Dr Simon Potter

Managing Director | Australia
Patents: Chemical & Life Science
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Overview

Simon is an accomplished professional services leader, and commenced as Managing Director of Spruson & Ferguson Australia following key leadership positions as head of the Australian Chemical/Life Sciences team and a Director of Spruson & Ferguson Australia.

After joining in early 2007, he was promoted to Principal after 6 years, and oversaw the growth and development of the largest Chemical/Life Sciences patent team in Australia as leader of the team from 2017-2022. His ability to develop a strong culture of teamwork and collaboration is demonstrated through all of his roles to date.

Simon has secured and maintained key relationships with a number of the firm’s most prominent clients, and continues to actively engage in business development activities across the firm. He has a comprehensive knowledge of Spruson & Ferguson’s operations across Australasia, Southeast Asia, and China, collaborating regularly with colleagues in the firm’s network of offices throughout the region. He also brings a thorough understanding of the IP industry to the role having practised for 15+ years as a patent practitioner in the biotechnology field. Simon’s move into the IP profession was preceded by a significant period in medical research, where he specialised in virology, molecular biology, genetics and immunology. After graduating from the University of Sydney with a university medal he gained a PhD for his research on HIV antiretroviral drug resistance, also at the University of Sydney. Following this Simon conducted over 2 years of postdoctoral research at the Pasteur Institute in Paris as a CJ Martin Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient, before returning to Australia to join the IP profession.

Simon’s expertise has earned him recognition from a number of IP industry guides, in particular:

  • IAM Global Leaders (Australia) 2024
  • IAM Strategy 300 (Australia) 2023, 2024
  • IAM Patent 1000 (Australia) 2019-2024
  • Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars 2021-2024

He is a fellow of The Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia, and a member of The Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.


Dr Simon Potter's Insights
World Trademark Review 2025 | outstanding recognition
We are pleased to announce that our offices in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia have retained their rankings in the annual World Trademark Review WTR 1000 for 2025,...
We are pleased to announce that our offices in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia have retained their rankings...
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