Timothy Webb
Clayton Utz
Tim was impressive on all fronts – most importantly, he understood our commercial objectives and ensured the legal strategy achieved exactly what we wanted.
– Chambers Asia-Pacific
Described as an "expert litigator" (Legal 500) and praised for being "technically brilliant, but still highly commercial" (Chambers Asia Pacific), Tim specialises in helping clients resolve complex disputes. He takes a holistic approach, exploring both legal and non-legal drivers to develop and implement strategies that achieve his clients' objectives. Tim acts across industries, with a particular focus on the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sectors. He has a proven track record of achieving successful outcomes for clients in the High Court, Federal Court, and Supreme Courts of various states and territories, as well as in international arbitration. Tim also has an extensive advisory practice.
Tim's special interest is intellectual property, assisting clients in both contentious and non-contentious matters. As Head of Clayton Utz's award winning Intellectual Property group, Tim is widely recognised as one of Australia's leading IP lawyers. Ranked by his peers as one of only two "preeminent" non-contentious IP lawyers in New South Wales and is a "leading" contentious IP lawyer (Doyle's Guide), he advises on the full spectrum of IP, including trade marks, copyright, designs, patents, advertising, confidential information, domain names, and anti-counterfeiting. Tim has won landmark Australian cases in copyright, trade marks and designs and regularly acts for clients in the Copyright Tribunal of Australia.
Tim manages trade mark portfolios for both Australian and international clients, assisting with everything from mark selection and clearance searches to oppositions and non-use applications. His expertise has earned him recognition as a Global Leader by World Trademark Review.
Tim has a strong international arbitration practice and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also a board member of the Communications and Media Law Association (CAMLA) and the International Institute of Communications (IIC) Australian Chapter. He is an active member of the International Trademark Association's Enforcement Committee, the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), and a former member of the Law Society of NSW Litigation Law & Practice Committee.
A regular author and speaker on dispute resolution and IP issues, Tim is committed to delivering innovative and commercially focused solutions for his clients.
Acting for Apple in Copyright Tribunal proceedings concerning a licence scheme proposed by APRA AMCOS for the reproduction and communication of musical/literary works by the subscription video on demand (SVOD) industry. Achieved Apple's preferred licence terms.
Acting for Optus in numerous successful matters including High Court proceedings in which Telstra challenged the constitutional validity of parts of the telecommunications access regime, multiple commercial disputes in the Supreme Court of NSW, and the first Federal Court proceedings under s 115A of the Copyright Act in which rights holders sought injunctions requiring ISPs to disable access to online locations. Also acting for Optus' parent company, Singtel, in connection with the September 2022 cyber-attack on Optus (arguably the most significant in Australian corporate history).
Acting for the Seven Network on its media rights agreements including negotiation of the 2025 to 2031 AFL agreement (the largest sport rights deal in Australian history) and the 2024-25 to 2030-31 Cricket Australia agreement. This follows a long line of work assisting Seven with acquiring sports rights, including deals with the International Olympic Committee, Commonwealth Games, Swimming Australia, Professional Golfers Association of Australia, V8 Supercars, Racing.com, and Wimbledon.
Acting for Isentia (largest media monitoring organisation in Australia) in Copyright Tribunal proceedings against Copyright Agency concerning a licence for the reproduction and communication of media articles. Isentia was successful both before the Tribunal and in the judicial review application to the Federal Court. Also acting for Isentia in landmark Federal Court proceedings that is the leading Australian decision on the scope of the Crown use provisions in the Copyright Act. Isentia was successful both at first instance and on appeal to the Full Federal Court.
Acting for The a2 Milk Company Limited (dairy company dual listed on the NZX and ASX) in various IP matters including four Federal Court appeals from decisions of the Trade Marks Office (each successful) and two Federal Court proceedings concerning trade mark infringement and rectification issues (judgment reserved).
Acting for global news agencies including Agence France-Presse (the world's oldest news agency), The Associated Press (which has earned 58 Pulitzer Prizes, including 35 for photography) and Reuters News & Media Inc (one of the largest news agencies in the world) in enforcing their copyright in photojournalism in Australia.
Acting for numerous Federal Government departments and agencies in relation to both disputes and IP issues. These include acting for the Department of Defence in Federal Court proceedings concerning the designs for the Collins Class submarines and ACT Supreme Court proceedings relating the submarines' construction, advising the Department of Education on the creation of the Higher Education Research Commercialisation IP Framework, and advising IP Australia on trade mark and design law issues.
Acting for Free TV Australia (peak industry body representing commercial television broadcasters) in Copyright Tribunal proceedings concerning an industry licence from PPCA for the transmission of commercial sound recordings on broadcast television and BVOD services. The proceedings are ongoing.
Acting for the NRL (operator of the world’s premier Rugby League competition) in respect of various IP issues including trade mark, copyright and licensing matters.
Acting for Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Greece) in Federal Court proceedings alleging copyright infringement by an unauthorised broadcaster. A successful resolution achieved.
Acting for a client in an international arbitration under the Swiss arbitral rules defending copyright infringement claims in respect of a major property development with the claimant seeking damages of $100 million. Successfully argued that the Arbitral Tribunal lacked jurisdiction and our client was awarded its costs of the proceedings.