Helen Macpherson

Helen has over 25 years’ experience as an intellectual property specialist and is recognised as an industry leader. Helen advises on all forms of intellectual property including patents, plant breeder’s rights, trade marks, copyright and confidential information.

Throughout her career, Helen has maintained a strong focus on high-value patent mandates involving complex technologies. In these mandates, Helen has been able to draw upon her technical training in biochemistry and molecular biology, as well as her ability to up-skill swiftly in relation to diverse technologies. Helen’s patent work has encompassed the technical fields of inorganic, organic, physical and process chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology (including genetics, molecular biology and virology) and physics.

Helen’s patent clients operate in a range of industries, including the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, life sciences, agricultural, manufacturing and tech sectors. Helen regularly advises on the preparation and execution of patent infringement, revocation and amendment strategies, including in the context of multijurisdictional patent disputes, as well as on the impact of relevant regulatory frameworks on these strategies and on freedom to operate and patentability issues.

Helen also has extensive experience advising clients on consumer law issues and disputes, specifically in the context of misleading and deceptive conduct disputes between competitors and with regulators and industry bodies regarding promotional campaigns. These consumer law issues include assisting clients in relation to compliance with the Food Standards Code Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), such as labelling and packaging requirements.

Helen’s clients praise her for her exceptional intelligence and calm demeanour. She is recognised for her strategic and collaborative consultative approach and her ability to foster teamwork in decision-making.

Helen is a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, as well as a member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.