Winnie Tham is a Director of Amica Law LLC, and has been practising in the intellectual property field since 1993.

 

Winnie is an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore and a registered patent attorney (Singapore). She was admitted to the Bar in 1993 winning the Justice Tan Ah Tah Prize for Professional Ethics. She has also attained a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and is admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia.

 

She has a multi-disciplinary background, encompassing both legal and technical expertise.  She has a particular specialisation in life sciences and pharmaceuticals as she holds a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacology & Biochemistry), in addition to her law degree, and regularly advises on patent and regulatory matters. However, her experience in intellectual property spans various industries including pharmaceuticals, technology, retail and fashion, hotels and the food and beverage industry.

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Experience

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She has expertise in intellectual property protection and management and her work encompasses:

• IP strategies, protection of new trade marks, inventions and designs

• Searching, filing, prosecution and maintenance of patents, trademarks and designs

• Freedom to operate analysis

• Coordinating global intellectual property filing programs for clients

• IP Portfolio Management services

• IP audits and due diligence

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Winnie also handles contentious matters, including trade mark opposition matters, trade mark and patent invalidation and revocation actions. She has also been involved in infringement cases in Singapore in the higher courts, and the Court of Appeal, particularly in the patents arena. Amongst the court cases she has been involved in are:

• A landmark patent infringement cases in the life sciences field involving the HIV-2 virus

• Patent infringement involving emergency lift systems

• Patent revocations in the chemical field

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Accolades

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She has been listed consistently and recommended as one of Singapore’s leading intellectual property lawyers in many publications, including:

• Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2018 to 2024
  Clients praise her dedication, saying: "Winnie gets difficult and tough-to-handle trade mark applications and trade mark cases from us because she is willing to think through legal and commercial issues, to find legal avenues which work and are also practical."

• The Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2001/2002 to 2015, 2021 to 2024)

• Expert Guides – Patents, Trade Marks, Women in Business Law

• Managing IP Stars 2019 to 2023 (Trade mark star, Patent star, Top 250 Women in IP)

• IAM 1000 The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2015, 2018 to 2024

• IAM 300 Global Leaders 2023 & 2024

• WWL IP 2023 & 2024 (Trademarks: Global Elite Thought Leader)

• WWL 2024 (Southeast Asia – Patents, Life Sciences, Trademarks)

• IP Stars World IP Survey 2014 to 2016

• Legal Media Guide to World’s Leading Patent Law Practitioners 2007

• World IP Contacts 2007 by Managing IP

• Who’s Who Legal / Trade Marks 2012 to 2020, 2022 to 2024

• AsiaLaw Profiles

• PLC Which Lawyer

• Euromoney Guide to The World’s Leading Trademark Law Practitioner 2012

• International Advisory Experts

• WIPR Leaders 2019, 2021 and 2022

• World Trademark Review, 2013, 2015 to 2024
  “someone who cuts through swiftly to identify the best practice and commercial avenues to take, Tham is another deft portfolio strategist”

• Asia Law 2023 Elite Practitioner

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Memberships & Appointments

 

She is active in the intellectual property and legal profession, and serves on various committees  She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) in 2022.

 

Currently, she is the Immediate Past President of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Singapore Group) and a Council Member of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association. She was previously the Chair of Harmonization of Trade Mark Law and Practice Committee of the International Trade Mark Association (INTA) and currently a member of the Geographical Indications Committee.  She is an Executive Member of the AIPPI Singapore Group.

 

She is also actively involved in the qualification of lawyers and patent agents, having been a Part B facilitator of the IP module conducted by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. She has also been appointed previously to the Examination Committee and Examination Board of the Patent Agents Qualifying Examinations conducted by the IPOS.

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Key Practice Areas

 

• Advertising & Consumer Protection

• Brands & IP Portfolio Management

• Franchising

• IP Commercialisation, R&D & Joint Venture

• Life Sciences

• Trade Marks, Patent, Design & Copyright Protection

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