EIP strengthens commercial practice with IP hire from quantum tech company M Squared

Stuart Malcolm joined EIP’s London office this week. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a commercial and intellectual property lawyer, with a career encompassing private practice, senior in-house positions and work in the UK’s deep tech and innovation sectors.

Prior to joining EIP Malcolm spent nearly a decade at M Squared, a UK photonics and quantum technology company. He initially joined as general counsel in 2016 before becoming group general counsel in November 2020. In this role, he was responsible for legal operations, compliance and intellectual property for the company’s global business.

Stuart Malcolm

Malcolm developed the group’s IP strategy and advised on commercial and licensing deals, including international agreements in the semiconductor and quantum sectors.

From private practice to in-house and back

Prior to moving in-house, Malcolm held partner roles at several UK law firms, including Shoosmiths, where he established and led the IP team from 2013 to 2016. In 2009, he founded his own specialist technology and innovation law firm, Stuart Malcolm LLP, which merged with MBM Commercial in October 2011.

Malcolm is a qualified solicitor in Scotland, as well as in England and Wales, and a notary public.

At EIP, Malcolm will bring his in-depth expertise in quantum, photonics, and semiconductors into play to advise innovative clients. These include start-ups, scale-ups, research institutions, universities, and technology companies. He advises on commercial contracts, licensing, joint ventures, spin-offs, technology transfer and the commercialisation of IP.

Commercial alongside patent litigation

The hire reflects EIP’s effort to expand its commercial offering alongside its established patent prosecution and litigation practices. Magnus Hallin, CEO of EIP, said Malcolm “brings a rare mix of commercial, in-house, and private practice experience, and a deep understanding of how innovative businesses turn intellectual property into commercial value”.

EIP was founded in London in 2000 and now has offices in the UK, Germany, Sweden, and the US, with over 180 staff, including 34 partners. The firm has established a pan-European practice with an integrated approach between lawyers and patent attorneys. The international mixed IP boutique is particularly known for its work in the mobile communications sector.

With a view to UPC work, EIP had established a lawyer team in Düsseldorf long before UK competitors Powell Gilbert and Carpmaels & Ransford integrated German lawyers. However, the German practice faced a setback with the departure of Florian Schmidt-Bogatzky in early 2025. His exit also meant the loss of the client relationship with Broadcom, one of EIP’s first UPC clients.

The strong UK team maintains involvement in UPC proceedings through its patent attorneys, including representing Labrador Diagnostics. Medtech forms the second pillar of EIP’s current UPC activities, exemplified by its representation of Curio Bioscience concerning spatial detection technology alongside Carpmaels.