Naomi Pearce

Naomi is a market leading, strategic, commercially astute, patent lawyer, patent attorney and trade mark attorney, with over 25 years’ experience, and a background in molecular biology/biochemistry.

Among other awards, Naomi is ranked in IAM Patent 1000, IAM Strategy 300, is a MIP “Patent Star”, and is ranked as a WIPR Leader.  She is the 2021 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law SME “Partner of the Year”, and the 2022 Asia Pacific Women in Business Law “Patent Lawyer of the Year”.

Naomi is the founder of Pearce IP, which commenced in 2017 and won “IP Team of the Year” in the 2021 Australian Law Awards.

Underpinning Naomi’s legal work is a deep understanding of life sciences industries, resulting from first-hand experience and knowledge as VP of IP in-house at global pharma giants, and Partner of a top-tier international law firm.

Naomi’s clients value her creative, pragmatic solutions to IP/legal “problems”, and she is recognised by industry as a market leader in patent litigation, freedom to operate (FTO) clearances, and strategic advice.

Drawing from her considerable in-house IP leadership experience and her experience as a partner and leader at a top-tier law firm with a global presence, Naomi builds elegant market entry strategies which align with clients’ commercial objectives, and are anchored with legal and technical excellence.  ​Naomi manages AU patent litigations in the Australian Courts and excels in multi-jurisdictional litigations. In addition to Australian patent office and federal court proceedings, Naomi has worked with agents overseas to build and manage US Hatch Waxman litigations, US BPCIA strategies and proceedings, CA PMNOC proceedings, patent litigations in AU, HK, UK, DE, NE, NZ, PO, IE (among other regions), and patent oppositions before EPO, AU and NZ. Naomi’s clients use her global litigation experience to assist them develop and manage global litigation strategies with many moving parts, and to coordinate global litigations.

Naomi’s industry focus is life sciences, with a particular focus on health, pharmaceuticals/ biopharmaceuticals (including small and large molecules such as peptides, conjugates and mAbs, the emerging areas of personalised medicine, precision medicine/radiopharmaceuticals, psychedelics, and medical marijuana), medical devices, biotechnology, agri/food tech, medical technology, gene editing technologies (including CRISPR), gene therapy, cell therapy, and animal and veterinary healthcare.

Naomi has a significant practice assisting pharma/biopharma companies to prepare for the launch of generic and biosimilar medicines in Australia and overseas.   Naomi’s 13 years with global biosimilars responsibility at Pfizer (Hospira) and at executive level at Mylan put her ahead of the curve on issues relating to the global development and launch of generics and biosimilars.

Naomi is a biosimilars trailblazer, who has been working on biosimilars since 2003 (before the industry formed!)

Naomi’s practice also includes branding, including trade mark prosecution, office actions, advice and litigation.  Her trade marks clients operate in a broad range of industries including life sciences, physical sciences, clean energy, nuclear fusion, fin-tech, med-tech, education, boating, FMCG, luxury home wear, health, and beauty services.

Naomi is a regular international speaker on life sciences IP issues.

Naomi trained at leading law firm Ashurst (1997 – 2002), spent 13 years leading the biopharma IP teams of Pfizer (Hospira) and Mylan (2002 – 2015) including at VP of IP level, is a former Partner of Big Law’s K&L Gates where she Co-Chaired the K&L Gates global Pharma/Biopharma Industry Group.

Naomi is an IPTA Fellow, and actively participates in the growth of junior IP lawyers in the community through the Law Society of NSW Mentoring Program.