About Lauren John
Lauren is a highly experienced intellectual property lawyer, specialising in both litigious and commercial IP matters, covering patents, trade marks, designs and copyright, as well as matters involving misuse of confidential information, misleading or deceptive conduct, and passing off.
With her ability to navigate complex legal issues and a deep understanding of the patent landscape, Lauren is a sought-after patents adviser. She acts for clients in patent infringement and revocation proceedings, as well as in patent matters concerning contractual obligations, duties relating to confidential information and inventorship disputes.
Lauren has acted in market-leading patent cases, involving cutting-edge technologies, that have pushed the boundaries of patent law. Most notably, she represented Dr Stephen Thaler in landmark proceedings before both the Federal Court of Australia and High Court of Australia, concerning whether artificial intelligence systems can be named as inventors of a patent.
Lauren puts her undergraduate science qualifications to good use in working with a range of pharmaceutical and medical device patents and clients. She also provides patent advice across a range of other sectors, including mining, agribusiness and industrials.
Lauren was named as a Rising Star 2024 by Legal500, a Rising Star 2023 in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars, and an Intellectual Property & TMT Law Rising Star 2022 by Doyle’s Guide.
In addition to her patent litigation and advisory expertise, Lauren has a broad practice encompassing the full gamut of IP rights, including copyright, trade marks, designs and confidential information.
Lauren's experience includes:
- Acting for Forever New Clothing in copyright infringement proceedings against Ally Fashion and You + All concerning fabric prints.
- Acting for the Japanese agrichemical company Kumiai Chemical Industry in respect of various intellectual property enforcement and Australian Consumer Law disputes in Australia.
- Successfully defending Wyeth/Pfizer in patent infringement proceedings against Merck Sharp & Dohme concerning the blockbuster vaccine Prevnar.
- Acting for Stratus Medical in patent infringement and revocation proceedings relating to radiofrequency ablation devices.
- Successfully representing Mine Site Technologies in a dispute with a former employee and a competitor relating to underground mining technology, securing declarations that recognised MST as the exclusive owner of a patent application and an innovation patent originally registered by the competitor company.
- Successfully defending Pfizer in infringement and revocation proceedings against Apotex concerning Pfizer’s blockbuster drug Lyrica, including securing interlocutory and permanent injunctions.
- Acting for HESTA in litigation commenced by State Street Global Advisors Trust Company on allegations including copyright and trade mark infringement, and misleading or deceptive conduct, relating to a replica of the ʻFearless Girlʼ statue.
- Successfully representing GlaxoSmithKline in an appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia overturning findings that a dispensing device used in GSK Children's Panadol medicines infringes a patent owned by Reckitt Benckiser.
- Representing Les Laboratoires Servier in patent infringement and revocation proceedings against Apotex concerning perindopril-containing drugs.
Outside Allens, Lauren is a dedicated member of the Trans-Tasman Committee of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ).