The advent of the internet has transformed the way we engage with intellectual property by introducing new challenges in protecting these rights. Join 10 experts as they reiterate the “need-to-know” issues and forward-thinking approaches for managing digital assets, enforcing trade marks and patent rights, and explore with you copyright, AI and intellectual property commercialisation. All plus your ethics, professional skills and practice management in specialist issues and concerns for intellectual property practitioners. 

Presenters

Ms Amelia Cooper, Senior Lawyer, Gilbert + Tobin
Amelia is a senior lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin, specialising in intellectual property and has acted in major patent, trade mark and copyright cases in the Federal Court and High Court. Amelia also advises on commercial and regulatory matters related to IP, including in the franchising and consumer law space, privacy and data breaches, Spam Act compliance and the Freedom of Information regime.


Mr. John Lee, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
John is a partner in Gilbert + Tobin's Tech + IP group and leads the market leading Patent practice. John’s combination of legal and technical qualifications enables him to practice at the forefront of IP law. John has many years’ experience dealing with all aspects of intellectual property law with a particular focus on patent litigation and trade secrets. He practices across a broad range of industries including information technology, gaming, life sciences, mining and resources. John has lectured extensively at several universities on a range of intellectual property subjects and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. John has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) and is also a registered Patent Attorney.


Ms. Justine Munsie, Partner, Addisons
Justine Munsie is a Partner at Addisons, specialising in media and intellectual property law. She represents clients in the media, entertainment, advertising, and gaming sectors, providing strategic advice on content, branding, and marketing issues. Justine's expertise includes navigating complex legal frameworks relevant to her clients' operations. Her reputation in the industry underscores her commitment to excellence in IP and media law.


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.


Angus Lang SC, Barrister, Tenth Floor Selborne/Wentworth Chambers
Angus Lang is a barrister at Tenth Floor Chambers in Sydney specialising in intellectual property litigation. He has appeared in numerous patent, copyright, trade mark and trade practices disputes at trial and appellate level. Mr Lang practises throughout Australia, primarily in the Federal Court of Australia, the Federal Circuit Court, and the patent and trade mark offices. His clients include market leaders across a variety of industries, including mobile telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, media, mechanical engineering and consumer goods. Mr Lang teaches intellectual property law at undergraduate and graduate level in Australia and Europe. For a number of years he has conducted comparative intellectual property law courses at the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin and the Martin-Luther-, Universität in Halle, Germany. He also lectures in intellectual property at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Mr Lang has published regularly in the field, in Australian and international journals. His current research interests include aspects of patent claim construction, patent exhaustion and trade mark dilution. Mr Lang is the former National Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, a member of the AI Expert Group appointed by the Department of Industry and a member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the German Australian-Pacific Lawyers' Association. Mr. Lang is listed in Best Lawyers Australia 2023 for his work in Intellectual Property Law.


Joel Hanrahan, Managing Director, Everedge Global
Joel is a Managing Director at EverEdge, a global Intangible Asset advisory, corporate finance and investment firm. Joel helps innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders of companies, and capital providers globally convert Intangible Assets into business impact: increased margins, market share and enterprise value. Joel has significant global experience with market-leading firms including PwC, KPMG, Telstra, Ashurst and Computershare. He has led programs of work across industries as diverse as physical infrastructure, cybersecurity, data governance, renewable energy, financial services, investment banking, private equity and insurance. He is a specialist in leading and advising organisations in phases of substantial development, specifically major revenue-growth programs across multiple jurisdictions, service lines and involving large groups of varied stakeholders.


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.


Ms. Paula Adamson​, Chief Executive Officer, Wrays
Paula is the CEO of Wrays and has held senior positions across the public and private sector. Prior to joining Wrays Paula was the Deputy Director General for IP Australia, responsible for IP Rights administration as the Commissioner of Patents and Registrar of Trade Marks, Designs and Plant Breeders’ rights. Paula also spent time in the Prime Minister and Cabinet Department as the Deputy Coordinator of Critical Technology Policy Coordination and has a good understanding of the emerging technology trends impacting on the IP eco system. She also has extensive management consulting experience with large professional services firms where she specialised in people and organisation transformation. Paula brings a combination of IP expertise with senior executive management experience and has a laser focus on change management, Human Resource Management, strategy and operational planning, service delivery, policy design, program and project management, governance, cultural transformation and uplifting workforce capability. Paula is passionate about supporting Australia’s innovation economy and enjoys working alongside research institutes and vibrant start-up communities to protect their intangible assets and contribute to the country’s economic growth.


Ms Alison Jones, Special Counsel, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Alison Jones is a Special Counsel in the intellectual property practice of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia’s leading independent law firm. Alison specialises in intellectual property and consumer protection law, and advises clients across all business sectors on a range of IP, regulatory and related areas including IP strategy, advising on commercial arrangements of various kinds and contract drafting, advertising and marketing, competition and consumer law issues, IP enforcement, and commercial regulatory (including food law, cosmetics, life sciences and therapeutic goods regulation, product liability risk and recall, privacy and data protection). Alison's experience in this area also includes secondments at leading companies in IP-driven sectors, including fast moving consumer goods and life sciences.


Ms. Rebecca Dunn, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Rebecca is a Partner in Gilbert + Tobin’s Tech & IP group and an experienced litigator in intellectual property and media law. She specialises in copyright, defamation, trade mark litigation, and Australian Consumer Law, with particular expertise in the online space. Her enforcement work spans national and international clients in the film and music industries, and she has litigated in the Supreme and Federal Courts, including at the High Court of Australia. Rebecca serves as President of the Communications and Media Law Alliance and is a member of several professional societies. She holds a Bachelor of Law (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Newcastle, and a Master of Research focused on social media law and democracy.


Dr. Sheila Barbero, Senior Associate, FB Rice
Sheila has extensive experience in building and managing patent portfolios, drafting patent specifications, and providing strategic advice. Sheila assists clients in various areas of chemistry including organic and medicinal chemistry, polymers and biomaterials, food and beverage technologies, and general chemistry.