Presenters

Joanna Lawrence, Partner, Ashurst Australia
Joanna Lawrence is a Partner in the intellectual property team at Ashurst. Joanna's practice encompasses both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law, with a particular focus on trade marks, domain names, consumer protection law, copyright, design and food law. Joanna also has a strong interest in pro bono. In addition to assisting many of Ashurst's pro bono clients with trade mark and other IP matters, she is a member of the INTA Pro Bono Committee. Joanna is a regular presenter and chair at Legalwise intellectual property and food law seminars.


Dr Steven Stern, Barrister, Svenson’s List; Adjunct Professor, Victoria University
Dr Steven Stern FIPTA CTA ICC BEc LLB (Mon) LLM PhD (Melb) practises at the Victorian Bar specialising in litigation and other disputes relating to trade marks, patents, copyright and other intellectual property. Dr Stern is a Fellow of The Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia. He is a Registered Trade Mark Attorney. From 2017 to 2023 Dr Stern was the Honorary Secretary of List S Svenson Barristers. Dr Stern presently is the Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Bar Council's Library Committee. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Victoria Law School and a Research Associate in the Institute of Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities at Victoria University; and a Supervising Practitioner in the Melbourne Law School Tax Clinic at The University of Melbourne. As Corporation Secretary/Principal Legal Officer at the Australian Wool Corporation, Dr Stern oversaw the patent and trade mark activities of what was for many decades Australia’s largest export industry. Subsequently, as University Secretary/University General Counsel at Victoria University, Dr Stern oversaw the patent and trade mark activities of an instittution which has developed a globally recognised excellence in the novel ways it undertakes scholarship, pure and applied research, invention, innovation, education and consultancy of international standing. Dr Stern's Master of Laws degree at The University of Melbourne involved a major thesis on the protection of computer software which won the praise of Professor James Lahore as a pioneering work in this developing area; and an abridged version of which was published as a major article in the Australian Law Journal. Dr Stern’s Doctor of Philosophy degree at The University of Melbourne was awarded for a thesis on the Law of Money, exploring the influence of monetary economics on financial law and foreshadowing developments invloving electronic money and digital cash which have evolved into crypto currencies. The Board of Examiners at The Universty of Melbourne was chaired by Professor Michael Cromellin, and also comprised Professor Benjamin Geva of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canade; and Sir Ross Cranston, then a Member of the House of Commons for Dudley North and Solicitor-General for England and Wales in the Blair Labour Government. The Board of Examiners unanimously recommended that The Univrersity of Melbourne admit Dr Stern to its degree of Doctor of Philosophy awarding the highest classification to his thesis. Dr Stern has continued to publish and present papers on these subjects including being a regular presenter at Legalwise Seminars regularly speaking to IP lawyers, patent attroneys and trade mark attorneys. He has a wide background in the provision of legal services in government, regulatory bodies, universities, the corporate sector and in private practice.