8 Best IP Lawyers in Perth and Western Australia (2026)

Perth's intellectual property landscape is as dynamic as the city itself. From mining technology innovations in the Pilbara to biotech breakthroughs at QEII Medical Centre, Western Australia generates IP that demands serious legal protection. But finding the right IP lawyer in a market dominated by east coast firms can feel like prospecting without a map.

Whether you're a startup in Nedlands, a resources company in West Perth, or an inventor working out of Fremantle, this guide identifies eight of the best IP lawyers and firms serving Perth and the broader Western Australian market in 2026.

What Makes a Great IP Lawyer in Perth?

Before diving into the list, it's worth understanding what sets exceptional IP practitioners apart in the WA context. Perth's economy has unique characteristics — heavy resources sector influence, a growing technology ecosystem, and significant cross-border trade with Asia — that shape the kind of IP advice businesses need.

The best IP lawyers in Perth combine deep technical knowledge with commercial pragmatism. They understand that a patent strategy for a mining technology company looks fundamentally different from trademark protection for a boutique wine label in Margaret River. They also appreciate that WA businesses often operate with leaner budgets than their Sydney or Melbourne counterparts, making cost-effective legal strategies essential.

We evaluated firms based on several criteria:

• Depth of IP expertise across patents, trade marks, designs, and copyright
• Industry recognition through peer-reviewed legal directories
• Client focus and ability to serve the WA market specifically
• Technical qualifications including registration as patent or trade marks attorneys
• Track record in litigation, prosecution, and strategic advisory work

1. Wrays

Overview: Wrays is arguably Perth's most recognised dedicated IP firm and one of the largest independent IP practices in Australia. Founded in Western Australia, the firm has deep roots in the local market and has grown to serve clients nationally and internationally.

Key Strengths:

Wrays offers a comprehensive suite of IP services spanning patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, plant breeder's rights, and IP litigation. Their team includes registered patent and trade marks attorneys with technical backgrounds across engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, and software — critical expertise given Perth's resources and technology sectors.

The firm's patent practice is particularly strong in mining, oil and gas, and engineering innovations, reflecting the industries that drive WA's economy. Their trade marks team handles everything from filing strategies for emerging brands through to complex opposition and infringement proceedings.

Why They Stand Out: Wrays' commitment to Perth is unmistakable. While many national firms service WA from east coast offices, Wrays maintains its headquarters in Perth, ensuring clients get face-to-face attention and lawyers who genuinely understand the local business environment. They've consistently been recognised in international legal directories for their IP work.

Best For: Mid-to-large enterprises, resources sector companies, and businesses needing a full-service IP firm with genuine Perth presence.

2. Griffith Hack

Overview: Griffith Hack is one of Australia's oldest and most established IP firms, with a history stretching back over 100 years. Their Perth office provides Western Australian clients with access to a national platform of IP expertise.

Key Strengths:

The firm's patent attorneys hold qualifications across a wide range of technical disciplines, making them well-equipped to handle the diverse patent work that emerges from WA's economy. Their trade marks practice is equally robust, offering strategic brand protection advice to businesses of all sizes.

Griffith Hack's strength lies in the depth of their national network. Complex matters can draw on expertise from across the firm's offices, while the Perth team provides local responsiveness and relationship continuity.

Why They Stand Out: Their combination of heritage, technical depth, and national resources makes Griffith Hack a reliable choice for businesses that need sophisticated IP strategy backed by a firm with significant institutional knowledge. They've long been a fixture in leading legal directories' IP rankings.

Best For: Companies requiring patent prosecution with deep technical rigour, established businesses with national or international brand portfolios.

3. Murfett Legal

Overview: Murfett Legal is a Perth-based commercial law firm that has built a strong reputation for intellectual property work within a broader legal practice. This generalist-with-specialty approach can be particularly valuable for WA businesses that need IP advice integrated with commercial, corporate, or contractual matters.

Key Strengths:

The firm handles trade mark registration and enforcement, copyright matters, IP licensing, confidentiality agreements, and IP due diligence for business transactions. Their practical, business-oriented approach to IP means advice is typically grounded in commercial reality rather than pure legal theory. We cover this in detail in our 10 best ip lawyers for patent applications.

For small and medium-sized businesses in Perth, Murfett Legal offers the advantage of being a one-stop shop — you can get your IP protected while also having the same firm handle your shareholder agreements, commercial leases, or employment contracts.

Why They Stand Out: Their integrated approach means IP isn't siloed. When they advise on a business acquisition, IP due diligence is naturally woven in. When they draft a franchise agreement, the trade mark licensing provisions reflect genuine IP expertise.

Best For: SMEs wanting integrated legal services, businesses involved in transactions with IP components, franchise operations.

4. Collison & Co

Overview: Collison & Co is a specialist patent and trade marks attorney firm operating in Perth. As a dedicated IP practice, they bring focused expertise to patent and trade mark prosecution, which is particularly valuable for inventors and businesses at the stage of securing their IP rights.

Key Strengths:

The firm handles patent applications, trade mark registrations, design applications, and related IP prosecution work. Their attorneys have technical qualifications relevant to the industries prominent in Western Australia, and they offer the kind of personalised service that comes from being a specialist boutique.

Working with a dedicated patent and trade marks attorney firm means you're engaging professionals whose entire practice is devoted to securing and maintaining IP rights. This specialisation often translates to efficiency in the prosecution process and familiarity with IP Australia's examination practices.

Why They Stand Out: As a focused IP prosecution firm in Perth, Collison & Co provides an alternative to larger national firms for businesses and inventors who want direct access to their attorney and a streamlined, cost-effective approach to filing and prosecution.

Best For: Individual inventors, startups seeking patent or trade mark protection, businesses wanting a specialist prosecution firm with a personal touch.

5. Jackson McDonald

Overview: Jackson McDonald is one of Western Australia's largest independent law firms, and their IP practice benefits from the resources and multidisciplinary expertise of a major commercial firm. They handle IP matters within a full-service legal offering.

Key Strengths:

The firm's IP and technology team advises on trade mark disputes, copyright infringement, IP licensing and commercialisation, confidential information protection, and technology contracts. Their litigation capability is a particular asset — when IP disputes escalate, having a firm with a deep bench of experienced litigators is invaluable. See also our 10 best ip lawyers for remote consultations.

Jackson McDonald's strength in the resources, energy, and construction sectors means they understand the commercial context in which much of WA's IP is created and exploited. Their IP advice is informed by deep industry knowledge.

Why They Stand Out: As a genuinely Western Australian firm with a long history in the state, Jackson McDonald offers the resources of a large commercial practice with authentic local commitment. Their ability to handle IP disputes through to trial, drawing on significant litigation experience, sets them apart from pure prosecution firms.

Best For: Businesses facing IP disputes or litigation, companies needing IP advice integrated with broader commercial legal services, resources sector clients.

6. Tottle Partners

Overview: Tottle Partners is a well-regarded Perth commercial law firm that includes intellectual property within its service offering. They provide practical IP advice to Western Australian businesses as part of a broader commercial practice.

Key Strengths:

The firm advises on trade mark protection, IP licensing, technology agreements, and the IP aspects of commercial transactions. Their approach is pragmatic and business-focused, which resonates with WA's entrepreneurial community.

Tottle Partners' commercial law foundation means they're adept at handling the intersection of IP with other legal areas — joint ventures, corporate structuring, employment law (particularly restraint of trade and confidentiality), and dispute resolution.

Why They Stand Out: Their size and structure allow for partner-level attention on IP matters without the overhead of a large national firm. For Perth businesses that value direct access to senior lawyers and practical, no-nonsense advice, Tottle Partners offers a compelling proposition.

Best For: Growing businesses needing commercially pragmatic IP advice, companies requiring IP support within broader commercial transactions.

7. Shelston IP

Overview: Shelston IP is one of Australia's premier specialist intellectual property firms. While headquartered in Sydney, their reach extends to serving clients across Australia, including Western Australian businesses that need top-tier patent and trade mark prosecution services.

Key Strengths:

Shelston IP's patent attorneys cover an extensive range of technical fields, including engineering, mining technology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, software, and electronics. Their trade marks team is equally comprehensive, handling prosecution, enforcement, and strategic portfolio management. Our 10 best ip lawyers in brisbane and queensland explores this further.

The firm has been consistently recognised in leading legal directories as one of Australia's top IP practices, and their attorneys frequently appear in individual rankings for patent and trade mark work.

Why They Stand Out: For WA businesses that need access to a deep bench of technically qualified patent attorneys — particularly in fields where Perth-based options may be limited — Shelston IP offers national-calibre expertise. Modern communication and the increasingly digital nature of IP prosecution mean that geographic distance is less of a barrier than it once was.

Best For: Businesses needing highly specialised patent prosecution, companies with complex international filing strategies, clients seeking a nationally ranked IP specialist firm.

8. Hilary Wong IP (HW IP)

Overview: Hilary Wong IP is a boutique IP consultancy based in Perth that provides strategic intellectual property advice, particularly around IP commercialisation and portfolio management. This type of strategic advisory capability fills an important niche in the WA market.

Key Strengths:

The firm focuses on IP strategy, commercialisation advice, IP audits, and portfolio management. For businesses that have already secured their IP rights but need guidance on how to extract maximum commercial value — through licensing, joint ventures, or technology transfer — strategic IP advisory services are invaluable.

This consultancy-style approach is particularly relevant for WA's innovation ecosystem, where research institutions and technology companies often need help bridging the gap between IP creation and commercial exploitation. For related guidance, read our 10 mistakes to avoid when choosing an ip lawyer.

Why They Stand Out: Pure IP strategy and commercialisation advice is relatively rare in the Perth market, where most IP firms focus primarily on prosecution or litigation. A strategic advisory capability complements the work of patent attorneys and IP litigators, helping businesses see the bigger picture of their IP assets.

Best For: Technology companies seeking IP commercialisation strategies, research institutions, businesses wanting strategic IP portfolio reviews.

How to Choose the Right IP Lawyer in Perth

Selecting the best IP lawyer for your needs depends on several factors specific to your situation:

Consider the nature of your IP need. If you need a patent filed, look for a registered patent attorney with relevant technical qualifications. If you're facing a trade mark dispute, prioritise firms with litigation experience. If you need a comprehensive IP strategy, consider firms with strategic advisory capabilities.

Think about firm size and accessibility. Larger firms offer deep resources and multidisciplinary teams, but boutique practices often provide more direct partner access and potentially lower fees. Neither model is inherently superior — it depends on the complexity of your matter and your preferred working style.

Evaluate industry experience. Perth's economy has distinct characteristics. An IP lawyer who understands the resources sector, or the specific challenges facing WA's agtech innovators, will provide more relevant advice than a generalist without that context.

Don't be limited by geography. While local presence is valuable, many IP matters — particularly patent and trade mark prosecution — can be effectively handled remotely. If no Perth-based firm has the specific technical expertise you need, consider firms in other Australian cities that regularly serve WA clients.

Ask about fee structures. IP legal costs can vary significantly. Some firms offer fixed fees for standard prosecution work, while litigation matters typically run on hourly rates. Understanding fee structures upfront helps you budget appropriately and avoid surprises.

Final Thoughts

Perth and Western Australia are home to genuine IP expertise across the spectrum of intellectual property law. Whether you need a patent filed for a new mining technology, a trade mark registered for a growing brand, or strategic advice on commercialising a portfolio of IP assets, the firms listed here represent strong options for 2026.

The key is matching your specific needs to the right firm's strengths. Take the time to have initial conversations with two or three firms before committing — most IP lawyers will offer an initial consultation to understand your needs and explain how they can help. Your intellectual property deserves the same careful consideration you'd give to any other valuable business asset.