Presenters

Sarah Gilkes, Partner, Hamilton Locke
Sarah is an intellectual property specialist, focused on commercial transactions involving IP and technology assets. She works with entrepreneurs and established businesses at all stages of the IP life cycle to protect key IP, build commercialisation pathways, and achieve growth targets in domestic and international markets. Sarah acts for clients across a broad range of industries, including technology, energy and resources, FMCG, entertainment and professional services. She advises on transactions relating to the use, transfer and funding of IP and technology assets, including licensing and distribution arrangements, IT procurement and SaaS agreements, mergers and acquisitions of IP-based businesses, and private equity / venture capital investments into high-growth companies. Sarah also provides strategic advice on the establishment and management of international trade mark portfolios, and has led multi-jurisdictional disputes to enforce and defend IP rights. Sarah has held advisory and Board positions for start-ups, established companies, and not-for-profit organisations, and has acted for a number of high-profile performers and sportspeople. Prior to joining Hamilton Locke, Sarah was a Partner at a specialist IP firm for several years, and has also worked as in-house counsel in the technology transfer division of one of Australia’s leading universities.


Dean Gerakiteys, Partner, Clayton Utz
With a background both in litigation and advisory work, Dean has developed a strong reputation for helping clients resolve disputes. Dean's particular focus is on disputes involving intellectual property, having successfully acted for clients on matters across the IP spectrum, including trade marks, copyright, patents, confidential information, trade secrets and domain names. This work has seen Dean work on matters at every stage of the litigation process, including winning a landmark decision in the High Court of Australia on foreign language trade marks. Complementing Dean's litigation experience is his general commercial advice on non-contentious matters for clients across a wide range of industries. From his work for pharma clients, Dean has also developed a practice in regulatory work, particularly the highly technical area of listing and advertising therapeutic goods and dealing with the Australian regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.


Joel Parsons, Senior Associate, Clayton Utz
Joel is an intellectual property, media and technology lawyer based in the Sydney office of Clayton Utz, who supports clients in advisory and litigious matters. Joel's expertise includes copyright, trade marks, designs, confidential information, and domain names, in both contentious and non-contentious matters. He has acted in landmark copyright cases involving previously untested provisions of the Copyright Act concerning technological protection measures and crown use. Joel has a Master of Laws with excellence specialising in Media & Technology and Dispute Resolution, has been listed as a Legal 500 Rising Star in Media & Entertainment (2022 and 2023), a Doyle's Guide Rising Star in IP/TMT (2019) and Commercial Litigation (2023), and recommended by Legal 500 in Intellectual Property (2023) and Dispute Resolution (2021, 2022). He is a member of the Law Council of Australia, Business Law Section, Media & Communications Committee.