Tony Conaghan

Tony Conaghan


Thomson Geer

Recognized since 2012

Brisbane, Australia

Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Biotechnology Law

Commercial Law

Defamation and Media Law

Entertainment Law

Franchise Law

Information Technology Law

Intellectual Property Law

Litigation

Telecommunications Law

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Franchise Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2021 - Franchise Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Defamation and Media Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2018 - Telecommunications Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Intellectual Property Law
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Tony is a senior lawyer with more than 35 years' experience in complex agreements and disputes, particularly across intellectual property (IP), information technology (IT), life sciences, and franchising. Tony also has broad international experience, particularly in the USA, UK, and Asia. Tony has been involved in many seminal deals and cases. His experience includes cases involving expert evidence and cross jurisdiction co-ordination with an emphasis on technical and parallel issues. Tony has conducted many successful cases through to the High Court, and has been involved in more than 100 mediations. Tony's experience includes advising multi-national companies, the Australian and Queensland Governments, various Government owned corporations, universities, UniQuest, Copyright Collecting Societies, manufacturers, professional service firms, venture capitalists, inventors, and a wide cross-section of public and private corporations.

Tony is the Deputy Chair for Australia and the Queensland Chairman of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia. He is also a member of various professional organisations, including the American Bar Association, American Association of Intellectual Property Lawyers, the International Bar Association, Licensing Executives Society International, IPSANZ, and the International Franchise Association. Tony is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Tony is also a Notary Public.

Recent experience includes:
  • Acting for Qualcomm Inc & Qualcomm Australia Pty Ltd advising on protection of Qualcomm’s confidential commercial information including source codes in the Apple & Samsung patent and anti- trust Federal Court proceedings. Qualcomm supply the chip sets for mobile phones. Both Apple and Samsung sought disclosure by sub-poena of Qualcomm’s source codes and other confidential commercial and licensing information.
  • Acting for Konami Australia Pty Ltd (KAP) in defending patent infringement proceedings brought by Aristocrat for 5 patents relating to electronic gaming machines (EGM’s) colloquially known as the ‘progressive linked jackpot’ systems and bringing cross claims for invalidity of the Aristocrat patents.
  • Acting for Konami Australia Pty Ltd (KAP) and Konami Gaming Inc (KGI ) in separate Federal Court proceedings against Aristocrat for infringement of various KAP & KGI patents.
  • Acting for Land Management Systems (LMS), a landfill gas extractor specialist, generating electricity into the grids, against Landfill Gas Industries & Adam Bloomer in a Supreme Court action for injunctive relief, damages including exemplary and equitable damages, for copyright infringement and breach of LMS confidential information.

Contact & Links
Location
  • Level 28, Waterfront Place
    1 Eagle Street
    Brisbane QLD 4000
    Australia
Bar Admissions
  • Australia, High Court of Australia
  • Australia, Solicitor of Qld Supreme Court
  • Australia, NSW Supreme Court
  • Australia, Northern Territory Supreme Court
  • Australia, Victorian Supreme Court
  • Australia, Federal Court of Australia
Affiliations
  • Amercian Bar Association - Member
  • American Intellectual Property Law Assocaition - Member
  • International Bar Association - Member
  • Law Council of Australia , IP C'tt'ee. Qld - Chairman
  • Law Council of Australia, IP C'tt'ee - Deputy Chair for Australia
  • Qld Law Society, Franchise C'tt'ee - Chairman

Thomson Geer
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia

83 The Best Lawyers in Australia awards

3 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia awards

Visit Website View Firm Profile

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Franchise Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2021 - Franchise Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Defamation and Media Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2018 - Telecommunications Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Intellectual Property Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Franchise Law, Brisbane, Australia (2024)
  • Franchise Law, Brisbane, Australia (2021)
  • Defamation and Media Law, Brisbane, Australia (2019)
  • Telecommunications Law, Brisbane, Australia (2018)
  • Intellectual Property Law, Brisbane, Australia (2017)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Australia 2025 for work in:
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Biotechnology Law
  • Commercial Law
  • Defamation and Media Law
  • Entertainment Law
  • Franchise Law
  • Information Technology Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Litigation
  • Telecommunications Law
Awards:
  • Doyle’s Guide has also recognised Tony as a “recommended” Australian lawyer in their rankings of Patent Litigation (2017), and IP law (2015 – 2016 & 2020). In addition, Doyle’s Guide (2015, 2016, 2018 - 2020) has recognised Tony as a “preeminent” lawyer in the Queensland IP legal market, and a leading lawyer (2018) and recommended lawyer (2019 & 2020) in Queensland in the areas of technology, media and telecommunications.
  • Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2017 & 2020) as a recommended lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property within Australia.

Publications

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