Ben Hamilton

Partner & Technology and Digital Economy Co-Lead

Qualifications: LLM, LLB, BA (Hons)

Industries

Practices

Ben has a range of experience in intellectual property, technology, and commercial matters.

He specialises in technology and commercial contracts, branding and product labelling advice, advertising and marketing law, trade mark matters, intellectual property commercialisation, copyright advice, disputes and licensing, and competition and consumer law matters.

Ben has also advised and assisted clients in drafting and negotiating procurement, technology and other commercial contracts, asserting and defending substantial copyright and trade mark infringement claims, implementing a national trade mark certification scheme, drafting agreements relating to the commercialisation of new plant varieties and patented technology.

Ben has been recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia in Intellectual Property Law every year since 2018.

Experience

  • Advised the owners of international logistics and supply chain management specialist ACA International on its sale to Dachser.
  • Advised Deluxe Small Business Sales, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NYSE-listed Deluxe Corporation, on the sale of all its shares in Hostopia Australia Holding Co Pty Ltd to Newfold Digital, Inc.
  • Acting for the owner of a well-known trade mark which is licensed around the world including the following:
    • defending a non-use trade mark claim;
    • licensing trade marks internationally including in Brazil, Argentina, the EU, South Africa and New Zealand;
    • advising on trade mark proprietorship issues; and
    • trade mark infringement and enforcement matters.
  • Acting for and advising clients in relation to the commercialisation of new plant varieties (plant breeders rights), in both domestic and overseas markets.
  • Advising a major logistics company on a significant VPN project, including negotiating the service contract with a significant telecommunications provider.
  • Advising a major Australian hydraulics company on technology agreements relating to a multimillion dollar enterprise software project.
  • Acting for the developers of ‘fantasy sports’ software, including advising on their IT services contracts.
  • Acting for a major financial services company in relation to the drafting and negotiation of implementation agreements for a significant online facility and advising on related contract, privacy, financial services, competition law and other legal matters regarding its establishment.
  • Acting for Intershop Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary Intershop Communications AG, in relation to a number of high value technology transactions, including with Australia’s leading telecommunications provider, Telstra, Australia Post and Bosch.
  • Advising a complex and multijurisdictional trade mark dispute concerning a client’s well known and valuable registered trademarks in Chile.
  • Advising a well-known foreign technology company and its Australian subsidiary in relation to competition law matters arising out of a AU$35 million subcontracting/outsourcing arrangement which was entered into with a competitor. Ben also assisted the same client in relation to a subsequent ACCC investigation.
  • Acting for a German based software developer in respect of negotiating a software licence with the Victorian State Government (Department of Transport) in relation to a new fleet management and timetable management solution for Victorian trains.
  • Drafting template procurement agreements for use of local government entities across a variety of arrangements.
  • Acting for a significant regional telecommunications and software development company in negotiating a wholesale telecommunications services agreement with AAPT.
  • Acting for Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) in the Supreme Court of Australia, and successfully appealing the original decision in the Court of Appeal, to defend an option deed for trade mark licensing to Pink Lady America (PLA).

Awards and recognition

Doyle's Guide 2023
Technology, Media & Telecommunications Law – Victoria
Best Lawyers in Australia 2018-2024
Recognised – Intellectual Property Law
Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards 2020 & 2023
Finalist, Intellectual Property Partner of the Year

Professional Membership

  • Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ)
  • Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand (LESANZ)

Latest thinking

Corporate & Commercial | 1 Nov 2023

Competition update: merger control reform and increasing regulator scrutiny

We consider Australia’s current merger control regime and the ACCC’s proposals to make merger notification mandatory.