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Intellectual Property Partners Sue Gilchrist and Sophie Rich have been named in the World Intellectual Property Review's (WIPR) 80 Influential Women in IP 2019 publication.

Following the launch of the WIPR survey earlier this year, Sue and Sophie were nominated by peers and clients for their outstanding commitment to their field of work. They have been named amongst 80 of the best and most prominent female lawyers and service providers around the world.

The WIPR launched its survey this year in an attempt to discover the current landscape of gender equality in the IP industry. They were inundated with nominations before whittling it down to 80 women.

Sue Gilchrist is Herbert Smith Freehills' head of intellectual property team in Australia. She is recognised in the market as being experienced in all intellectual property areas, including patents, designs, copyright, trade marks, passing off and confidential information. Sue also has extensive experience in consumer law matters, and regularly advises clients on advertising, marketing campaigns and disputes.  Sue was the lead partner acting for Apple in the Apple v Samsung patent and design litigation, relating to tablets and smart phones, and 3G mobile connectivity technology.

Sophie Rich is a partner and patents law specialist, based in the firm's London office. She works with clients on a wide range of contentious matters, particularly concerning patents involving technically complex subject matter, and is a trusted advisor to a number of the world's largest originator life science companies. As well as running litigation in the English courts, Sophie has considerable experience of managing multi-jurisdictional patent enforcement actions, frequently against generic companies.

Herbert Smith Freehills Global Head of Intellectual Property, Mark Shillito, said:

"We are delighted for Sue and Sophie. To be recognised in this way alongside some of the other most prominent female lawyers in the world is a fantastic achievement. As a firm, we are committed to creating an environment in which all of our lawyers can thrive. We are extremely proud of our diverse IP team and its culture of inclusion and this recognition for Sue and Sophie is testament to that."