IPTA Council members
The affairs of IPTA are managed by a Council of volunteers elected annually from among its Fellows.
President
Dr John Landells
President
John Landells has about 18 years’ experience in the patent profession, is a registered patent attorney in both Australia and New Zealand, and a Fellow of IPTA. John has a PhD in Chemistry, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and is a legal practitioner in both Australia and New Zealand. John specialises in the patent field and has particular expertise in a broad range of chemical based technologies including materials chemistry, pharmaceuticals and formulation chemistry. John is currently serving as Vice President of IPTA and has been Convenor of the Ethics and Disputes Committee and the New Zealand Legislation & IPONZ Business Relations Committee.
Vice President
Dr Grant Shoebridge
Vice President
Grant Shoebridge has over 15 years’ experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology-related intellectual property. Grant has a PhD in immunology and spent over 10 years working in a range of medical research fields including, HIV, cancer and vaccine-based research. For the past several years Grant has led IPTA’s political engagement (lobbying) strategy, particularly in relation to proposed changes to Australian patent legislation and innovation policy. Grant is a recognised authority on gene-related patentable subject matter. He made submissions to a Senate Inquiry into the patentability of genes and biological material and was involved in IPTA’s intervention application to the High Court appeal in D’Arcy v Myriad Genetics Inc. Grant also successfully acted for the Applicant in Arrowhead Research Corporation [2016] APO 70 – which set an important precedent in relation to the patentability of gene-based pharmaceutical inventions in Australia. For three years, Grant was course coordinator for “Interpretation and Validity of Patent Specifications” which is part of the University of Technology, Sydney postgraduate law program, and the Masters in Intellectual Property, which provides a pathway to registration for Australian patent attorneys. Grant also lectured for the University of NSW course “Myths and Realities of Personalised Medicine: The Genetic Revolution”. Grant joined the IPTA Council in 2016.
Vice President
Dr Claire Gregg
Vice President
Claire joined IPTA as a student member in 2014. At the 2017 IPTA Conference in Perth, Claire first heard the term “YIPTA”. Curious to know more, she quickly learned that this was an informal group for “young” IPTA members. In Sydney where she was working at the time, she began organising social and educational events for her Sydney peers. In 2019, Claire was successful in her campaign to have YIPTA recognised as a formal committee of IPTA dedicated to engaging and supporting student and ordinary members with less than 5 years post-registration experience (i.e., those not yet eligible for Fellowship). Claire has led a number of initiatives including educational, social, professional development, networking, ethics, wellbeing and diversity and inclusion opportunities, both in person and online. She was also influential in giving YIPTA members the opportunity to present at the annual conference and register for a reduced fee, as well as encouraging more YIPTA members to join IPTA committees and have their voices heard. Claire was the co-convenor of the YIPTA committee until she became a Fellow in 2021 and remains the only non-Councillor to have convened a committee of IPTA. Claire has also demonstrated a long-standing interest in the legal and policy issues relevant to the profession as a member of the IPTA Patent Legislation committee. She has been an active member of the Future Directions and Conference committees for several years. She is constantly contributing ideas to Council, assisting with submissions to IP Australia and engaging with the profession to ensure all members – no matter their level of experience – have their say in how IPTA operates. Claire joined IPTA Council in 2021.
Councillors
Anthony Alder
Councillor
Anthony Alder has more than 25 years’ experience with the commercialisation of high level technology developed by worldwide companies. Anthony has previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal, ResMed Ltd, Ventracor Ltd, Hunter Immunology Ltd, and boutique patent attorney firms. He has also worked extensively in the medical device industry working on implantable left ventricle assist device (artificial hearts), bionic hearing, and respiratory treatment technology including respirators and CPAP. Anthony is the founder of Alder IP and is a qualified NSW Supreme Court Solicitor (lawyer), Patent and Trade Mark Attorney, and Domain Name Arbitrator in Australia. Anthony has Bachelor degrees in Biology/Chemistry and Law (Macquarie University, Sydney); Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law (UTS, Sydney); Diploma in Legal Practice Management (College of Law) and Advanced Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance. Anthony is also a Fellow of the Institute of Patent Attorney.
Prue Cowin
Councillor
Prue is a Senior Associate patent attorney in the Biotechnology group at FB Rice with over 10 years’ experience in the industry. Prue is passionate about biotech and IP and specialises in the areas of biological therapeutics and diagnostics such as gene and cellular therapies, antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, proteins, peptides and mRNA vaccines, as well as processes for their manufacture. Her practice includes working with start-ups, SMEs and large corporates both locally and internationally to provide practical advice to assist them in developing and securing a valuable IP portfolio. In her current position, Prue has gained extensive experience working with clients to develop global strategies to align their intellectual property needs with their commercial objectives, including through the preparation and global enforcement of complex international patent portfolios, conducting due diligence (e.g., associated with negotiation of manufacturing licencing agreements), providing global freedom-to-operate analysis, briefing counsel on IP issues and preparation of complex validity and infringement opinions on third party patents for litigation.
Dr Tony Davis
Councillor
Tony Davis is a registered Australian and New Zealand patent attorney. He entered the profession in 2005 and spent over 15 years working in larger firms prior to joining RnB IP as a principal in 2020. Tony has a PhD in molecular biology and immunology and undertook post-doctoral research in infectious diseases at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. During this time he published several articles in peer reviewed international scientific journals. He specialises in biotechnology and pharmaceutical-related patents across a range of technical fields including biological therapeutics, gene editing, mRNA vaccines, cell biology, and plant and food technology. Tony joined the IPTA Patent Practice & IP Australia Business Relations Committee in 2021 and was appointed to IPTA council in 2023.
Ian Drew
Councillor
Ian has been fortunate to work with a wide variety of clients in his career, from backyard inventors to major multi-national corporations. He prosecuted trade mark matters directly before the IP Offices of Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Pacific Island countries, and via associates in most countries of the world. Ian believes wholeheartedly in the value of IP rights as a driver of commercial success. Ian is also a Senior Fellow at Melbourne University where he has co-taught the international section of the Trade Marks Practice course for the last six years. Ian has published widely on trade mark matters and presently co-authors the international registration section of Lahore: Patents, Trade Marks and Related Rights and the Australian trade mark practice section of Lexology’s publication Getting the Deal Through. Ian is a regular attendee of INTA Annual and Leadership Conferences having spent four years on the INTA Bulletin, two as Chair of the INTA Asia-Pacific Law & Practice Sub-Committee. For the last two years, he has been a member of the Harmonisation of Trade Mark Practice Committee, assisting on the Free Trade Agreement Sub-Committee. Ian also recently finished a six-year stint on the Coburg West Primary School Council, including one year as Secretary and three years as President. Ian joined the IPTA Council in 2021.
Philip Gehrig
Councillor
Philip Gehrig holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne. He specialises in the fields of patents and designs and his experience and expertise spans a broad range of mechanical engineering technologies. These include aeronautical and aerospace construction and components, medical devices and surgical instruments, prostheses and implants, mining and agricultural equipment, manufacturing processes and machinery, and consumer products. Philip joined the patent attorney profession in 1991 and qualified and practiced as an Australian patent attorney and a New Zealand patent attorney in Melbourne before moving to Europe, where he worked in Germany for many years. He qualified as a German patent attorney (Patentanwalt) and European patent attorney and was a partner of a leading patent and trade mark attorney firm in Munich, before returning to practice in Australia in 2017. Philip is a Fellow of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA), a member of the German Patentanwaltskammer, a member of FICPI and a member of AIPPI.
Dr Andrew Jones
Councillor
Andrew Jones has 20 years’ experience in the patent profession and has been a registered patent and trade mark attorney since 2004. He spent 11 years working in the chemistry/life sciences group at one of the large firms before deciding to spread his entrepreneurial wings and start his own firm in 2013. Andrew was elected onto the IPTA Council in 2017, and is keen to be involved in any way he can. Some of Andrew’s goals include fostering a camaraderie between all members and member firms, and promoting diversity and inclusion, in all its forms, throughout the profession.
Ian Lindsay
Councillor
Ian is a registered patent attorney in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and under the European Patent Convention and a registered Australian and European trade mark attorney. Ian specialises in the physics, software and electronics patent subject matter areas, with a particular focus on optics, AI, software and printing. Ian has particular expertise in managing large international IP portfolios, running Australia and European oppositions, setting IP Policy and strategy and drafting patent application in a worldwide framework. Ian worked in-house for four years as an Intellectual Property Manager for a significant Australian innovator in currency manufacture, setting up the IP department, building an IP Team, developing an IP strategy and fostering Intellectual Property knowledge and capture within the business. Ian’s IP and technology expertise within the business led to the integration of IP processes in the R&D framework as well as being a key technical contributor. As a result, Ian has an in-depth appreciation of the key drivers behind client decisions and understands the importance of clear communication, an understanding of potential costs and responsiveness.
Dr Sam Mickan
Councillor
Sam has a distinguished background in electrical and electronic engineering, having partially completed his Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Stuttgart (in Germany), and the experimental work in his Ph.D. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (in the US). Following his Ph.D., he worked as a Senior Lecturer in the school of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Adelaide, teaching engineering electromagnetics and digital signal processing, and supervising many students. In his research, he attracted significant grant funding, founded Adelaide’s terahertz engineering group, and contributed to many publications and patents. Since 2005, Sam has worked in a large Australian patent attorney firm with a diverse range of clients, including individual inventors, funded and unfunded startups, research institutions, and multinational corporations. Sam is also a contributing author to The Laws of Australia (Thomson Reuters), where he writes on the processes for obtaining and maintaining a patent, and a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, teaching patent drafting fundamentals. Sam enjoys working at the intersection of technology, business and the law, particularly since a patent, by its very nature, always brings something new.
Dr Annabella Newton
Councillor
Annabella is a registered patent and trade mark attorney and works in pharmaceutical and chemical-related intellectual property. Annabella has a PhD in organic chemistry and, prior to joining the profession, she worked in industrial and academic research in Australia and overseas. Annabella is an Innovation Mentor with CSIRO’s ON Program, Australia’s national science and technology accelerator, where she assists researchers with the translation and commercialisation of their research. She also provides talks and mentoring to various other start-up programs such as Translating Research at Melbourne (TRaM) and SBE’s Evolve program. Annabella is passionate about IP education and provides lectures and workshops on intellectual property to academics and early-career researchers, as well as start-ups and small businesses. Annabella is also a Guest Lecturer in Intellectual Property at the Leo Cussen Centre for Law. Annabella completed the Australian Institute of Company Director’s Company Directors Course in 2019. She currently serves on the board for Women in STEMM Australia and is a past-president of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s Women in Chemistry group. Annabella joined IPTA Council in 2021.
Megan Ryder
Councillor
Megan Ryder is a registered trade mark attorney in Australia and a Fellow of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA). She has practised exclusively in the area of trade marks for over 15 years and assists clients to protect, manage and defend their brands in Australia and internationally. Megan has the privilege of working with businesses across a broad range of industries and has particular expertise in the food and beverage sector, especially with wine brands. She is currently serving on the International Trademark Association (INTA) Geographical Indications Committee. Megan joined the IPTA Council in 2023 and is passionate about IPTA being a valuable resource for both patent and trade mark attorneys and ensuring that the IPTA Council embraces diversity and inclusiveness. She also recognises the importance of continuing education and training for all IPTA members in order to maintain the high standards that the profession aspires to.
Noelene Treloar
Councillor
Noelene is a Fellow of IPTA, being a Patent and Trade Mark Attorney and a qualified lawyer with over 25 years’ experience across patent attorney firms, legal firms, and in-house corporate IP positions. Noelene has been Of Counsel at Adrian M. Trioli – Intellectual Property for over the past 7 years and is acutely aware of the challenges faced by small patent and trade mark attorney firms (and in-house). Noelene’s intellectual property experience has been accumulated across a wide range of industries including biotechnology, university, government and private sector R&D, FMCG, retail, IT, education and professional services. Her practice covers contentious and non-contentious matters relating to all forms of IP rights as well as their associated commercialisation. Noelene presently serves on a number of international IP-focused committees including the Geographical Indications Committee of INTA.
Ye Rin Yoo
Councillor
Ye Rin is a lawyer and registered trade marks attorney based in Sydney, Australia. She specialises specifically in the protection and enforcement of trade marks in Australia and New Zealand and has acted for major Australian and international companies across a wide range of industries, particularly in the media, entertainment and hospitality industries. Ye Rin is a Fellow of IPTA and has served the Trade Marks, Designs & Indigenous Knowledge Committee, Education Committee and YIPTA Committee and been a speaker and moderator at IPTA Conferences. Ye Rin is also a member of The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), The Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc. (IPSANZ), The Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA) and The Law Society of New South Wales and has contributed to texts and research on trade marks.
Jennifer McEwan
Immediate Past President
Jennifer McEwan is a registered patent attorney, registered trade mark attorney and practising lawyer. Jennifer has been on IPTA’s Council since 2012 and headed the Membership Committee until April 2015. She has been Convenor of the Annual Conference Committee as well as Co-Convenor of the Trade Marks Committee. Jennifer has been very active on the Conference Committee and has contributed to the organisation of IPTA’s annual conferences, including developing topics, inviting presenters, introduction of the now regular YIPTA Breakfast Session. Jennifer is committed to providing members with high level and stimulating annual conferences, and has worked hard to ensure each annual conference with which she is involved is a success. Having established and worked in a boutique IP firm for over 10 years, Jennifer believes it is important for smaller practices to have a voice on Council in order to provide balance and to help ensure the needs of “small firm’” members are met. Currently Jennifer serves as Immediate Past President of IPTA.