Her Honour Justice Rofe
Federal Court of Australia, Copyright Tribunal of Australia

Justice Rofe was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia on 12 July 2021.

Her Honour graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science in 1988, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 1992 and a Master of Laws in 1995.

Prior to her judicial appointment, her Honour was called to the Bar in 2001, taking silk in 2014. At the Bar, her Honour specialised in science and technology related matters. Her Honour takes keen interest in the practice areas of intellectual property, technology, media and telecommunications.

Her Honour is the National Intellectual Property Co-ordinating Judge from the Federal Court’s Victorian Registry and is the Deputy President of the Copyright Tribunal of Australia.

Her Honour is also member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand and spent several years on the management committee and serving as President for three years, from 2007 to 2009.

Amongst the various memberships she has held at the Victorian Bar, her Honour has served as a member of the Bar Council in 2019, the Health and Wellbeing Committee and the Equality and Diversity Committee and the Library Committee and also served as the Junior Vice President in 2020.

Professor Andrew Christie
University of Melbourne

Andrew Christie was appointed the foundation Chair of Intellectual Property at Melbourne Law School in 2002, having held academic appointments at the University of Cambridge, Duke University, and the University of Toronto. He is admitted to legal practice in Australia and England, and worked in major law firms in Melbourne and London. Currently Chair of the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board, he served on the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property for eight years, and was a member of the Copyright Law Review Committee during its simplification review.

Stephen Rebikoff SC
Emmerson Chambers

Stephen Rebikoff is a barrister at the Victorian bar specialising in intellectual property and administrative law. He is an experienced trial and appellate advocate and regularly appears in the Federal Court and Supreme Court, as well as bodies such as the Trade Marks Office, Copyright Tribunal and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

He has acted for a wide range of leading companies and brands, including Cadbury, Telstra, Facebook and Monster Energy, and has been involved in a number of landmark cases involving geographical indications, common law rights in relation to colour, as well as copyright in music, film and television, computer software and databases.

He holds First Class Honours degrees in Arts and Law from the Australian National University and a Master of Laws (First Class) from the University of Cambridge, where he specialised in intellectual property, competition and public law. He is recommended in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Doyle’s Guide to leading intellectual property barristers, Best Lawyers Australia and the World Trade Mark Review 1000.

He was appointed senior counsel in 2024.

Michael Williams
Partner, Gilbert + Tobin

Michael is a senior partner at Gilbert + Tobin and head of Gilbert + Tobin’s IP practice.

Michael is a market leader in IP law and litigation, with three decades of trial and appellate experience. Michael has run 4 of the most important IP appeals in the High Court of Australia, including the seminal copyright cases IceTV v Nine Network Australia and Roadshow Films v iiNet.

Michael is well known for his strategic advice, subject matter knowledge and robust approach to intellectual property disputes. His practice covers: false advertising; trade marks, copyright; anti-counterfeiting; data protection and cyber security; trade secrets; patents; and technology disputes. He has an excellent record for settling disputes, achieving creative outcomes and extracting clients from intractable conflict.

Michael has a leading ranking in influential legal industry directories Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, IP Stars, Who’s Who Legal and Doyles Guide. He is also widely published on IP law, and a regular commentator in the media on developments in IP law and the future of legal practice in Australia.

Michael holds degrees in Economics (Majoring in Political Science) and Law (First Class Honours, prize list) from the University of Sydney.