"Partner availability, prompt responses and advice given in language understandable to business leaders" is why one in-house counsel client retains Allens Arthur Robinson. In particular, "Tim Golder is the main partner we deal with and he stands out for his knowledge, service, clarity of delivery of advice and integrity."
The well-rounded outfit stays in tier one of the contentious rankings, representing clients in a wide mix of industries, from IBM and Weight Watchers to Everwater Australia and Ford. A long-time client who uses the group for trade mark prosecution and business registrations describes Jackie O'Brien and her team as excellent: "[Jackie] always impresses me with her in-depth knowledge, her personality and her demeanour. She can tackle the toughest issues and can find resolutions to the issues that we face. We have a lot of confidence in her." On billing: "Trade mark work in Australia is not inexpensive, but I do appreciate the distribution time of partners versus associates. The cost is reasonable."
On the patents front, the firm has prominent pharmaceutical companies such as Sanofi-Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline as clients and is "worthy of a number one spot," acknowledges a peer. One pharma client describes well-known litigation partner Philip Kerr as "an excellent attorney who brings a lot of energy to projects and is attentive to our cases," while another is impressed by Kerr's "knowledge of patent law and especially pharmaceutical patent law".
One highlight saw partner Andrew Wiseman advise Pfizer on IP licensing issues over its $68 billion merger with Wyeth. The transaction combined the firm's expertise in IP with its other departments, including M&A, employment and tax, and involved divestments through sales of a range of products with different IP.