Alison Laughlin
Alison is a specialist in the area of Intellectual Property.
Alison is a Senior Associate in the Intellectual Property Disputes team in Sydney.
The focus of her practice is on contentious intellectual property matters, including in relation to patents, trade marks, copyright, confidential information and misleading or deceptive conduct claims.
Her experience spans across a number of sectors, including pharmaceutical, medical devices, financial services, mining and consumer products.
Alison has strong experience and skill in acting for clients in Court disputes, mainly in the Federal Court of Australia. She has experience in successfully defending a special leave application to the High Court of Australia. Her Court experience includes assisting in the preparation of complex expert evidence, often in technical and scientific areas. Alison’s tertiary qualifications in science assists her with this.
Alison also provides strategic and commercial advice to her clients to assist them to resolve matters in a timely and cost efficient way. She is client focused and understands the industries within which her clients operate.
Background
Alison has a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Hons) and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) from the University of Sydney. She is a member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Hanwha Solutions in patent infringement / invalidity proceedings before the Federal Court regarding complex solar cell technology
- Fonterra in a Federal Court appeal from its successful opposition to Perfect Day’s patent application, concerning recombinant protein dairy substitute compositions
- Biogen, an innovative biotechnology company, in patent proceedings before the Federal Court in relation to a blockbuster MS treatment
- a large pharmaceutical company on numerous patent disputes in the Federal Court (and potential disputes), including in the area of cancer treatments, hypertension, antihistamines and diabetes
- a global mining company in Federal Court proceedings defending allegations of patent infringement
- Channel Seven, Australia’s largest television network, in relation to various matters including Federal Court proceedings against 7-Eleven regarding the “7NOW” trade mark
- Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C., a global investment firm, in relation to a major trade mark and consumer law dispute relating to the name “Anchorage”. This included the successful defence of a High Court special leave application
- a global investment fund on various trade mark oppositions
- a large government agency in a Copyright Tribunal matter.
- advising on trade mark matters in various fields including real estate services, accommodation and hotel services, financial services and consumer goods and services
Sectors
