Tom Cordiner QC
- Commercial Law Intellectual Property
- Tort Law Public Law
After a short stint as a molecular geneticist in the 90’s, Tom has, for the past 23 years, specialised in all aspects of intellectual property law, for the last five years as Queen’s Counsel.
Tom commonly appears in the Federal Court of Australia in trials and appeals throughout Australia, and from time to time the Patents Office and Trade Marks Office. He appears for, and advises, a broad range of clients in all kinds of industries including pharmaceutical, mining, automotive, agricultural, IT/telecommunications, wagering, and fashion. He also mediates intellectual property disputes. Tom has been ranked as “preeminent” since 2018 in the list of leading intellectual property senior counsel for Australia (and for Victoria) by the Doyle's Guide.
Prior to joining the law, Tom obtained tertiary qualifications in science and law and earned an honours degree in molecular genetics with a project funded by Florigene Ltd (responsible for the “Blue Rose” and “Long-life carnation” projects) and Melbourne University.
From 1998 to 2003, Tom was a solicitor with Ashurst (then Blake Dawson Waldron), including taking on a six-month secondment at GE Capital. He became a registered patent attorney and trade marks attorney while with the firm, drafting and prosecuting mechanical and molecular biology patents, and assisting clients in a range of technologies, from dance-shoes to nanotechnology.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation
Contact
- P03 9225 6965
- F03 9225 8668
- E[email protected]
- Connect on Linkedin
- Download VCard
Emmerson Chambers
Level 18 Room 6
200 Queen Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Jane King
03 9225 8558
Expertise
- Appellate
- Class Actions
- Competition
- Consumer Law
- Appellate
- Confidential Information
- Copyright & Designs
- Information Technology
- Media & Entertainment
- Patents
- Trade Marks
- Product Liability
- Administrative Law
- Appellate
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science (Hons)
Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
Patent Attorney & Trade Marks Attorney
Victoria
State and Territory Courts and Tribunals
Federal Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
Recent Cases
Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc v Sequenom, Inc [2021] FCAFC 101 (18 June 2021) (infringement and validity of patent concerning pre-natal diagnosis with cell-free fetal DNA);
Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company v Juno Pharmaceuticals (for hearing in June 2021, settled) (patent infringement and validity regarding darunavir);
Henley Arch Pty Ltd v Henley Constructions Pty Ltd (trial 2021, decision reserved) (trade mark infringement and validity);
Taxiprop Pty Ltd v Neutron Holdings Inc [2020] FCA 1565; [2020] FCA 1822; [2021] FCA 274 (trade mark infringement and validity – LIME for transport services);
CQMS Pty Ltd v ESCO Group LLC [2020] APO 54; [2020] APO 53 (16 December 2020); [2020] APO 24 (22 May 2020); [2020] APO 14 (16 March 2020); [2020] APO 5 (29 January 2020) (opposition to grant of patents regarding method of mining equipment);
Toolgen Incorporated v Fisher (trial 2020 and [2019] FCA 2158 (opposition to first patent for CRISPR gene editing technology);
Henley Arch Pty Ltd v Del Monaco (No.2) [2020] FCCA 1911 (15 July 2020) (house plan copyright infringement);
Mylan Health Pty Ltd v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd [2020] FCAFC 116 (3 July 2020) (patent infringement and validity – fenofibrate);
CQMS Pty Ltd v ESCO Group LLC (16 December 2020) (opposition to grant of patents regarding method of mining equipment);
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v Kymab Limited [2019] APO 36 (31 July 2019) (opposition to patent concerning mouse models for antibody production);
Liberation Developments Pty Ltd v Lomax Group Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 1180 (30 July 2019); [2019] FCA 2059 (5 December 2019) (infringement and validity of patent concerning hoarding systems);
Technological Resources Pty Limited v Tettman [2019] FCA 1889 (15 November 2019) (patent validity for mining equipment);
Sequenom, Inc. v Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. [2019] FCA 1011 (27 June 2019) (infringement and validity of patent concerning pre-natal diagnosis with cell-free fetal DNA);
InterPharma Pty Ltd v Hospira, Inc (No 5) [2019] FCA 960 (20 June 2019) (infringement and validity of patent concerning drug, dexmedetomidine);
Mylan Health Pty Ltd (formerly BGP Products Pty Ltd) v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd (formerly Ranbaxy Australia Pty Ltd) (No 2) [2019] FCA 883 (12 June 2019) (costs of patent proceedings re drug, fenofibrate);
Juno Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc [2019] FCA 526 (16 April 2019) (application to withdraw admission in patent infringement and validity case concerning drug, bortezomib);
Mylan Health Pty Ltd v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd (No 2) [2019] FCA 505 (11 April 2019) (interlocutory application for injunction pending appeal);
Mylan Health Pty Ltd v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 411 (25 March 2019) (application to set aside notice to produce);
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2019] FCAFC 28 (22 February 2019) (appeal from application for interlocutory injunction re drug dispenser for insulin glargine);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC v S.S.S. Auto Parts Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 97 (11 February 2019) (infringement and validity of design registrations for car parts);
Meat & Livestock Australia Limited v Cargill, Inc (No 2) [2019] FCA 33 (23 January 2019) (opposition to amendment of patent regarding identifying a trait of a bovine subject from a nucleic acid sample);
Mylan Health Pty Ltd (formerly BGP Products Pty Ltd) v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd (formerly Ranbaxy Australia Pty Ltd) [2019] FCA 28 (22 January 2019) (patent infringement and validity regarding drug, fenofibrate);
Caesarstone Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar S.p.A. (No 3) [2019] FCA 7 (14 January 2019) (trade mark oppositions and revocation for mark CAEARSTONE);
Shen Dian Enterprise Ltd v ARK Corporation Pty Ltd [2018] APO 92 (21 December 2018) (opposition to patent application regarding battery box with built-in charger);
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (No 3) [2018] FCA 2060 (19 December 2018) (interlocutory injunction application re patent infringement and validity for drug dispenser for insulin glargine);
Cantarella Bros Pty Ltd v Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V. [2018] APO 81 (2 November 2018) (opposition to patent application for coffee capsule systems);
CQMS Pty Ltd. v Esco Group LLC [2018] APO 80 (30 October 2018) and Talon Engineering SDN. BHD. v Esco Group LLC [2018] APO 79 (30 October 2018) (opposition to grant of patent regarding method of shipping wear member of excavating equipment);
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 1630 (24 October 2018) (interlocutory injunction application re patent infringement and validity for drug dispenser for insulin glargine);
Reflex Instruments Asia Pacific Pty Ltd v Minnovare Pty Ltd [2018] APO 70 and 71 (22 October 2018) (opposition to grant of patent application for apparatus for orientation of drilling rods using gyroscopes for mining);
Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited v Precision Tracking Pty Ltd (No 7) [2018] FCA 1160 (8 August 2018) (costs dispute regarding application to amend pleadings in patent infringement and validity and confidential information case concerning pizza tracking systems);
Caesarstone Ltd v Ceramiche Caesar S.p.A. (No 2) [2018] FCA 1096 (31 July 2018) (opposition and cancellation of trade marks);
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Investments (Ireland) (No 2) Limited v Generic Partners Pty Limited (No 2) [2018] FCAFC 100 (27 June 2018) (appeal on infringement and validity of patent regarding formulation for paracetamol).
Publications
Intellectual Property Update - State Street Global Advisors Trust Company v Maurice Blackburn Pty Ltd (No 2)
02 March 2021Intellectual Property Update - Urban Alley Brewery Pty Ltd v La Sirène Pty Ltd
02 March 2021Intellectual Property Update - State of Escape Accessories Pty Limited v Schwartz (No 2) and in other news…
02 March 2021Intellectual Property Update - State of Escape Accessories Pty Limited v Schwartz and farewell to Peter Heerey AM QC
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association, IP and Trade Practices Section, Assistant Secretary
Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ)
Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys (IPTA)