Anthony Alder

Anthony Alder is the principal and founder of Alder IP, an Australian firm that helps innovators protect great ideas and inventions and turn them into commercial value. Combining patent, trademark and design expertise with a suite of commercial legal services, the firm supports clients from initial protection through to the commercialisation of their intellectual property. Its work is recognised with the title of Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year in Australia at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026.

Protecting and commercialising ideas

Alder IP frames its mission in practical terms: to protect great ideas and inventions and to help clients commercialise their intellectual property by finding the best fit for that IP and matching it to their business goals. This is an important distinction. Securing a patent or registering a trademark is only part of the picture; the real value comes from aligning intellectual property with a commercial strategy — through licensing, funding, manufacturing arrangements and structured ownership. By pairing IP protection with commercial legal capability, Alder IP positions itself as an adviser to innovators and businesses across the whole life of an idea, not merely at the point of registration.

Full-spectrum IP and commercial services

The firm offers comprehensive coverage of the principal intellectual property rights together with the commercial agreements that surround them. Its services include:

• Patents, including provisional, standard and PCT international applications
• Trademarks, designs and copyright
• IP licensing and IP assignment agreements
• IP litigation
• Company and trust registration, and shareholder agreements
• Funding agreements and capital raising
• Non-disclosure, manufacturing and supply agreements

This blend of IP and commercial services is particularly well suited to start-ups, inventors and growing companies. A business bringing a new product to market typically needs to protect its invention with a patent, secure its brand through a trademark, safeguard confidential information with non-disclosure agreements, put manufacturing and supply arrangements in place, and often raise capital — each of which Alder IP can address. Handling these related needs within one firm reduces the friction of coordinating multiple advisers and helps ensure that a client's IP strategy and commercial arrangements are consistent with one another.

An Australasian reach

Alder IP operates from its primary office in Chatswood, Sydney, in New South Wales, and maintains a further office in Parnell, Auckland, giving it a presence in both Australia and New Zealand. This trans-Tasman footprint is a natural fit for intellectual property work, since Australia and New Zealand have closely connected IP systems and many businesses operate across both markets. Founder Anthony Alder is closely identified with the firm's approach and features in its educational video content addressing intellectual property topics, reflecting a practice that seeks not only to act for clients but to help them understand how IP protection and commercialisation work.

For an inventor or a growing company, the journey from idea to market involves protecting the innovation, securing the brand, safeguarding confidential information and putting the right commercial and funding arrangements in place. Alder IP's integrated model is built to support that journey from end to end across both Australia and New Zealand, so that a client's intellectual property protection and its wider business strategy reinforce one another rather than pulling in different directions.

Australia's intellectual property framework — administered through its patent, trademark and designs registration systems — provides the foundation on which local and international businesses build and defend their rights, and access to the New Zealand market extends that reach further. For inventors, entrepreneurs and companies seeking to secure and exploit their intellectual property across Australasia, Anthony Alder and Alder IP offer an integrated combination of technical IP expertise and commercial legal support. The firm's recognition as Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year in Australia at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 affirms its standing in the field.