usually carry a tool kit including a screwdriver and a little hammer in my handbag.”
Which is quite possibly the most useful answer ever to that question!
Of course, Linda is also an experienced and talented patent attorney, with a special interest in startups. So, there are plenty of reasons to get to know her.
Professional Background
Linda has more than 15 years of experience of IP in Finland, mostly in Finnish patent agencies as an attorney and in management positions.
Since 2019, she has been at the firm of Papula-Nevinpat in Helsinki, currently as Director and Team Leader, Chemistry and Process Technology and Eurasian patent attorney teams.
Previous experience includes working in industry as a patent engineer in corporate IP teams.
As a patent attorney, Linda’s experience covers everything from assessing invention disclosures and performing novelty searches to patenting and prosecution, as well as oppositions and enforcement of rights.
Linda has a particular interest and experience with startups, as she explains:
“For several years I have worked in close collaboration with startups, advising startup entrepreneurs on IP protection. I have also been a frequent speaker at various startup events and training programs in Finland. My experience with startups has given a good sense of perspective on the challenges new businesses are facing in IP issues.”
Specialist technology areas include various fields of chemistry and chemical engineering, such as biofuels, bioplastics, electrochemistry, metallurgy and minerals processing, nanostructures, organic chemistry, pharmaceuticals and polymers.
Education & Training
Linda achieved an M.Sc in Chemical Engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) in 2008.
Subsequently she served as a Praktika intern at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2011.
She was authorised as a Finnish patent attorney in 2010 and as European patent attorney in 2019.
Adding Value to Clients
Linda’s response to this question (‘What is the biggest value that you and your firm bring to clients?’) was also refreshing and candid:
“This is an excellent question and something I hope everyone in our firm asks themselves every day.
“Proving the value creation for clients in the IP field can sometimes be challenging, especially for SME clients. How can we prove that the IP services we provide create value if there are no clear ways to measure it right away?”
Having thought about the question for her own firm, Papula-Nevinpat, Linda concluded:
“Regardless of the client’s size and IP assets, I hope that the value our firm brings is a sense of relief that their IP matters are in good hands and that we are helping them make the right choices to support their business.
“To achieve this, the value should be created through a positive interaction with our firm, not only through the service they are paying for, such as. a well-drafted patent application, is not enough.”
Professional Satisfactions
Linda’s own sense of satisfaction from being an IP attorney comes from solving client problems by building trust with the clients. As she observes:
“It can take some time to find that connection, but I believe it is necessary to know that you are providing the right solutions – I want to feel that we are on the same side and part of the same team.”
As a Director and Team Leader (for the firm’s Chemistry and Process Technology & Eurasian areas of specialism), she describes her responsibilities as focused on providing the right resources at the right time.
“In large projects, that part of the job sometimes feels like laying a huge puzzle and that perhaps that is why I enjoy successfully resolving that challenge.”
Changes to the IP Profession
Linda is one of many FICPI members focused on the increasing and long-lasting impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the profession:
“Even though AI will not replace an IP attorneys’ job completely, there is a risk that attorneys who do not learn to utilized AI tools will be replaced.”
Value of FICPI membership
Linda is another relatively new member of FICPI, having joined two years ago in January 2022.
However, her association with FICPI pre-dates her membership as she was vice-chairperson of The Association of Finnish Patent Attorneys from 2020-2023, which includes the Finnish FICPI section.
Despite being one of FICPI’s newer members, Linda is very clear on the value of membership:
“For me being a professional patent attorney is not enough, I am interested in influencing the development of the field and this can be achieved through active associations, like FICPI. Having the opportunity to influence the IP field is what I enjoy the most and I hope to become an even more active FICPI member.”
As for a best practice within her firm that will of interest to fellow members of the FICPI global community, Linda points to the willingness of even the most senior patent attorneys in Papula-Nevinpat to ask questions and seek advice from their colleagues:
”That’s a good reminder to everyone that we are constantly learning in this profession and your IP education is never over.”
Final word – outside of work
Family and running are Linda’s top ways to relax outside of her hectic professional life:
“My free time I spend with my husband and two kids. I also enjoy running and hope to soon be able to plan for the next marathon after recovering from an injury.”
