Interview with Lucy Wojcik, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at OCADO GROUP – Cross-Border Patent Litigation – In-House Organization of IP Teams – Agile IP – IP Fridays Podcast – Episode 163

My Co-Host Ken Suzan and I are welcoming you to episode 163 of our podcast IP Fridays! Today’s interview guest is Lucy Wojcik, who is Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at OCADO GROUP PLC, and we talk about cross-border patent litigation, in-house organization of IP teams, agile IP and much more! Lucy has just been inducted into the IP hall of fame.

But before we jump into this very interesting interview, I have some news for you.

On May 22, the European Commission released its biennial report on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in third countries. The report identifies countries where IP deficiencies cause significant economic harm to EU interests. China remains a top priority, followed by India and Türkiye. The accompanying Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List details trends in counterfeiting and piracy, listing problematic websites and marketplaces.

In May, the Trump administration dismissed Shira Perlmutter, the top U.S. copyright official, shortly after removing Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. These actions followed the Copyright Office’s report expressing concerns about using copyrighted content to train AI systems. The dismissals have sparked significant backlash from the copyright community.

The UK government’s proposal to amend copyright laws to benefit AI developers has faced criticism. The plan would allow tech firms to use copyrighted content unless creators opt out, a mechanism deemed impractical by industry stakeholders like Sony Music. Critics argue that such changes could jeopardize investments and disrupt existing licensing negotiations.

In May 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected Tesla’s attempt to trademark the term “Robotaxi” for its vehicles, citing that the term is too generic and merely descriptive. The USPTO issued a “nonfinal office action,” providing Tesla with a three-month window to respond before the application is potentially abandoned.

A separate application by Tesla to trademark “Robotaxi” for its upcoming ride-hailing service remains under examination. Additionally, Tesla’s efforts to trademark “Cybercab” have been delayed due to conflicts with existing trademarks containing the word “Cyber.”

On May 9, 2025, the WHO and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced a sublicensing deal with Nigeria’s Codix Bio to locally produce rapid diagnostic tests using SD Biosensor technology. The agreement, part of WHO’s Health Technology Access Programme, aims to improve access to affordable diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries, initially targeting HIV and adaptable for other diseases and future health emergencies.

Now, let’s jump into the interview with Lucy Wojcik!

From Consultant to Chief IP Counsel: How Lucy Wojcik Built Ocado’s IP Powerhouse

In the latest episode of IP Fridays, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lucy Wojcik, Chief IP Counsel at Ocado Group PLC, who shared her remarkable journey from external consultant to head of one of the most dynamic in-house IP teams in Europe. Recently inducted into the IP Hall of Fame and awarded “In-House IP Leader of the Year” by Managing IP, Lucy offered deep insights into how to build a scalable, resilient IP strategy inside a fast-growing tech company.

A Career Built on Curiosity and Timing

Lucy began her journey with Ocado in 2014, initially working just one day a month as an external consultant. It didn’t take long before she realized the company’s immense innovation potential. Gradually increasing her involvement, she joined full-time two and a half years later as Ocado’s first Head of IP. Today, she leads a team of 11–12 people, reflecting not only the company’s growth but also its expanding innovation pipeline in robotics, automation, and AI-driven logistics.

IP Strategy in a Complex Business Model

Ocado’s business model is unique: while the company operates its own online grocery platform in the UK, it also licenses its proprietary logistics and automation systems to other grocery retailers internationally. This dual role—as both operator and service provider—demands a sophisticated and forward-thinking IP strategy. According to Lucy, about 40% of Ocado’s patent portfolio protects technologies actively in use, with the remainder covering speculative innovations and future business directions. Some speculative patents filed as early as 2015 have since become core to the company’s latest commercial offerings.

Orchestrating One of the Largest IP Litigations in Europe

One of the most impressive parts of Lucy’s story is her leadership during Ocado’s multi-jurisdictional litigation against AutoStore. Beginning in October 2020, this sprawling legal battle involved more than 150 lawyers across forums such as the US International Trade Commission, the UK High Court, the EPO, and courts in Germany and Israel. At its peak, Ocado faced 28 EPO oppositions and simultaneous proceedings in numerous jurisdictions.

Lucy candidly described the experience as “the world’s biggest project management challenge.” She served as the linchpin between Ocado’s executive team and its external counsel, ensuring a tightly coordinated response across legal, technical, and commercial teams. Her team developed simple tools—like one-slide patent summaries with visual elements—that proved essential in communicating complex legal developments to non-IP stakeholders across the business.

Embedding IP into Agile Engineering Workflows

One of Lucy’s most forward-looking approaches is how she embedded her team into Ocado’s agile engineering culture. Rather than acting as gatekeepers who respond to invention disclosures, the IP team participates in sprint planning, stand-ups, and engineering away-days. This integration allows the team to identify and protect innovations in real-time—even if it means occasionally filing imperfect or early-stage patents. Lucy sees this as a worthwhile trade-off for ensuring IP is deeply connected to the business’s fast-paced product development.

A Culture of Practical IP Leadership

Throughout the interview, Lucy emphasized the importance of delivering IP value that aligns with business reality. Her mantra: “Do the best you can in the moment with the resources you have.” Whether it’s advising on NDAs, coaching engineers on what they can say at conferences, or managing overlapping international filings, Lucy’s philosophy is grounded in practical, context-aware decision-making.

Advice to In-House Counsel: Know Your Audience

Lucy closed the conversation with timeless advice for IP professionals working in-house: always tailor your communication to the recipient. Whether writing to the CFO, CEO, or a junior engineer, it’s essential to consider what that person needs to know—and to deliver it clearly. She even introduced a practice borrowed from engineering culture: the “TL;DDR” (Too Long; Didn’t Read) summary at the top of her emails, followed by deeper analysis below.

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Lucy Wojcik’s journey is not just about managing patents—it’s about aligning IP with business strategy, empowering engineering teams, and leading under pressure. Her experience is a masterclass in modern in-house IP leadership.

Rolf Claessen: Today’s interview guest is Lucy Wojcik. If you don’t know her, she’s the Chief IP Counsel at Ocado Group. She was recently inducted into the IP Hall of Fame and is also a member of the IAM Strategy 300. She was awarded “In-House IP Leader of the Year” by Managing IP. Thank you very much for being on IP Fridays, Lucy.

Lucy Wojcik: It’s a pleasure. Nice to talk to you.

Rolf Claessen: You lead quite a large IP team. Maybe you can tell us first how you got there. What was your role at the beginning, and how did you become Chief IP Counsel?

Lucy Wojcik: It’s quite an interesting story. I sometimes call it the longest job interview in history. I started as a consultant in January 2014 for just one day a month. Over time, I realized there was a great team with lots of innovation and opportunity, so I gradually increased my involvement. After two and a half years, I officially joined as Head of IP—the first person in that role. Over time, I grew the team to around 11 or 12 people, especially as we faced significant litigation and an increase in R&D activity. I was named Chief IP Counsel in April 2021.

Rolf Claessen: Let’s talk about your patent portfolio. It’s very diverse—autonomous vehicles, robotic arms, software. Can you give us an overview?

Lucy Wojcik: The portfolio mirrors what the company does. Around 40% protects our active work—robots, software, methods. Some of it is speculative, and sometimes that pays off. For example, a speculative filing from 2015 turned out to be vital for a major new piece of equipment. We also invest in other ventures, like a 3D printing company or vertical farming, and our IP strategy reflects that diversity.

Rolf Claessen: Ocado also licenses its systems to other retailers, who might be seen as competitors. How do you manage that?

Lucy Wojcik: Ocado Retail operates only in the UK, in a joint venture with Marks & Spencer. Outside the UK, we are a systems provider. It avoids direct competition and allows us to test and showcase innovations in the UK before offering them abroad. Our retail operations also help us understand our partners’ challenges.

Rolf Claessen: You’ve become well known for managing large-scale litigation. Can you walk us through that?

Lucy Wojcik: We had extensive litigation with AutoStore, which started in October 2020. It involved cases in the US, UK, EPO, Germany, Israel, and even the UPC. At the peak, we were handling 28 oppositions at the EPO and coordinating over 100 legal professionals globally. My role was project management—connecting external counsel with internal stakeholders and ensuring a coherent strategy across jurisdictions.

Rolf Claessen: How did you manage such complexity?

Lucy Wojcik: Early on, we created one-slide summaries for each patent, which helped communicate internally. It’s about translating legal risk into business terms—especially when communicating with 5,000 employees who aren’t IP experts.

Rolf Claessen: I was surprised to hear that your IP team works closely with engineers using agile methods, sprints, and scrums. That’s unusual for IP departments.

Lucy Wojcik: Yes! We are deeply embedded in the tech teams. We join their meetings and sprints, which lets us identify protectable inventions early—even if that means filing provisional or imperfect patents. It’s not always efficient from a classic IP perspective, but it makes our work relevant and timely.

Rolf Claessen: You’ve said that your role is about delivering the best IP value given commercial realities. Can you elaborate?

Lucy Wojcik: In-house work is about context. You never have all the resources or time you’d like. Sometimes a “good enough” patent is all that’s needed to enable a commercial move. We try not to let IP slow things down—we offer practical solutions instead.

Rolf Claessen: What’s your most important advice for in-house IP professionals?

Lucy Wojcik: Always think about your audience. Tailor your communication. I often use the TL;DR method—”Too Long; Didn’t Read”—with key points at the top of an email, followed by analysis. Different stakeholders need different things: the CFO wants to know the cost, the CEO wants strategy, and engineers want to know what they can and can’t do.

Rolf Claessen: What’s one thing you wish outside counsel would do differently?

Lucy Wojcik: Honestly, I’ve had great experiences. But early in my time at Ocado, I was frustrated by firms charging for travel time. It might be better for law firms to take a long-term view, especially with smaller clients—build trust first, revenue later. And always be honest about your capacity and fit.

Rolf Claessen: Thank you so much for this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation! I’m sure our listeners will find a lot of inspiration in your story.

Lucy Wojcik: Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure.