Presenters

Michael Frankel AM, Partner, Frankel Lawyers
Michael Frankel BA, LLB, AM, has been practising law for 46 years, in Intellectual Property, Media, Entertainment and public policy Law. He is a partner in Frankel Lawyers, which has a wide range of corporate, arts and media clients, including in Intellectual Property, Film and Television, Music, Media, Publishing, Defamation, Broadcasting, Theatre, Dance, Visual Arts, Literature, Multimedia and New Technology, Merchandising and Ancillary Exploitation, Live Major Events and Festivals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural rights, Public Policy Issues. The firm also litigates in the media and copyright area. He has represented organisations past and present include Federal Attorney-General's Copyright Law Review Committee; Australian Film Commission, Australian Society of Authors; Media and Communications Committee, Australian Director's Guild, Copyright Agency Ltd, Griffin Theatre company, Documentary Foundation, Director of Bicycle NSW, Board of Jewish Education, etc. He has chaired a number of reviews including the Visual Arts - Treatment of Artistic Works in the Educational Copying Scheme, and chaired organisations most recently the UTS Animal Logic Academy - Industry Advisory Board. Michael was awarded Order of Australia AM, for his contribution to Arts, cultural and intellectual property rights, media, law and Indigenous rights. In recognition of his contribution to authors and publishing, Michael was honoured with Life Membership to the Australian Society of Authors.

Helen Macpherson, Executive Lawyer (Head of Litigation – Australia), Pearce IP
Helen has over 25 years’ experience as an intellectual property specialist and is recognised as an industry leader. Helen advises on all forms of intellectual property including patents, plant breeder’s rights, trade marks, copyright and confidential information. Throughout her career, Helen has maintained a strong focus on high-value patent mandates involving complex technologies. In these mandates, Helen has been able to draw upon her technical training in biochemistry and molecular biology, as well as her ability to up-skill swiftly in relation to diverse technologies. Helen regularly advises on the preparation and execution of patent infringement, revocation and amendment strategies, including in the context of multijurisdictional patent disputes, as well as on the impact of relevant regulatory frameworks on these strategies and on freedom to operate and patentability issues. Her patent work has encompassed the technical fields of inorganic, organic, physical and process chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology (including genetics, molecular biology and virology) and physics. Helen is a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, as well as a member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.