Suzy is a commercial lawyer specialising in technology law, intellectual property and business contracts. Suzy has acted for clients across a range of industries including finance, fast moving consumer goods, technology, food & drink, retail, professional services, consumer healthcare, advertising, energy and agriculture. She has experience acting for entities of all sizes and stages, ranging from household brands and global companies to scale up businesses.
Suzy regularly advises on complex agreements relating to the development, ownership, exploitation and use of software. She acts for both technology customers and software providers and has negotiated with global system vendors including SAP.
Suzy also advises clients on matters relating to copyright, trade mark protection and enforcement, patent licensing, confidential information, domain names and comparative advertising.
Suzy has senior in-house experience and was previously the acting Head of Legal (Northern Europe) for the FTSE 100 fast moving consumer goods manufacturer, Reckitt. In this role she was responsible for advising leading brands such as Nurofen, Finish, Dettol, Vanish and Durex. Suzy was a member of the Regional Crisis Management team responsible for dealing with Reckitt’s response to the Petya cyberattack.
Suzy’s commercial practice is enhanced by her litigation background, having previously represented clients in court, before trade mark registries and in mediation. Having managed disputes first-hand, Suzy helps her clients to avoid them.
A qualified English lawyer with over 13 years’ experience working in London, Suzy is uniquely placed to support her clients with English-law needs, engaged in this capacity via Keystone Law.
Suzy is based in Melbourne, Australia.
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Suzy is a pleasure to work with. She is highly commercial in her approach and provides thoughtful, pragmatic and timely legal advice.
EMEA Head of Technology and IP Law, Top Tier Global Investment Bank -
Suzy provides excellent legal support, with a personable and clear-headed approach. She quickly gets up to speed with legal issues and has an eye to commercial objectives and strategic matters when giving her advice. I am happy to recommend her as a legal advisor.
Steve Troote, SVP Northern Europe and Australia/New Zealand Reckitt UK
Expertise
Technology
- Software development and licensing agreements including master services agreements and SaaS subscription terms
- Contractual terms relating to SLAs/service credits, software support and maintenance, information security (CPS 234), privacy terms
- Legal issues relating to agile software development
- Website/app service terms and e-retailer terms
- Contracts relating to the creation, use and licensing of data
- Outsourcing agreements
- Strategic advice for technology startups relating to IP, third party suppliers, data and regulatory regimes
- Commercialisation of assets including data
- GDPR/privacy compliance programs for software companies
- Social media law
Intellectual Property:
- Copyright, trade marks and patent licensing
- IP ownership including assignment, co-ownership and the structuring of rights in joint development projects
- Commercialisation of IP including royalty arrangements
- Protection of rights in software
- Rights in data
- Protection of knowhow and confidential information
- Domain name recovery
Commercial Contracts:
- Terms of supply of goods and services
- Services agreements
- Manufacturing agreements
- Consultancy contracts
- Cross-border distribution (China, US, Australia, UK)
- General business contracts
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Early-stage contract disputes
- Privacy law aspects of commercial contracts
M&A/Corporate
- IP and IT in corporate transactions, including due diligence, warranties and indemnities, transitional services
- Assisting IP-rich companies to prepare for sale or investment, through IP audits and remediation advice
- Assessment of intangible assets of target companies and related legal advice
Marketing/Advertising
- Marketing agreements
- Sponsorship, endorsements, and engagement of influencers
- Social media marketing law
Experience
Technology
- Negotiated a core banking software agreement with SAP, acting for an Australian Neobank.
- Advised an Australian HealthTech SaaS/services vendor on information security aspects of its customer contracts including CPS 234.
- Acted for a leading travel software vendor on an MSA for the supply of business-critical software to an Australian-headquartered global travel business.
- Prepared template SaaS subscription terms for an Australian software vendor.
- Prepared website and mobile application supply terms for technology vendors.
- Negotiated data sharing contracts relating to consumer purchasing data.
- Advised an Australian FinTech client on contracting methods adopted by global software vendors, including AWS and Salesforce.
- Advised an e-retailer on its B2C terms and liability for supplier default.
- Prepared online distribution agreements for a global company’s ecommerce business unit.
- Prepared terms of use, digital content supply terms and privacy policies for an Australian publisher.
- Advised a global drinks/media company on e-gaming event contracts.
- Prepared data centre and hosting agreements on behalf of a vendor, including BaaS Terms.
Intellectual Property:
- Prepared joint development agreements for a well-known drinks company, governing ownership of product innovations.
- Prepared IP licences in connection with a pharmaceutical joint venture, acting for the IP owner.
- Advised a vertical farming technology and research company on its ownership and licensing of data.
- Advised a FinTech company on intellectual property rights in its software and data products.
- Drafted trade mark licence agreements for a luxury fashion brand.
- Acted for a leading food brand (part of the Unilever Group) in IP litigation relating to copycat packaging.
- Assisted travel technology vendor SITA to identify, capture and protect its inventions, including advising on patenting strategy.
- Prepared a complex patent licence relating to the use of geothermal energy on behalf of an alternative energy provider.
- Acted in multiple brand cease-and-desist actions on behalf of a well-known brand, including domain name recovery.
- Prepared IP assignments in connection with the sale of a client’s brand.
- Advised a leading global games company on copyright issues relating to the use of historic literary characters in computer games.
- Advised a leading alcoholic drinks brand regarding the inclusion of third party products in a virtual store environment.
- Managed a high-profile patent litigation relating to the Durex brand, whilst acting in an in-house capacity at Reckitt.
Commercial Contracts:
- Drafted Terms of Supply and related contracts for Australian B2B suppliers.
- Prepared cross-border distribution contracts relating to the sale of Australian luxury goods in the Chinese market.
- Advised on Starbucks’ global purchasing terms, acting on behalf of a household drinks brand.
- Adapted clients’ UK standard terms for use in the Australian market.
- Assisted VOOST vitamins (now part of the Procter & Gamble Group) with its manufacturing and distribution arrangements.
- Engaged by a global drinks/media brand on a key distribution contracts.
- Negotiated a consultancy agreement on behalf of a luxury, beauty and fashion eCommerce consultancy.
- Directed Reckitt’s Northern European response on contractual issues arising from the Petya cyberattack, covering force majeure/suspension of performance and claims from retailers for lost profits/failed deliveries.
M&A/Corporate:
- Acted for a leading provider of information services and technology to the healthcare industry in connection with its acquisition of a big data research specialist (IP/IT, commercial law aspects).
- Advised DesignMyNight on its M&A Sale to private-equity-owned The Access Group (commercial law aspects).
- Provided strategic advice and analysis to relating to a target’s IP assets and licensing arrangements.
- Prepared a whitepaper for a global, listed mass media & information firm regarding complex copyright issues relating to a target’s business.
- Acted for Media 10 in connection with the sale of the Design Shanghai and Design China Beijing events to Clarion Events (commercial law aspects).
Marketing/Advertising:
- Prepared a social media marketing services agreement for a famous soft drinks company.
- Prepared vlogger and blogger influencer agreements on behalf of Reckitt.
- Advised on comparative marketing campaigns relating to the Finish and Nurofen brands.
- Advised a marketing agency on its customer contracts.
- Negotiated with a leading media company to agree sponsorship and competition terms relating to a leading FMCG brand.
- Advised Spotify on issues relating to the use of user generated content.
- Advised a mobile phone brand on liability, branding and licensing issues relating to its proposed social media campaigns.
- Prepared social media policies for luxury goods company Richemont, for use by its stable of brands
Recognition
Recognised in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in Australia™ for her expertise in Intellectual Property Law.
Recognised by the UK’s Legal 500 for her expertise in relation to Commercial Contracts and Brand Management (2017) and Commercial Contracts (2018).
Suzy is a qualified solicitor in three jurisdictions:
- Admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand on 14 June 2002 (Non-practising)
- Admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 11 September 2002
- Admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales on 16 August 2010
Suzy holds a postgraduate diploma in Intellectual Property Law & Practice obtained from Bristol University (2007), the leading UK qualification for IP lawyers.
Career
| 2017 | Keypoint Law (Melbourne) |
Consulting Principal (Australian Law) |
| 2016 | Keystone Law | Partner (English Law) |
| 2010 – 2016 | Kemp Little (London) | Senior Associate |
| 2005 – 2010 | Speechly Bircham (London) | Solicitor |
| 2002 – 2004 | Clayton Utz (Melbourne) | Solicitor |
| 2002 | Qualified as a solicitor |