IP specialist Rouse has joined forces with Perth-founded firm Wrays, in a move that sees the former enter the Australian and New Zealand legal markets.
Wrays and related business Aperture have joined London-headquartered Rouse but will operate independently.
As part of the deal, which completed in August, several Wrays leaders have taken on broader roles at Rouse and Wray’s 25 principals have become Rouse principals.
Luke Minford, chief executive officer at Rouse, said: “Australia is a critical piece in the building of a regional IP powerhouse, and so combining the depth of capability that Rouse has in Asia with the quality of talent and expertise Wrays has in Australia, creates a unique offering that will disrupt the status quo.”
Rouse was founded in the UK and has 23 offices across 15 jurisdictions. The company said the deal aligned with its strategic objective of greater integration and alignment of IP services globally, connecting the Australian and New Zealand markets to Asia and EMEA.
Wrays has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide and works directly into New Zealand. It provides full spectrum IP services from prosecution to strategy, enforcement and commercialisation across both countries and has particular strengths in life sciences and pharmaceutical litigation. Rouse said it expected its clients would benefit from Wrays’ strong patent practice and expertise in these areas, as well as in the engineering, technology and natural resources sectors.
Meanwhile Aperture, which is part of Wrays, has an office in Sydney and provides patent, trademark and design searches, along with litigation support and competitor analysis.
Gary Cox, executive chairman and principal at Wrays, said: “We believe joining Rouse will be the catalyst that propels us onto the global stage, and we’re excited to deliver additional value to our clients thanks to Rouse’s international network and resources.”
The Wrays deal marks another step in Rouse’s global expansion. Last year, it acquired Swedish management consultancy Konsert Strategy & IP and merged with Danish IP consultancy firm aera, having merged with European IP firm Valea in 2022.
In July, Rouse also hired Baker McKenzie’s former chief strategy officer, Julia Hayhoe, as a non-executive director to its board.
The appointment of Hayhoe came after private equity firm MML Capital made a minority investment in the firm in 2022, sparking a shift to its corporate structure.
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