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Wayne McMaster
Wayne has over 30 years’ experience in IP law, known particularly for his patents expertise (in all areas). Wayne’s loyal clients come from all over the world, and his team of lawyers and patent attorneys (usually qualified as both) are accustomed to working on all types of strategic IP matters, large and small. Whilst located in the Dispute Resolution group, Wayne’s practice also has a heavy focus on strategic, commercial and regulatory work, particularly in the health and life sciences sectors. Otherwise, Wayne has a fondness for the Mornington Peninsula where he lives, and still comes to work VERY early in the morning, a legacy of years of 4 am starts for his daughters’ swimming training.
Read more about Wayne here. |
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Scott Bouvier
Scott wears many hats, whether this be advising on commercial dealings with IP (there are no IP licensing dilemmas he can’t comment on) or litigating a landmark trade mark case before the High Court of Australia. He is recognised in surveys for his expertise, and has deep relationships with interesting clients such as Lion, Colgate, Sydney Opera House, CSIRO, the University of Sydney and Cricket NSW. Where Scott is an unsung hero is in his energetic contribution within the firm. Formerly the Partner in Charge of Sydney Centre, Scott now helps champion sector initiatives such as Agribusiness and Climate Change Technology. Away from work, Scott is busy with his three young boys and their sporting and school pursuits.
Read more about Scott here. |
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Robert Cooper
Rob has the twin mantle of being both Wayne’s ‘right hand man’ and a well-known IP specialist in his own right. Rob’s IP interests are very broad, currently encompassing large scale patent litigation, a long-running case about trade secrets and a recent success acting for local confectionery importer Sweet Rewards against Mars (in relation to the packaging of a chocolate malt balls product). A qualified trade mark attorney, Rob helps manage the Melbourne trade mark prosecution practice with Natalie Hickey. Away from work, Rob and his wife Shyama (who works in Wayne’s team, meaning plenty of “IP” dinner table conversation) are busy with their young children, although frequent trips back to the UK to catch up with clients and family remain a priority.
Read more about Robert here. |
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Maurice Gonsalves
Maurice’s longstanding work for Microsoft helped grow his global reputation but it is the breadth and depth of his contentious IP practice which has kept him at the forefront of IP law for the last 20 years. Recent cutting edge litigation incudes his representation of the Australian Football League in a landmark copyright case against Optus concerning its mobile phone and internet broadcast service. Professionally, copyright law and trade mark issues are key interests (Maurice is a manager of the Sydney trade marks practice). Outside work, Maurice is a true bon vivant, who travels widely and well, maintaining a close and extensive network of friends, colleagues and Mallesons’ alumni he has mentored over the years.
Read more about Maurice here |
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Patrick Gunning
Patrick specialises in commercial transactions involving intellectual property. The combined effect of technology and IP is a particular passion, and Patrick’s published commentaries on the subject have often gone “viral” online. Indeed, an internet search reveals a 1998 paper on “Distributing encryption software by the Internet” which illustrates an almost historical interest in the area. IP licensing issues are also a speciality, the more technical, the better. When not thinking about the toughest legal issues, Patrick can be found on really, really long bike rides (across countries). He also nurses the occasional broken limb which may or may not be a result of these pursuits.
Read more about Patrick here |
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Natalie Hickey
Natalie enjoys working on a broad range of IP disputes, with a particular interest in social media, brands, entertainment,, and database rights. She is the “chief editor” of IP Whiteboard, Mallesons’ IP blog, which is contributed to by lawyers from across the IP practice. Natalie primarily has domestic Australian clients such as Sensis (a Telstra subsidiary responsible for the Yellow Pages), Cadbury and others, although she does enjoy overseas work referrals as well. She helps manage the trade marks prosecution practice in Melbourne with Rob Cooper. When not at work, you can find Natalie on the ski slopes, or experimenting with her new outdoor pizza oven.
Read more about Natalie here |
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Cheng Lim
Cheng has long been at the forefront of IP, technology and media in Australia, with a deep and long standing representation of clients such as Telstra. When mobile phone technology was just a concept, Cheng was working out how it could be legally commercialised. Cheng’s IP interests have extended to defence work (eg an IP dispute concerning submarines), sports right deals, and a range of new technology and media applications. Whilst Cheng claims primarily to do commercial work, he has also represented clients in the court room or Copyright Tribunal. Cheng’s good humoured approach means he has a long list of loyal clients (his laugh can be heard all the way across the floor). Cheng is also no stranger to a social occasion.
Read more about Cheng here. |
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Michael Lundberg
Michael is the current Partner in Charge of Perth centre, and whilst his practice is primarily general litigation, Michael also has background in IP. In a seminal decision on plant breeders’ rights (PBR for those in the know), Michael acted for the Grain Pool of WA all the way to the High Court. Given there has been almost no litigation on this issue in Australia, Michael can justifiably claim to be one of the few PBR experts in the country.
Read more about Michael here. |
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Kim O’Connell
Kim is one of Australia’s leading patent lawyers with a primarily contentious practice (although there is plenty of strategic commercial advice too) focussed in the life sciences and medical devices arena. She heads the patents practice in Sydney, enjoys frequent litigation success, and is known by her staff to be a terrific mentor. When not speaking at pharmaceutical and biotech conferences (and running her busy practice), Kim takes beach holidays with her family, although not necessarily of the quiet kind, most recently scuba diving in Borneo.
Read more about Kim here. |
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Katrina Rathie
Katrina lives IP, as is demonstrated by her enviable collection of brand clients including Bodum, Citigroup, LG, Nestlé, Pfizer and Revlon. In 2012, Katrina was thrilled to win ILO’s Client Choice Awards for IP. Recent highlights include her recent ground breaking passing off wins on behalf of Bodum and advertising law suits on behalf of LG and Luxottica. Katrina leads the firm’s media and entertainment sector, and is passionate about advertising, brands and anything new. She loves travelling, food and wine, fashion and spending time with her three sons who keep her on her toes when she’s not wearing her Louboutins.
Read more about Katrina here. |
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John Swinson
As the head of King & Wood Mallesons’ IP practice, it is hard to say what John is NOT an expert in. He has an extremely broad IP practice, encompassing disputes about Vodka, or film rights in “The Secret”, or patent disputes, or copyright disputes about newspaper headlines or technology issues. Admitted to practice in New York State, John also has close US ties with colleagues in North America, and has provided expert opinions on a range of legal matters. John has decided a large number of domain name ownership disputes for WIPO under the UDRP. John is an Adjunct Professor at QUT Law School, where he also maintains a popular blog on IP issues. Personable and social, if you give the cocktail list to John, you are in safe hands.
Read more about John here. |
