Stephen Annicchiarico, WRP Legal & Advisory

Stephen is the practice leader of the intellectual property and technology practice at WRP Legal and Advisory.

Stephen advises on a broad range of intellectual property and technology matters, including intellectual property commercialisation, brand protection, technology transactions and other related matters, such as trade marks, copyright, confidential information, financial services, privacy, and competition and consumer law.

Stephen’s practice includes working with ASX-listed companies and some of Australia’s largest start-ups across a broad range of intellectual property and technology matters.

Practice Areas:

• Intellectual Property (trade marks, copyright, confidential information, designs, business reputation)
• Technology (ecommerce, software, apps, websites, domains, hosting and data)
• Privacy and Cybersecurity
• Digital and Social Media
• Competition and Consumer
• Financial Services and Payments
• General Corporate and Commercial, including capital raising, and share, business, and asset sales

Recent Experience:

Acted for:

• Australia’s largest digital gift card retailer in intellectual property, commercial, corporate, financial services and privacy matters;
• the world’s largest 3D digital asset library platform in relation to intellectual property protection;
• AFL football club in intellectual property protection, and corporate and commercial matters;
• major, VC-backed technology start-ups including, agtech, foodtech and medtech start-ups in intellectual property commercialisation, and corporate and commercial matters;
• multi-national technology client, hotel group and insurer in multi-jurisdictional privacy advice; and
• major clients in trade mark disputes, including:
  • an ecommerce client against Instagram (in AU, US, UK and EU);
  • an Australian professional tennis player against Kelloggs;
  • residential villages against a NASDAQ-listed hotel provider; and
  • a carbontech start-up against an ASX-listed institution.

Awards:

• 2024 – Partners of the Year – Lawyers Weekly – Finalist – Intellectual Property
• 2024 – Partners of the Year – Lawyers Weekly – Finalist – Technology
• 2024 – Partners of the Year – Lawyers Weekly – Finalist – Financial Services
• 2023 – 30 Under 30 – Lawyers’ Weekly – Winner – Intellectual Property
• 2023 – 30 Under 30 – Lawyers’ Weekly – Finalist – Financial Services
• 2023 – Rising Star – Australasian Lawyer
• 2022 – 30 Under 30 – Lawyers’ Weekly – Finalist – Intellectual Property
• 2022 – 30 Under 30 – Lawyers’ Weekly – Finalist – Financial Services
• 2022 – Rising Star – Australasian Lawyer
• 2020 – Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance – University of New South Wales:
  • International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law
  • Financial Law and Regulation in the Age of Fintech

Qualifications:

• Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil) – Certificate in Fintech Law
• University of New South Wales – Master of Laws in Intellectual Property, Media and Technology Law (with Excellence)
• University of Adelaide – Bachelor of Laws
• University of Adelaide – Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)

Memberships/Directorships:

• Maxm Skate Pty Ltd – Medtech Start-up
• Adelaide Baroque – Baroque Music Charity
• Football Federation South Australia – Disciplinary Committee Member
• Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand – Member
• Law Society of South Australia – Member