Anthony Franklin SC

Anthony Franklin SC is a leading intellectual property advocate/barrister at Circle Chambers, Brooklyn, Pretoria. He is also admitted in Sydney, Australia, and in the UK, with door chambers in London.

  • Called to the bar in South Africa in 1982 and appointed as Senior Counsel in 1996.
  • Called to the bar in Australia in 1998 and appointed as Senior Counsel in 2003.
  • Called to the London bar, Lincoln’s Inn, in 2002.

Areas of Practice

Intellectual Property advice and litigation:

Patents, trade marks, copyright and registered designs, unlawful competition, trade secrets and confidential information.

Education

  • University of Witwatersrand — BA LLB;
  • Claude Franks Memorial Prize – top student (Jurisprudence and Conflict of Laws)

Career highlights

In South Africa Anthony has appeared in a large number of leading copyright, trade mark and patent cases. From the early 90s until his move to Australia he appeared in 60 of the 84 reported patent cases. He moved to Australia in 1998 as one of South Africa’s leading intellectual property senior counsel.

In Australia he established a substantial intellectual property practice, with a particular emphasis on patent litigation, but including copyright, trade marks and designs. He was granted silk by the NSW Bar Association in 2003.

In 2004 to 2005 he practised in London as a member of Hogarth Chambers in Lincoln’s Inn, one of the UK’s leading sets of intellectual property barristers. He returned to Sydney at the end of 2005, although he continued to take briefs in South Africa and the UK.

In 2022 he joined Circle Chambers in Brooklyn, Pretoria, home to some of South Africa’s leading intellectual property silks.

He has retained door chambers at Hogarth Chambers in New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, and membership of the New South Wales Bar Association.

Throughout Anthony’s practice his main specialism has been patent litigation. He has appeared in a large number of reported patent cases in diverse fields including pharmaceutical (biotechnology and organic chemistry), engineering (mechanical, mining, chemical and electrical), gaming technology and consumer goods.

Anthony also takes briefs in other fields and he has appeared in a variety of general commercial cases often involving contractual disputes in areas of complicated technology. He also advises on aspects of the law in relation to Information Technology.

Professional memberships

South Africa:

  • Pretoria Society of Advocates
  • Member of Circle Chambers, Brooklyn, Pretoria.

Australia:

  • The NSW Bar Association
  • The Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand;
  • The Copyright Society;
  • The Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council

UK:

  • Lincoln’s Inn
  • Door Tenant of Hogarth Chambers, 5 New Square, Lincoln’s Inn

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