• Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours)
• Bachelor of Laws
• Master of Laws (Intellectual Property)
• Registered Patent Attorney (Australia and New Zealand)
• Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria
• Admitted to the High Court of Australia
• Holder of a Queensland practising certificate
• Member of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA)

Rob McMaster is Special Counsel and Head of our Litigation Department at IP Partnership Lawyers.

Rob studied Mechanical Engineering (Honours) and Law at the University of Melbourne, and later completed a Master of Laws (Intellectual Property) at Monash University. He is a registered patent attorney in Australia and New Zealand, has been admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia, a member of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA) and holds a current Queensland practising certificate.

Rob has more than 20 years' experience in complex, high-stakes intellectual property disputes. Before joining IP Partnership, he spent more than 14 years as Special Counsel in the Intellectual Property team at DLA Piper, leading IP disputes before the Federal Court and IP Australia. Earlier in his career, Rob acted in major IP litigation in the High Court and Federal Court at Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick, trained and qualified as a patent attorney at Watermark, provided IP and technology advice to government agencies as Senior Solicitor at the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, and worked alongside engineering teams on innovative technologies at Deloitte.

At IP Partnership, Rob helps clients protect and enforce the intellectual property that sits at the heart of their businesses. Working alongside our franchising and commercial teams, he assists franchisors, licensors and businesses of all sizes to take action when their brand, systems or innovations are put at risk, whether that involves a competitor infringing a registered trade mark, a former franchisee or employee misusing confidential information or operations manuals, or the copying of a product, design or invention. Rob guides clients through every stage of a dispute, from early strategy, freedom-to-operate and infringement risk advice, and letters of demand, through to negotiation, mediation, proceedings in the Federal Court and contested matters before IP Australia. Where innovation is involved, his engineering background and patent attorney qualifications allow him to quickly grasp the technology in issue and explain it clearly to clients, experts and the court.

Rob understands that litigation is a significant decision for any business. He takes the time to understand each client's commercial objectives, assess the strength of their position and explain their options clearly, so they can make informed decisions with confidence. Where a negotiated outcome better serves a client's interests, Rob works to resolve the dispute efficiently and cost-effectively; where a matter needs to go to court, clients have an experienced litigator in their corner. Rob is recognised for his strategic insight, technical precision and ability to manage complex litigation with clarity and focus, and has been recognised in leading legal directories, including IAM Patent 1000 (Silver, Patent Litigation) and The Legal 500 (Key Lawyer, Intellectual Property).

Rob will lead our litigation team in supporting clients through complex IP disputes, from freedom-to-operate advice, pre-litigation strategy and letters of demand, through to Federal Court proceedings and settlement, with an emphasis on clear advice, considered strategy and practical commercial outcomes. With a strong track record and passion for mentoring junior lawyers, Rob will also play a key role in developing our litigation team. His appointment marks an exciting new chapter for IP Partnership Lawyers' IP litigation practice.

Outside of work, Rob loves spending time with his family and getting out and about cycling!