Maddocks snaps up Ashurst star to lead trade mark and brand protection practice

Maddocks has snapped up Ashurst’s Elizabeth Ireland as a special counsel to head up its national trade marks and brand protection practice.

Ireland operates from Sydney as part of Maddocks’ IP team. Previously, she had spent 15 years with Ashurst.

She has over 15 years of experience in IP, marketing, and advertising law. She has tackled matters spanning the entire brand and product lifecycle from development through to enforcement.

Ireland has advised on trade mark portfolio management and assisted on advisory, contentious, transactional, and regulatory issues related to trade marks, copyright, designs, and business and domain names.

She is also an expert in food safety, product regulation, trade promotions, and IP and regulatory challenges linked to corporate and financial transactions. Her clientele includes companies from the food, FMCG, publishing, fashion, health and beauty, luxury goods, transport, tourism, retail, and e-commerce sectors.

Ireland's excellence in her field has been acknowledged by her inclusion in Best Lawyers 2024 for Retail Law, being named a Next Generation Lawyer by Legal 500 and a Rising Star by Managing IP. Her joining the Maddocks team is in line with the firm’s greater focus on the consumer markets sector.

Ireland is set to help meet the increasing demand for specialist advice on marketing and brand protection strategies to optimise brand value for both Australian and international brands.