Andrew Rankine

Principal, Spruson & Ferguson

Andrew Rankine is a specialist in IP disputes. His practice focuses on life sciences. He has particular expertise in handling complex patent disputes for global leaders in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical device industries. He has acted in several of Australia’s leading cases in this area, for clients including Sanofi, Wyeth and Cochlear.

Most of Andrew’s cases represent the Australian limb of multinational disputes. He is accustomed to working closely with overseas legal teams, including in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, to develop effective multijurisdictional strategies and ensure seamless integration.

When acting for clients in the life sciences sector, Andrew draws on his expertise as a qualified medical practitioner and biomedical scientist. He advises on the operation of Australia’s regulatory regime for therapeutic goods and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. He regularly handles applications for urgent injunctive relief and applications for pre-action discovery.

In addition to his life sciences practice, Andrew acts on complex IP disputes for multinationals in the electronics, information and communications technology, engineering and resources sectors, including Samsung, Siemens, and BASF.

Andrew is listed as a ‘Leading Contentious Intellectual Property Lawyer’ in the 2022 edition of Doyle’s Guide.