About Cici Cui
Cici Cui is a registered Trans-Tasman patent attorney, with experiences across a wide range of technology areas including ICT, electronics, micro-optical devices, camera lenses and video processing systems, security documents such as banknotes and credit cards, banknote security features, printing systems and medical devices.
Cici has extensive experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications, both locally and overseas. She frequently works on Australian, New Zealand, and European Patent Office patent opposition proceedings, European Patent Office appeals, and US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) appeals. She does regular freedom to operate assessments and competitor patent watches.
She enjoys working with large multi-national companies, research institutes, as well as individual inventors and university students. Cici is passionate about providing IP education to university students. She presented a number of times on various IP topics to the students of Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand.
She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Electronics, 1st class honors) degree and a Master of Engineering Science (Computer and Electrical Engineering, 1st class honors) degree. Cici is a native Chinese speaker.
Cici has a very strong commercial focus on her patent attorney practice. Prior to joining Allens, she worked as an in-house patent attorney at CCL Secure Pty Ltd, currently the biggest polymer-based banknote substrate manufacturer in the world, during which period she worked side by side with the employees of CCL and external legal service providers. Her primary responsibilities included: managing CCL’s patent portfolio, including drafting and prosecuting patent applications, managing and attending patent opposition office hearings, providing freedom to operate advice, providing strategic advice on new inventions, assisting with drafting of contracts and collaboration agreements.
Her most recent experience includes acting for CCL Secure in a number of Australian patent opposition proceedings; negotiating and drafting patent opposition settlement agreements; presenting CCL Secure's technology to Patent Office examiners; advising on freedom to operate issues; conducting competitor patent watches and prosecuting patent applications in Australia and overseas.
Before moving in-house, Cici is entrusted with prosecuting patent applications for organizations such as Apple, Caterpillar, Mastercard, eBay, Amazon, Black Magic, the University of Auckland, Auckland UniServices and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.