Jennifer Driver

Professional Summary

Jennifer is a Director and Principal of Actuate IP, with over 20 years’ experience as a qualified Trade Marks Attorney in Australia and New Zealand. Jennifer specialises in delivering strategic, commercially focused advice that safeguards and enhances her clients’ brands on a global scale.

Jennifer’s advice is practical, actionable, and aligned with her clients’ strategic objectives, making her a trusted advisor to businesses ranging from innovative Australian businesses to multinational corporations.

Practice Areas

Jennifer’s practice is centred on non-contentious trade mark matters, with particular strength in:

• Portfolio Management: Comprehensive auditing, reporting and management of domestic and international trade mark portfolios.
• International Filing Strategies: Expert guidance on cross-border filing and prosecution strategies, with a proven track record in high-risk jurisdictions such as China and the USA.
• Strategic Brand Advice: Advising clients on clearance, selection, and protection of new brands including risk mitigation.
• Client Outcomes: Focused on delivering clear, tangible benefits—such as risk reduction, cost-effective solutions, and maximised brand value—through strategic planning and ongoing portfolio reviews.

Her practice covers Australian and international trade mark issues for clients across a broad range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, health, cosmetic, technology, food and beverage and retail.

Professional Experience

Jennifer Driver’s deep knowledge of trade mark law helps her clients protect their brands in both the short and long term. She creates practical, tailored solutions that fit each client’s needs, making sure their intellectual property is carefully reviewed and well managed. By identifying valuable assets and potential vulnerabilities early on, Jennifer puts strong protection in place—especially in important or high-risk markets like China, where she has strong experience in combating trade mark piracy.

Jennifer is highly experienced in managing complex, multi-jurisdictional trade mark portfolios. Clients often turn to her for advice on international brand protection, knowing she can implementing international brand protection strategies, ensuring seamless coordination and risk management across Australia, Europe, USA, Asia, and other key markets.

Approach and Philosophy

Jennifer is known for her practical, strategic advice and clear communication. She makes complex trade mark issues easy to understand and always responds promptly to her clients’ needs, ensuring clients feel confident that their trade marks are in expert hands. Jennifer builds strong, long-term relationships with her clients, focusing on their unique commercial objectives and ensuring that their trade marks are protected by strategies that deliver real-world results.

Track Record

Recent matters managed by Jennifer:

• Conducted a comprehensive brand audit and developed a tailored international brand protection strategy for a botanic perfumery company, ensuring robust trade mark coverage as the brand expanded globally.
• Provided ongoing management and protection of trade marks for an Australian business group operating in the health, medical, and employment sectors, supporting their growth and safeguarding their reputation with proactive portfolio management across multiple brands.
• Worked closely with a global provider of height access and fall protection solutions to protect its diverse portfolio of brands in Australia and internationally, assisting with strategic registrations, brand audits, and ongoing portfolio management to secure trade mark rights and mitigate risks in key markets.
• Successfully managed the registration and prosecution of several challenging Australian trade marks for a leading insurance provider, developing and implementing tailored strategies to overcome obstacles and secure protection for complex or difficult marks as part of their broader brand protection strategy.
• Managed the international trade mark portfolio of a global premium probiotic manufacturer, with a particular focus on securing and enforcing rights in China.
• Successfully conducted removal proceedings to clear a registered mark from the Trade Marks Register, paving the way for a new entertainment brand.

Personal Interests

Outside of her professional life, Jennifer is an avid traveller who enjoys exploring new destinations and cultures whenever she can. She has a passion for discovering local cuisines and is always keen to try new restaurants and sample great food and wine, whether at home or abroad.