Prior to joining MinterEllison, Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Lokan were both Partners at K&L Gates where they led the firm's IP Patent practice.

They will both be based in MinterEllison's Sydney office.

Dr. Mitchell was a Partner at both K&L Gates and DLA Piper specialising in patent litigation, with a particular focus on the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical space. She has advised clients working across pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, genetic technologies, medical devices, agriculture, telecommunications, consumer goods and mining.

Dr. Lokan is a respected patent attorney who has a technical background in chemistry. He has advised clients in sectors including pharmaceuticals, life sciences, food technology, process engineering, agriculture, materials, mining and biotechnology.

With the addition of Ms Mitchell and Mr Lokan, MinterEllison adds to its substantial full spectrum IP offering in both patent litigation and patent attorney services.

"We are very excited by the addition of Simone and Nigel to our team, which will bolster the firm's Tier 1 offering in the health and pharmaceutical/life sciences sectors," said Ross Freeman, MinterEllison Managing Partner for Dispute Resolution, Competition and Insurance. "Based in Sydney, Simone and Nigel allow us to mirror our very successful patent disputes team in Melbourne, which means we are in an even stronger position to continue the development of our leading IP practice."

Dr. Mitchell commenced with MinterEllison in March 2019, with Dr. Lokan commencing in April 2019.