Intellectual property specialist Philippa Montgomerie has been appointed in-house legal counsel at Aircraft Medical and has joined the board of the medical devices maker.
The Fife-based company, which makes equipment to help doctors put breathing tubes down patients’ throats, said Montgomerie – who earned a biochemistry degree at Bristol University before completing the legal practice course at the London College of Law – had previously provided it with “excellent” legal advice during her time at DLA Piper.
Montgomerie spent ten years with Linklaters in London before joining DLA’s Scottish team in 2007. She was appointed as a partner in the firm’s IP group in 2010, advising life science companies on a range of issues such as commercial agreements, patent strategy and regulatory compliance.
While at DLA, Montgomerie led a successful defence against claims that Aircraft Medical had infringed a patent held by US rival Verathon Medical.
Aircraft Medical chief executive Matt McGrath, who launched the company in 2001, said: “Having previously provided excellent counsel to us while at DLA Piper, we believe that Philippa’s expertise will be of great strategic value to Aircraft Medical as we manage our intellectual property portfolio and enter new commercial agreements and markets.”
Aircraft Medical had been tipped to float on Aim in 2006, before the credit crunch.
The firm expanded in 2009 by buying Spanish outfit Morpheus Medical, which makes machines for monitoring a patient’s level of consciousness after they are put to sleep for an operation.