About IP Insiders
A not-for-profit community built by in-house practitioners, for in-house practitioners.
Built Because Something Was Missing
The in-house IP practitioner occupies a distinct professional space. Managing IP from within an organisation means navigating commercial realities, business priorities, and legal risk simultaneously, without the support structures of a private practice firm, and often without colleagues who share the same frame of reference.
For a long time, that distinction went largely unacknowledged.
The existing professional organisations in the IP landscape are, in the main, excellent at what they do. But they are built around, and primarily staffed by, private practice professionals. That is not a criticism; it is a structural reality. Advocating meaningfully for in-house practitioners requires an intimate understanding of the in-house experience: what it means to manage a portfolio without dedicated support, to justify IP spend to a leadership team that views patents as a cost rather than an asset, to advise on strategy while simultaneously managing compliance and contracts. Without that lived experience, even a well-intentioned organisation cannot fully speak to in-house needs. They simply do not have the language.
Events exist that try to bridge this gap, and we are glad they exist. These events, however, tend to be either too broad, too shallow, or oriented around specific aspects of IP practice such as commercialisation, licensing, or academic research, rather than the day-to-day realities of in-house work. There is no dedicated space for the people actually doing the work.
More concerning still, decisions are being made by government agencies, regulatory bodies, and professional boards that reveal just how invisible the in-house perspective has become. Frameworks developed to govern the profession are written almost entirely in the language of private practice. References to “clients”, the definition of professional scope, and the framing of professional obligations are all written with private practice squarely in mind, with little room left for how in-house professionals actually work. In-house practitioners are, at best, an afterthought.
IP Insiders was created to fill that gap, not as a replacement for what already exists, but as a dedicated home for those who have been overlooked. A community where in-house practitioners can connect with people who understand their context, access knowledge grounded in commercial experience, and have a real voice when decisions affecting their profession are being made.
The Gap
A professional community built specifically for the demands and realities of in-house practice had never existed.
The Problem
Regulatory frameworks and professional standards continued to be written almost entirely in the language of private practice.
The Response
IP Insiders was founded to build the community, the voice, and the space that in-house practitioners had always lacked.
Four Things We Are Committed To
Everything IP Insiders does flows from four core commitments. Together, they define what we are building and why.
Community & Connection
In-house practitioners are often isolated by the nature of their work. IP Insiders exists to connect practitioners who share that context, so that no one has to navigate it entirely alone.
Knowledge & Education
Through our events, webinars, and curated content, IP Insiders surfaces practical insight from people who have actually done the work. The focus is always on what is applicable and commercially grounded, not what is theoretical.
Advocacy & Representation
When decisions are being made that affect the profession, IP Insiders works to ensure the in-house perspective is present and heard. We make submissions, engage with the relevant bodies, and work to ensure that the frameworks governing our profession reflect the full reality of how IP practitioners actually work.
Events Worth Attending
Our flagship event, the IP Insights Forum, is now in its third year. Designed for in-house practitioners, by in-house practitioners: a full day of substantive, commercially grounded discussion. No sales pitches. No panels chosen for name recognition alone.
From Idea to Action
IP Insiders is a young organisation, but it has not been idle. In three years, we have established a flagship annual event, contributed to decisions that affect the profession, and built a community of practitioners who are actively engaged.
The IP Insights Forum
Our annual forum, run in partnership with Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick, is the centrepiece of what IP Insiders does. In its first year, it brought together approximately 65 in-house IP practitioners for a full day of substantive discussion. By its second year, attendance had grown to around 85, a figure constrained only by the limits of the venue. The forum has become a genuine fixture in the professional calendar for in-house IP practitioners across Australia and New Zealand.
In 2026, we are expanding the programme. Alongside the annual forum in August, IP Insiders is introducing a new quarter-day workshop in July, with approximately 40 practitioners expected to attend. The conversation is growing, and so is the appetite for it.
Advocacy and Representation
IP Insiders has actively engaged with the regulatory and policy processes that shape the profession.
IP Insiders has been invited by the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board to participate in its upcoming review of the Competencies Framework for registered IP attorneys. We have accepted that invitation and are preparing for the consultation, which is yet to commence. It will be an important opportunity to ensure that the in-house perspective is present in a process that has historically overlooked it.
We have also participated, as part of the Computer Implemented Inventions Task Force (CIITF), established by IPTA, IPSANZ, AIPPI, FICPI, LCA, and NZIPA, in a submission to IP Australia addressing examination practice for computer implemented inventions, following the Full Federal Court's decision in Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents [2025] FCAFC 131. Our involvement reflects a broader commitment: to engage with the profession constructively, and to contribute wherever the in-house perspective is relevant and needed.
A Growing Community
IP Insiders currently has 136 members in its LinkedIn group, which serves as a working proxy for the size of our community given that we do not yet operate a formal membership structure. These are practitioners who have actively chosen to be part of the conversation. We consider that a meaningful foundation, and we are building on it.
Practitioners, Running It For Practitioners
IP Insiders is led and run by in-house professionals, for in-house professionals. Everyone involved brings direct experience of managing IP from within an organisation. That shared experience is what informs how IP Insiders operates and what it prioritises.
Leadership Team
The IP Insiders leadership team is made up of experienced in-house IP professionals drawn from industry, research, and academia. They bring a breadth of perspective on what in-house practice actually looks like across different organisational contexts, and a shared conviction that the profession deserves a stronger, more dedicated voice than it has historically had.
Our Committee
Supporting the leadership team is a broader committee of practitioners who contribute their time, expertise, and networks to the work of IP Insiders. The committee plays an important role in shaping our events, informing our advocacy positions, and helping steer the direction of the community. Like everyone at IP Insiders, they do this work alongside demanding full-time roles, which is itself a reflection of how much they believe in what we are building.
Join Us
IP Insiders is always looking for people to join the committee. If you work in-house, care about the profession, and want to help build something worthwhile, we would love to hear from you. The time commitment is manageable, the work is meaningful, and the people are good.
Get in Touch