Peter Rudd-Clarke is a regulatory and litigation partner in the life sciences and healthcare team at law firm Osborne Clarke.
His clients include medical device companies, software producers, service providers and manufacturers of lifestyle products.
His work involves advising on the regulation of medical devices and consumer products, as well as CE/UKCA marking, clinical trials, regulatory investigations and ongoing compliance matters.
He also advises manufacturers of complex products against liability claims, often across multiple jurisdictions.
Peter is based in London.
1) What is your morning routine?
Our Labradoodle insists on a run first thing in the morning before I do anything else. Home life doesn’t function unless I comply.
The dog believes in the power of routines and I think there’s something in it.
It means that every day we are both guaranteed a couple of miles worth of exercise in Epping Forest and I have a chance to listen to the news for half an hour. In the meantime, my wife is dealing with any mini-dramas the children have come up with during the night.
All in all, the dog and I are happy with the arrangement.
2) Which technology could you not live without?
I am still clinging onto my SLR camera on holiday, even though smartphone cameras are now really good.
A ‘proper’ camera still just edges it for depth and when pictures are blown up to larger than 7″ by 5″.
It’s worth lugging around the camera and associated lenses to capture the moment. But I wonder for how long.
3) How do you relax?
My Peloton and Wine Society subscriptions balance each other out in perfect harmony.
4) Which quote resonates with you?
It’s not so much a quote as a fable.
During my current marathon training I’m listening to a biography of Winston Churchill. Churchill used the “Tale of Two Frogs” to bolster morale in 1941.
Two frogs fell into a vat of milk. They flailed around for a while, unable to escape.
The pessimistic frog gave up and died. The optimistic frog carried on struggling and found that his struggles caused a pat of butter to form.
He hopped onto the butter and then escaped to freedom. Keep going, stay optimistic, and you never know what might turn up.
5) What is the best thing about your job?
The people I get to work with who are inspired to work in the products and life sciences sectors.
The sector is fizzing with new ideas that are critical to our futures.
The pace of regulatory change is picking up and it’s an enjoyable challenge to advise clients bringing new products to the market.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic and with the advent of technology including AI, we’re at a cross-roads for human development and health.
Where we go from here, and how the law keeps up with it, will be fascinating.
6) If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, whose would they be and why?
My children.
I used to have a very good idea what a day in their shoes was like but as they get older I increasingly don’t really know what they’re up to. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at school for a day.
7) What is the one thing that we are not talking about?
Short termism in the political system. The cycle of elections every four or five years (not just in the UK) makes for policies designed to seem appealing for a few years and no longer.
But the issues that really affect us, from health, to the environment, to education require bold decisions to be made that run the risk of unpopularity in the short term.
We should be talking about how to encourage collaboration in politics to achieve solutions to long term challenges.
8) Would you rather travel 100 years forward or back in time?
Forward. See above at 5!
9) What advice would you give to 18 year old you (and would you have listened to you!)?
Read lots of biographies and interviews. Find lives that resonate and learn from them (I’m not sure I would have listened then – too engrossed in thrillers).
10) What is your biggest regret?
Ignoring Formula 1 for too long.
I finally got into it via “Drive to Survive” and the whole family now watches the sport.
I’ve been making up for my lack of knowledge by reading some of the great books on motor racing.
Auto-biographies by Virginia Williams and Niki Lauda teach a similar message to Churchill’s Frog story (above).
