Finding the right trademark lawyer for your food and beverage brand isn't just about legal expertise — it's about understanding an industry where brand identity can make or break a product on the shelf. From craft breweries navigating naming disputes to multinational food companies protecting iconic packaging, the stakes in this sector are uniquely high.

Australia's food and beverage industry is fiercely competitive. With thousands of new products launching each year and consumers increasingly driven by brand recognition, securing robust trademark protection isn't optional — it's essential. But not every intellectual property lawyer understands the nuances of food labelling regulations, geographical indications, or the complexities of protecting flavour descriptors and trade dress in a crowded market.

We've put together this guide to help food and beverage brand owners identify trademark lawyers and firms with genuine expertise in this space. Whether you're a startup kombucha brand or an established wine label looking to expand internationally, these are some of the top practitioners worth considering.

What Makes a Great Trademark Lawyer for Food & Beverage Brands?

Before diving into the list, it's worth understanding what sets a food and beverage trademark specialist apart from a general IP practitioner. The best lawyers in this niche bring:

  • **Deep knowledge of food labelling and packaging law** — including the interplay between trademark protection and regulations administered by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
  • **Experience with geographical indications (GIs)** — particularly relevant for wine, spirits, and specialty food products
  • **Trade dress expertise** — protecting the visual appearance of packaging, bottle shapes, label designs, and colour schemes
  • **Understanding of the competitive landscape** — knowing what's already registered, what's likely to cause confusion, and what examiners at IP Australia tend to flag in food and beverage classes
  • **International filing capability** — since many Australian food and beverage brands export, experience with Madrid Protocol filings and key overseas jurisdictions is crucial

With those criteria in mind, here are eight trademark lawyers and firms that stand out for food and beverage brand work in Australia.

1. Shelston IP

Shelston IP is one of Australia's oldest and most established intellectual property firms, with a history stretching back over 135 years. Their trademark practice group has extensive experience working with food and beverage companies, from multinational corporations to emerging local brands.

What makes Shelston particularly relevant for this sector is their breadth of expertise across both trademark prosecution and enforcement. They've handled matters involving product naming disputes, packaging trade dress, and international portfolio management for brands that span multiple food categories. Their team includes registered trade marks attorneys with deep experience before IP Australia and in contested proceedings.

Best suited for: Mid-to-large food and beverage companies seeking a full-service IP firm with a proven track record.

For more information, see our best trademark lawyers for e-commerce brands in.

2. Spruson & Ferguson

As one of the largest dedicated IP firms in the Asia-Pacific region, Spruson & Ferguson brings serious firepower to food and beverage trademark work. They operate across multiple Australian offices and have an extensive international network, making them a strong choice for brands with export ambitions.

Their trademark team has particular experience in the wine and spirits sector, where geographical indications and appellation issues add layers of complexity. They also handle significant volumes of trade mark clearance searches and oppositions — both critical services for food brands entering crowded market categories where the risk of conflict is high.

Best suited for: Wine, spirits, and premium food brands with both domestic and international protection needs.

3. Davies Collison Cave (DCC)

Davies Collison Cave is another heavyweight in Australia's IP landscape, and their trademark practice is well-regarded across the food and beverage industry. DCC's team includes practitioners who understand the commercial realities of brand building in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors.

They've advised on trademark strategies for everything from snack food brands to health food products, and they bring strong capability in trade dress and packaging protection — an area that's becoming increasingly important as brands compete for attention in retail environments. Their enforcement work, including border protection measures through Australian Border Force, is also noteworthy for brands concerned about counterfeit or infringing products.

Best suited for: FMCG food brands and companies needing strong enforcement capabilities alongside registration work.

4. Griffith Hack

Griffith Hack has built a solid reputation for brand protection work across a range of consumer-facing industries, including food and beverage. Now part of the IPH Limited group, they combine the resources of a larger organisation with the specialist focus that food brand owners need.

Their team is experienced in conducting freedom-to-operate assessments for new product launches — a critical step for food companies that are often working to tight timelines and can't afford naming conflicts after packaging has been printed and marketing campaigns launched. They also offer trademark watching services that help food and beverage clients monitor for potentially conflicting new applications in their categories.

We explore this in our best trademark lawyers in australia.

Best suited for: Food companies launching new product lines or sub-brands who need thorough clearance and monitoring.

5. Wrays

Based in Perth with a national practice, Wrays brings a strong trademark offering that's particularly relevant for Western Australia's significant food and beverage sector, including wine, craft beer, and agricultural products. Their IP team includes registered attorneys with hands-on experience in food and beverage branding matters.

What distinguishes Wrays is their commercial, pragmatic approach. They understand that food and beverage businesses — especially smaller producers — need cost-effective trademark strategies that don't sacrifice thoroughness. They've advised craft breweries, boutique wineries, and specialty food producers on everything from initial brand clearance through to enforcement against infringers.

Best suited for: WA-based food and beverage producers and craft brands seeking a commercially minded firm with strong local knowledge.

6. FB Rice

FB Rice is a well-established Australian IP firm with offices in multiple states, and their trade marks practice has notable experience in the food and beverage space. They take a strategic approach to portfolio management, helping clients think beyond individual mark registrations to build coherent brand protection frameworks.

Their expertise extends to advising on the protectability of non-traditional marks — including colours, shapes, and sounds — which can be particularly relevant for distinctive food and beverage packaging. They've also handled matters involving certification trade marks, which are important for food products that carry quality or origin certifications.

Best suited for: Food brands with complex portfolios or those seeking protection for non-traditional brand elements.

7. Lander & Rogers

While Lander & Rogers is a full-service commercial law firm rather than a dedicated IP boutique, their intellectual property team deserves mention for the depth of their food and beverage sector knowledge. Having a trademark team embedded within a broader commercial practice means they can seamlessly advise on related issues like franchise agreements, licensing deals, and regulatory compliance — all common needs for food and beverage businesses.

See also our how to compare trademark lawyer quotes.

Their trademark lawyers have experience acting for major food retailers, hospitality groups, and food manufacturers. They bring particular strength in contentious trademark matters, including opposition proceedings and Federal Court litigation, which can be critical when a food brand faces a serious challenge to its core trade marks.

Best suited for: Food and beverage businesses that need trademark expertise integrated with broader commercial legal advice.

8. Pizzeys Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys

Pizzeys, based in Brisbane, is a well-regarded IP firm with genuine expertise in the food and beverage sector. Queensland's thriving food industry — spanning tropical fruits, seafood, beef, and a booming craft brewing scene — means Pizzeys has built significant experience advising food and beverage brand owners on trademark protection.

They offer a full range of trade mark services from clearance searches and applications through to enforcement and dispute resolution. Their approach tends to be hands-on and accessible, which makes them a good fit for food and beverage businesses that value a close working relationship with their trademark advisors.

Best suited for: Queensland-based food and beverage brands and businesses seeking a responsive, relationship-driven IP firm.

Key Considerations When Choosing Your Trademark Lawyer

Selecting from this list — or from the broader pool of Australian trademark practitioners — requires more than just picking the most prominent name. Here are some practical factors to weigh:

Industry-Specific Experience

Ask prospective lawyers directly about their food and beverage client base. How many food brands have they advised? Have they dealt with the specific product category you operate in? A lawyer who's handled dozens of wine trademark matters may not be the best fit for a snack food startup, and vice versa.

Class Knowledge

Food and beverage trademarks primarily fall within Classes 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 under the Nice Classification system used by IP Australia. These classes are among the most heavily populated, which means the risk of examiner objections and third-party conflicts is elevated. Your lawyer should have deep familiarity with the examination landscape in these specific classes.

Read our fixed-fee vs hourly: which trademark lawyer pricing for related guidance.

Trade Dress and Packaging Expertise

In the food and beverage industry, your brand often extends well beyond a word mark or logo. The shape of a bottle, the colour palette of your packaging, and the overall visual impression of your product on the shelf can all form part of your protectable brand identity. Not every trademark lawyer is experienced in these more complex areas of protection.

International Capability

If you export — or plan to — your trademark lawyer needs to be capable of managing international filings efficiently. This typically means experience with the Madrid Protocol system and established relationships with foreign IP attorneys in your target markets. For food and beverage brands, key export markets like China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations each present distinct trademark challenges.

Cost Transparency

Trademark costs can escalate quickly, particularly if oppositions or disputes arise. The best lawyers for food and beverage brands will provide clear, upfront pricing for standard services and honest assessments of potential costs for more complex matters. Don't be afraid to ask for detailed fee estimates before engaging.

The Importance of Early and Strategic Trademark Filing

One consistent piece of advice from experienced food and beverage trademark lawyers is this: file early and file strategically. Too many food businesses invest heavily in brand development, packaging design, and marketing materials before conducting proper trademark clearance searches. When a conflict then emerges, the cost of rebranding far exceeds what the trademark work would have cost upfront.

Australia operates on a "first to use" system with significant advantages also granted to "first to file." This means that while prior use can establish some rights, having a registered trade mark provides substantially stronger protection and makes enforcement far more straightforward.

For food and beverage brands specifically, early filing is even more critical because:

  • **Product launches are often time-sensitive**, tied to retail listing deadlines or seasonal windows
  • **Packaging lead times** mean that a late-stage name change can be extraordinarily expensive
  • **Competitor activity** in popular food categories is intense, and desirable brand names are being registered at a rapid pace

Final Thoughts

The food and beverage industry in Australia is vibrant, innovative, and intensely competitive. Whether you're bringing a new plant-based protein to market, building a premium spirits brand, or scaling a beloved local food product nationally, your trademark strategy is a foundational element of your business success.

The eight lawyers and firms listed above represent some of the strongest options available for food and beverage trademark work in Australia. Each brings different strengths, and the right choice will depend on your specific needs, budget, location, and growth ambitions.

Take the time to have initial conversations with a few practitioners before committing. The best trademark lawyer for your food and beverage brand will be someone who doesn't just understand the law — they understand your industry, your competitive landscape, and the commercial realities of building a brand that consumers trust and remember.