The firm has secured a new practice leader and a new special counsel
Dentons is bolstering its IP offering with the hire of two senior lawyers in Melbourne.
Joining the firm are Joy Atacador and Roanne De Menezes from established IP-focused firm Watermark.
Atacador, who joins the Dentons partnership, will become the national head of the firm’s intellectual property and technology and life sciences and healthcare practices. She brings to the firm almost two decades’ of experience as an IP lawyer and trademark attorney. She was the legal practice head and a member of leadership team at Watermark. She is also a former partner at Davis Collison Cave.
Atacador specialises in IP litigation and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on protection and enforcement of trademarks, patents, copyright, designs, confidential information and reputation rights.
De Menezes, who brings with her more than 15 years’ of experience, joins the firm as a special counsel. She was most recently special counsel at Watermark. She was also previously with Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Herbert Smith Freehills.
De Menezes acts for clients in a wide range of sectors and is an expert in all aspects of trademark management, including local and international pre-filing clearance searches, filing strategy advices, and filing and prosecution of trademarks.
Ian Dardis, Dentons Australia region CEO, said that the appointments of Atacador and De Menezes – along with the recent appointments of Lis Boyce, Scott Sloan, and Robyn Chatwood – significantly enhance the IP, IT, and life sciences capabilities of the firm in Australia. Chatwood returned to Australia from the firm’s London office in February.
“Dentons has been focused on growing our IP and IT capability and on building a sector focus around Life Sciences and Health Care in Australia,” he said. “Dentons now has a strong local team that will benefit our Australian and international clients.”
Boyce and Sloan are among the 20 senior appointments that Dentons made from DibbsBarker earlier this month.
Joy Atacador
