Personnel at IP Gateway

IP Gateway is based in Brisbane, Australia and also has an associated firm, P L Berry & Associates, based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Members of IP Gateway in Brisbane:

WAYNE SLATER

Wayne is the principal of IP Gateway and is a Patent and Trade Marks Attorney with 20 years experience in intellectual property law.

Wayne has a background in chemical engineering and practiced as a chemical engineer before entering the field of intellectual property law. He trained as a patent attorney with a well known IP firm in South Africa before moving to Australia in 1992.

Wayne is also an intellectual property lawyer and is admitted registered to practice as a barrister and solicitor before the Supreme Courts of Queensland and Victoria as well as the Federal Court of Australia.

He has extensive experience in the following areas:

• identifying intellectual property and advising clients on strategies to protect it
• preparing and filing patent and design applications including international patent applications
• prosecuting patent and design applications in Australia
• conducting patent oppositions in Australia
• advising clients on validity and enforcement of patents and designs through the Courts in Australia

Wayne also has considerable experience in prosecuting patent and design applications in overseas countries including: the USA, Europe, UK, Japan, Korea, China and Canada.

Wayne is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys and the International Trade Mark Association.

ALISON McMILLAN

Alison is a Registered Patent Attorney with over 20 years experience in Patent Law.  She began her practice with a leading Patent Attorney firm in Sydney before moving to Brisbane in 1995 and became the first woman in Queensland to be registered as a patent attorney.

Alison has a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Queensland and practices over a broad range of technologies including organic chemistry; polymer chemistry; pharmaceutical chemistry and biotechnology.  Alison represents a range of Australian and overseas clients in these technologies.

She has prepared, filed and prosecuted patent applications to grant in Australia and Internationally.  Alison provides advice on all aspects of Patent Practice and Law, including developing strategies to secure meaningful patent protection, validity, litigation, infringement and freedom to operate.

Alison is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.

GERALDINE RIMMER

Geraldine is a Registered Trade Marks Attorney who has ten years experience in the legal field, primarily in the field of intellectual property.

Geraldine has a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in English Analysis and Communications, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and a Master of Intellectual Property Law from the University of Melbourne. She has also been admitted as a Solicitor before the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Geraldine advises clients on the filing and prosecution of trade mark applications both locally and internationally, and the enforcement of trade mark rights in Australia and New Zealand. She is also regarded as a specialist in trade mark oppositions before the Australian Trade Marks Office.

Geraldine is a member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.

CHRISTOPHER GOODHEW

Chris Goodhew is a consultant of IP Gateway and is a registered Australian Patent and Trade Marks attorney. He has more than 23 years experience in the prosecution of Australian patent applications before the Australian Patent Office, conducting patent opposition proceedings and advising the Bar in patent litigation.

Chris has expertise in a wide range of technologies but has particularly strong expertise in the areas of biotechnology and synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Chris has a BSc in Chemistry and Physical Chemistry and is a Fellow of the Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys.

SERENA THOMPSON

Serena is the Office Manager who provides a senior administrative role to the principal of IP Gateway and the team of support staff in accounting and secretarial duties. She is also a senior paralegal who manages all incoming and outgoing filings in the patent department of IP Gateway.

Serena has over 15 years experience in intellectual property law and has previously worked at two large IP firms in Brisbane where she has gained experience in all aspects of patent and trade mark prosecution. During her employment with IP Gateway, she has been responsible for the design, implementation and maintenance of the firm's state of the art practice management system.

JESSICA COCHRANE

Jessica is a senior patent paralegal at IP Gateway and works within our patent team to assist in managing the firm’s patent filing and prosecution. Jessica has more than 10 years experience and prior to joining IP Gateway she previously worked with another Brisbane IP firm.

MICHELLE CONOMOS

Michelle is a senior paralegal at IP Gateway who works primarily in the fields of patent and trade mark filing and prosecution. Michelle has over 15 years experience in intellectual property law and has previously worked at a large reputable IP firm in Brisbane. She lived in Japan from 2001 to 2005 and is fluent in the Japanese language.

ELIZABETH LEWIS

Elizabeth is a senior patent paralegal at IP Gateway and brings more than 15 years experience to our patent support team. Elizabeth has previously worked with other Brisbane IP firms to gain experience and knowledge in all aspects of patent and trade mark prosecution.

IP GATEWAY’S ASSOCIATED NEW ZEALAND FIRM

IP Gateway works closely with its associated New Zealand firm, P L Berry and Associates in Christchurch. This enables the combined resources of both firms to be placed at the disposal of clients of IP Gateway.

This relationship works to the advantages of clients in two ways.

• Firstly when filing applications in New Zealand they have the benefit of using an attorney who has genuine experience with patent and trade mark law and practice in New Zealand.
• Further both Australian and overseas clients enjoy the benefit of the combined attorney resources of both firms. The attorneys of both firms have expertise across all the major technology areas including life sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software, business methods, and consumer products.

ELSPETH BUCHANAN

Elspeth studied metallurgy at Sheffield University in the UK and subsequently became a chartered engineer. Elspeth then trained as a patent attorney in the UK with the well known firm of Marks and Clerk.

In 1975, Elspeth joined P L Berry and Associates which was owned by Peter Berry where she qualified as a Registered Patent Attorney in New Zealand and also became a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys.

Elspeth became the proprietor of the practice in 1977 and has built the firm up to be a major patent and trade mark firm on New Zealand's South Island.

ALAN CHADWICK

Alan has attained a Bachelor degree of Chemical and Process Engineering from Canterbury University. Working closely with Elspeth, he practices over the full area of patent attorney expertise.

VIRGINIA NICHOLS

Virginia has attained a Bachelor degree with honours in Physics, a Master's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and a Bachelor of Laws, all from Canterbury University. Working closely with Elspeth, she practices over the full area of patent attorney expertise.