An inventor is seeking up to £366 million in damages, alleging that his contributions to a high-tech wound dressing significantly boosted his former employer’s profits. Dr. David Parsons, an analytical chemist from Hoylake, Merseyside, worked for Convatec Ltd, a London-based medical products company, from 1991 until 2023. During his tenure, he was credited on multiple patents related to the use of silver in Aquacel infection-fighting wound dressings.

Dr. Parsons contends that his inventions generated an “outstanding” advantage for Convatec and is pursuing a share of the company’s earnings linked to the commercial success of these products. The specialist wound dressings integrate antibacterial silver ions to reduce infection risks and have reportedly been highly profitable for Convatec.

However, Convatec has challenged the claim in the Court of Appeal, arguing that employee compensation for inventions is limited to cases involving a single, exceptionally valuable invention—a “humdinger”—rather than a series of less remarkable patents. The company maintains that Dr. Parsons’ contributions, collectively described as “run-of-the-mill” inventions, do not meet the legal threshold for a substantial payout under current patent-related compensation laws.

The dispute centers on the interpretation of employee rights to share in profits stemming from patented inventions developed during their employment. Judges in the Court of Appeal are expected to clarify this point of law ahead of a full trial scheduled for 2028 at the High Court.

The outcome may set an important precedent for inventive employees and employers in the UK, particularly in sectors where innovations result from cumulative incremental improvements rather than single groundbreaking discoveries. Both parties are awaiting the judicial ruling to determine the next steps in the case.