Profile
Work Department
Trade Mark
Position
Partner | Trade Mark Attorney
Career
- An experienced intellectual property advisor with over 20 years’ experience gained in local and international law firms as well as in-house. Former partner of international firm FieldFisher LLP in London.
- Especially interested in IP management (primarily brands), prosecution, commercialisation and enforcement in Africa but worked for a decade in London, focusing on Europe
- Lead counsel for the BSA The Software Alliance in South Africa
- An editorial board member of Oxford University Press: Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice
- Editor and founder of the Afro-IP weblog. He tweets from @DarrenTOlivier
- Recognised by Who’s Who Legal, Chambers Global, World Trademark 1000, Legal 500, South African Institute of IP Law, Managing Intellectual Property and IAM 300
- Former Trustee of the CEO SleepOut Trust, a change agent in South Africa responsible for raising the most amount of money ever on a single night for good causes
- The first African to be recognised in IAM’s Guide to the World’s leading IP Strategists
- Chair of the firm’s IP Commercialisation team
- Co-founder of 4 kids
Languages
English
Memberships
Memberships
- Legal Practice Council (LPC) – Member
- International Trade Marks Association (INTA) – Member
- Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) – Member
- South African Institute of Directors (IODSA) – Member
- AFRO-IP (African Intellectual Property Community) – Co-founder
- Frequent speaker and writer on IP issues
- Best Lawyers® – Lawyer of the Year: Intellectual Property Law, Johannesburg | 2021
- Best Lawyers® – Intellectual Property Law: South Africa |2019 – 2023
- Chambers Global – Ranked Lawyer | 2016 – 2023
- Legal 500 – Leading Individuals: Intellectual Property | 2019 – 2023
- Legal 500 – Recommended Lawyers: Intellectual Property | 2018 – 2023
- MIP – IP Stars: Trade Marks | 2017 – 2023
- Who’s Who Legal Ranking: Sports & Gaming | 2015 – 2022
- Who’s Who Legal: Global Leader – Entertainment | 2023 – 2023
- Who’s Who Legal Ranking: Trademarks | 2017 – 2019, 2021 – 2022
- Who’s Who Legal Ranking: Copyright | 2016
- WIPR – WIPR Leaders: Trademarks| 2018 – 2022
- WTR Global Leaders Guide – Elite Lawyers in Private Practice | 2019 – 2021
- WTR 1000 – Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy (Highly Recommended) | 2018 – 2023
- WTR 1000 – Individuals: Enforcement & Litigation (Gold) | 2018 – 2023
- WTR 1000 – Individuals: Transactions (Recommended) | 2018 – 2019, 2022 – 2023
- Some of his more interesting cases include litigating the first keyword case in Africa, filing the first International Registration by a South African firm, assisting the Bavaria Babes during World Cup 2010 on ambush marketing claims brought by FIFA, advising the Zulu nation on rights management, setting up IP outsourcing models for global rebrands, managing rights of the late Steve Biko, Thami Nkasa and Sanm Nzima. Selected to represent the Olympic Movement brand management program for Africa.
- Corporate Vision Magazine Corporate Excellence Awards – Leading Trade Mark Litigation Specialist: South Africa | 2020
Education
- Admitted Attorney | 1997
- Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner | 1997
- Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales)
- Qualified European Trade Mark Attorney
- LLB – Natal University | 1994
- BCom – Natal University | 1992
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