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Margaret Doucas - In Memoriam
(passed away 25 February 2016)
Qualifications:
LLB BSc Registered Patent Attorney, New Zealand and Australia
Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of NZ
Expertise:
Patents
Copyright
IP Enforcement
Plant Variety Rights
Margaret Doucas, was a Director of Henry Hughes IP Ltd and a Director of Henry Hughes Law Ltd. With a background in Science and Law, Margaret had more than 25 years experience providing strategic Intellectual Property protection and enforcement advice to global clients. Margaret’s Patent Law practice focused on Life Sciences (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology).
In the International Who’s Who of Patent Lawyers 2003-2013, Margaret was recognized as “one (of the lawyers) who can truly be considered leaders in the field of patent law.” Her expertise in Life Sciences was also acknowledged in the Practical Law Company’s (PLC) online publication between 2005 and 2011. Margaret was described as a “highly recommended, well known IP specialist with a client base predominantly comprising international research and pharmaceutical companies.” Margaret had been selected by peer review for inclusion in the "Best Lawyers" list for New Zealand in the practice area of Biotechnology.
Margaret’s extensive experience included acting for clients in high profile patent infringement and revocation proceedings before the Commissioner of Patents and Trade Marks, the High Court and Court of Appeal. In litigation before the High Court, Margaret was part of the legal team, for Bayer and GSK in a patent infringement and revocation dispute involving PDEv inhibitors and, inter alia, the products LEVITRA and VIAGRA.
With 12 years service on the Council of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys, Margaret made a contribution to the development of Intellectual Property Law in New Zealand. During this period she served as President of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys, and chaired the Examination Board from 1993 - 1995. Margaret presented papers at Patent Attorney Conferences in Australia and Canada.
Margaret was a registered Patent Attorney in New Zealand and Australia and a member of the New Zealand Law Society, a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA), and a member of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA), Intellectual Property Society of Australia & New Zealand (IPSANZ), Licensing Executives Society (LES), International Association of Intellectual Property Practitioners (AIPPA), American Bar Association, (ABA), American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industielle (FICPI), and Asian Patent Attorney Association (APAA).
Margaret made a huge contribution to the patent profession in New Zealand, had many friends amongst her colleagues and clients in New Zealand and around the world, and was well-respected in both her professional capacity and for her philanthropic work.
Margaret was interviewed by Sheana Wheeldon (New Zealand committee of The Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc (IPSANZ)) on behalf of IPSANZ. You can read that interview here.
