John Hennessy SC
Admitted to Bar: 1997
Appointed Senior Counsel: 2011
Floor Member Since: 1999
Arbitration
Commercial
Intellectual Property
Mr Hennessy is recognised as one of Australia’s leading intellectual property silks according to Chambers & Partners, Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession and World Trademark Review. He regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia, both at first instance and on appeal, and has appeared in a number of leading intellectual property cases in the High Court of Australia. He also appears in the Australian Patent Office, the Australian Trade Marks Office, the Copyright Tribunal of Australia and in arbitral proceedings.
Practice areas include: patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, passing-off, confidential information, trade names and misleading advertising, and all other aspects of intellectual property; broadcast and media; information technology; and telecommunications.
Clients for whom Mr Hennessy regularly appears include: inventors, manufacturers, pharmaceutical and technology companies, film studios and production companies, television and radio broadcasters, internet service providers, software designers, content providers, record companies, print publishers, regulatory authorities and industry associations.
Please see attached CV below for list of selected cases.
Mr Hennessy is named in Band 1 of Chambers & Partners 2023 Asia-Pacific Guide for Intellectual Property. Doyle’s Guide 2023 has listed Mr Hennessy as Leading Technology, Media & Telecommunications Senior Counsel and Recommended Intellectual Property Senior Counsel. Mr Hennessy is recognised in Best Lawyers Australia 2025 for his work in Intellectual Property Law. Legal 500 also recognises Mr Hennessy as a Band 1 Leading silk in the areas of Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Intellectual Property.