David Hughes

David Hughes is an internationally regarded patent attorney based in Sydney.

David has more than 30 years’ experience in intellectual property as a patent attorney. With combined skills in intellectual property and management, he advises clients on complex IP legal matters, developing and building patent portfolios and broader intangible asset strategy.

David works closely with a range of clients – including leading companies across diverse fields such as medtech, energy, construction and mining, as well as government and university institutions – to maximise the impact of their ideas. He has led university-sponsored projects on the use of AI in patent analysis, consulted with IP offices on patent analytics and was responsible for developing client delivery service models integrating broader economic and social disciplines into IP legal services.

David actively seeks out opportunities to bridge research and industry. He works closely with IP lawyers, IP analytics specialists, valuation specialists, and academics in the area of sustainable transformation to ensure that his clients have clarity regarding their intangible assets and understand the value drivers in their organisations. From this position, they can make informed decisions, manage risks and identify and realise new opportunities.

An area of interest for David is soft asset security and the adaption of IP rights to enable increased collaboration, particularly in traditional industries and markets that are undergoing significant change.