Emily O’Neill joins BAT as head of patents
British American Tobacco hires Emily O'Neill from Deminor as head of patents.
10 September 2024 by Laura King
Emily O’Neill (46) has joined British American Tobacco as head of patents in London. O’Neill moves from litigation funder Deminor, where she spent over four years as general counsel and UK director, and was responsible for building up the UK business. At BAT she will lead and manage BAT’s Consumables and Innovation Futures patents team.
Emily O’Neill
Speaking to JUVE Patent about her decision to move, O’Neill said, “My new role at BAT will enable me to draw on all of the strategic knowledge I have gained from reviewing over 150 patent cases each year and feed into the commercialisation of the portfolio at a more foundational time point.”
When talking about her future role, O’Neill said, “The tobacco industry is travelling through a period of change as it transitions from cigarettes to smokeless reduced risk products, to have an opportunity to work at the heart of business strategy in an evolving environment is very exciting.”
Prior to joining Deminor, O’Neill held divisional general counsel and chief counsel roles at Spectris, a high-tech instrument and test equipment manufacturer. Furthermore, she has a degree in chemistry and a PhD in materials chemistry. She spent over seven years at Bird & Bird before moving in-house.
