Fiona Trethewey

Fiona Trethewey is a Partner leading the intellectual property team, bringing over 20 years of experience in intellectual property law and franchising. She works closely with clients across Australia and internationally, managing trade mark and intellectual property portfolios in a wide range of industries. Fiona provides expert advice on trade mark prosecution, enforcement, and infringement matters, having represented prominent clients including Sensis, Toyota, BP, the Commonwealth of Australia, and Canopy Growth Corporation, among others. Notably, Fiona played a pivotal role in securing Australia’s first colour trade mark registration for Philmac and helped establish regional branding for the Kangaroo Island Futures Authority. Her comprehensive knowledge encompasses all aspects of Australian and New Zealand trade mark law, including searches, applications, registrations, licensing, distribution, enforcement, and litigation. Beyond intellectual property, Fiona has substantial experience advising on commercial transactions, licensing, distribution agreements, and major procurement contracts, including work for the Commonwealth of Australia. She has appeared in various court proceedings involving trade mark and copyright disputes, successfully representing clients such as The Honest Group, Helping Hand Aged Care, and Sensis. Fiona supports multiple franchise systems and has received recognition from the Franchise Council of Australia as the 2009 South Australian Franchise Woman of the Year. Additionally, she was named South Australia’s Lawyer of the Year for Franchise Law by Best Lawyers in 2020. Prior to founding Vardon Legal in 2013, Fiona was a partner at a leading national law firm for 13 years. She holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce from Flinders University, along with a Master of Laws specialising in Intellectual Property from the University of Melbourne. Fiona is a Registered Trade Marks Attorney and active member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, a fellow of the Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys, and serves on the Emerging Issues Committee of the International Trade Marks Association.