Anan Sivananthan

I am a partner in our Intellectual Property group in Singapore where my commercial insights into our clients' needs enable me to design and implement global patent monetisation strategies.

With extensive experience in patent litigation, patent management and monetisation, trademark litigation and other high value IP dispute resolution matters, I am also experienced in managing anti-counterfeiting issues. Over the years, I have handled major patent lawsuits in Singapore and internationally across various sectors, specifically Technology and Life Sciences & Healthcare.

I have also managed many trademark disputes in Singapore and internationally, including trademark lawsuits, oppositions/cancellations and anti-counterfeiting cases. Those matters span many sectors, including Technology, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Retail & Consumer, Hospitality and Entertainment.

More recently, I have handled disputes in Singapore concerning geographical indications. I also manage design and copyright disputes, and manage IP commercialisation projects for clients (from due diligence to filing to exploitation).

Before joining our firm in 2017, I was associate vice president at a large technology company, where I oversaw the company's legal matters on a global basis, with a focus on worldwide IP registration, litigation and enforcement, as well as all other contentious matters. I handled a number of patent lawsuits in the US (at the US International Trade Commission and in various District Courts), and in Europe. I also managed trademark disputes across the globe, including trademark lawsuits and oppositions/ cancellations in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Turkey, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia. I also acted as an adviser to senior management on key legal moves and decisions, including the monetisation of the company's patent portfolio.

I am also a regular public speaker and panelist on IP issues including patent and trade mark litigation, brand management, counterfeiting, and the commercialisation of intellectual property.

• Handled various patent and trademark lawsuits and anti-countefeiting matters from 1993-2000 when at a previous law firm. Some examples are:
• Acting on behalf of the Attorney General, we were successful in obtaining an order for the conviction of a countefeiter of Hennessy XO. This was the first time in Singapore that a first-time counterfeiter was sent to jail.
• Acting for a patent owner (V-Pile Technology) in Singapore's first full patent litigation trial. The case went on appeal to the Court of Appeal, and I worked with Queen's Counsel (Peter Prescott) on the appeal papers.
• Worked on patent and trade mark disputes whilst in-house at Creative Technology:
• A US patent infringement case against Apple in 2006. The case eventually settled, with Apple paying Creative US$100M.
• A multi-jurisdictional patent fight with a large patent troll in relation to MP3 patents: there were parallel lawsuits in the US, Italy, Germany and Holland, and various patent invalidation actions filed in response.
• A US patent lawsuit against two tech giants in 2014; the case settled, with both entities taking a license to the asserted patents.
• A US patent lawsuit against major graphics companies in 2016, the case settled, the relevant entities taking a license.
• Handling the defence in a patent lawsuit filed against Celltrion Healthcare, manufacturer of Biosimilars.
• Managing trademark infringement cases in South East Asia on behalf of a large beer manufacturer.
• Handling the defence in a patent lawsuit filed against Novartis Singapore.
• Defending against various challenges to the FETA Geographical Indication in Singapore.

• Trade Facilities Pte Ltd and others v Public Prosecutor [1995] 2SLR(R) 7 (counterfeit Hennessy XO)
• V-Pile Technology SA v Peck Brothers Construction Pte Ltd [2000] 3SLR 358 (first full patent trial in Singapore)
• Bradley Lomas Electrolok Ltd v Colt Ventilation East Asia Pte Ltd [2000] 1SLR 673 (fire curtain patent)
• Genentech Inc and others v Celltrion HealthcareSingapore Pte Ltd [2017] (pharmaceutical patents)