Dr Annabella Newton

Dr Annabella Newton is an experienced patent attorney specialising in the chemical sciences who advises clients on protecting, managing and commercialising intellectual property, including patents, plant breeder’s rights (PBR), IP strategy, portfolio management, patent term extensions (PTE), enforcement support and commercialisation pathways.

With more than a decade of experience, Annabella works with start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, universities and research organisations across the pharmaceutical, chemical, food chemistry, materials science, agricultural and life sciences sectors to help them secure, leverage and defend their intellectual assets. She has extensive experience managing large international patent portfolios for multinational clients, including prosecution, assignments, licensing, amendments and strategic portfolio development.

She has particular experience in the pharmaceutical and research commercialisation space, including advising on patent term extensions and lifecycle management strategies for pharmaceutical products. She also works with clients in the food chemistry and agricultural sectors, supporting the protection of innovations through both patents and plant breeder’s rights.

Annabella regularly advises founders, R&D leaders, in-house IP teams and commercial managers, and is known for providing clear, practical advice that aligns IP protection with commercial objectives, timelines and budgets. Her practice includes strategic patenting advice, freedom to operate, infringement and validity opinions, as well as involvement in patent oppositions.

She is actively engaged with the innovation ecosystem and the commercialisation of research. Annabella co-founded a medical device start-up and is an Innovation Mentor with the CSIRO ON Program, as well as a mentor and speaker for start-up and accelerator programs. These experiences enable her to deliver commercially focused advice that is grounded in the realities of innovation and technology translation.

Annabella holds a Master of Chemistry (Honours) from the University of East Anglia and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Nottingham, where her research was sponsored by AstraZeneca. She is recognised for her technical depth, strategic thinking and ability to translate complex IP concepts into practical, commercially focused advice, and has been named an IPSTARS Rising Star by Managing Intellectual Property.