Chris Schlicht

Principal
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Chris is the current Board Chair of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick.

Service Areas

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He has extensive experience in conducting litigation for local and international clients, and has conducted cases concerning the validity and enforcement of patents, trade marks and designs, as well as the obtainment of rights in appeals from the Australian Intellectual Property Office.

Chris had the carriage of Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd, which went on appeal twice to the High Court of Australia.

Chris was admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria as a barrister and solicitor in 1991. He joined the firm in 1992, and qualified as a Patent and Trade Marks Attorney in 1995. Chris became a Principal in 1999, and was a member of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick’s Management Committee from 2008 to 2024. Chris is also a Principal of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick Lawyers.

Chris has conducted matters in the Victorian Supreme Court, the Federal and Full Federal Court of Australia and the High Court of Australia.

Chris has been recognised as a leading practitioner in both IAM Patent 1000 2020 and WTR 1000 2020 as well as Best Partner of the Year – Australia in the 2022 Global 1000, and as a leading lawyer in Best Lawyers in Australia (Intellectual property) 2023.

Expertise & Experience

  • Life Sciences & Biotechnology
  • Applied Chemistry & Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Physical & Computer Sciences

Qualifications

  • BSc LLB FIPTA

More about Chris

My first job was

Fast food hamburger chef

My go-to Karaoke song is

Don’t go breaking my heart

My personality type is

Bubbly and vivacious

Alternative career

Pyrotechnician

Favourite quote

“Tell ‘em, they’re dreaming”

Related news and insights

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Being a Sole Director Can be Risk

An innovation patent owned by Southern Cross was found to be invalid in the decision Southern Cross Industrial Group Oty Ltd v Mickala Lighting Towers Pty Ltd and Damien Englebrecht [2025] FCA 1363.
Chris Schlicht

8 January 2026

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Lawyers Still Debating the Law on Novelty – What’s New about That?

In the recent decision of Dyno Nobel v Orica Explosives, Justice Downs needed to decide the correct date at which the disclosure of a novelty citation is assessed-the date of publication of the citation or the priority date of the patent in issue.
Chris Schlicht

4 September 2025

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Recent Federal Court Decision Clarifies That a Patentee Can Seek Both Damages and an Account of Profits

In the recent decision of Australian Mud Company Pty Ltd v Globaltech Corporation Pty Ltd (No 5) [2024] FCA 58, a patentee can in the same proceeding claim pecuniary relief on each basis in respect of different infringing conduct.
Chris Schlicht

18 July 2024

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Inevitable results – is a literal disclosure sufficient to anticipate?

In the decision Hanwha Solutions Corporation v REC Solar Pte Ltd [2023] FCA 1017, Justice Burley considered the application of the well-known test for lack of novelty from General Tire – will following the directions in the prior art inevitably result in something being made or done which would constitute an infringement of the patent claim?
Chris Schlicht

23 January 2024

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Ten years of Raising the Bar – Support and Disclosure

Some of the most significant changes to the requirements for a valid patent brought about by the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act 2012 have been in the area of support and disclosure.
Chris Schlicht

20 April 2023

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