HopgoodGanim has launched a new patents practice, its first non-legal service offering, tapping a veteran of Australia’s mining, energy, and minerals sector to oversee the new unit.
The new director, who cannot be named yet due to contractual matters, is said to have vast international and patent prosecution experience and a background in metallurgical and mechanical engineering and minerals processing. He will be working closely with partner Hayden Delaney, who oversees the firm’s intellectual property law team.
“He’s a person I’ve been working with for a number of years. I know him very well. He’s already been working closely with a number of our clients at the firm and it’s great to be able to have him as part of the firm and as part of the team so that together, we can offer our clients a full suite of IP services,” Delaney said.
“Unlike most law firms and competitors in the space, we integrate a patent-attorney practice with an IP law practice, enabling us to service our clients’ needs from every aspect of the IP life cycle through from IP protection, patent prosecution, [and] trademark prosecution through to IP commercialisation, complicated licensing transactions,” he said. “And finally, if you need us, we have a capable set of IP litigators who are there to enforce and protect your IP assets when you need it most,” he said.
HopgoodGanim said that the new practice and the new appointment reflect client demand for more than just legal advice. Though the patents practice is the first non-legal offering of the firm, it has already been expanding business advisory services for some time, said Bruce Humphrys, HopgoodGanim managing partner.
Delaney said that he personally appreciates the chance to work with clients from product concept to launching in the market.
“Personally, it’s very fulfilling as a commercial lawyer to be able to work closely with a client from the very early stages of a product idea or invention, through to seeing that idea come to fruition on the open market and to then be a part of that process to protect their intellectual property,” he said.
He said that the new practice allows them to cater to clients who may be avoiding conflicts of interest.
“Given the current market where a large number of patent attorney firms are consolidating and listing on the ASX, we know that clients are looking for independent firms which are not impacted by perception of conflict that can occur within consolidated groups,” Delaney said.
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