Janelle joined James & Wells in 2024 as a partner based in our Melbourne office, after spending 20 years as a principal heading up a sizeable team of patent attorneys at a large Australia firm.

Janelle is a registered Australian and New Zealand patent attorney and Australian trade mark attorney, backed by a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Chemistry.

Janelle is also the Immediate Past President of IPTA – the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia, and a current Council member.  When Janelle was voted into the leadership role at IPTA’s 102nd AGM, it marked the first time IPTA had elected an all-female executive.

Janelle is an expert in the creation of patent protection strategies in the chemical technology fields. This involves the drafting of patent specifications, managing the examination process across multiple countries, providing strategic advice, and assessing freedom-to-operate. Janelle has managed the portfolios of large overseas companies, multinational food companies, start-up businesses, Universities and research organisations. Janelle has extensive experience with patent oppositions in Australia and patent invalidation procedure across multiple jurisdictions. She provides commercially-focused advice to clients, with clear summaries and outlines of the next steps to take matters forward. Her technical specialisation is in the field of organic chemistry, and extends to food technology, polymer compositions (especially elastomers), chemical aspects of energy storage devices including electrolytes and electrode materials, 3D printing inks, organic photovoltaics, fuel compositions, chemical analytical instruments, manufacturing from chemical compositions, ionic liquids and pharmaceuticals.

Janelle has been listed as an IP Star each year from 2016 to the present, and is one of a small number of “highly recommended” individuals for patent prosecution in Australia in the IAM Patent 1000.

Outside of work Janelle is an award-winning baker and enjoys gourmet chocolate making, golf, and bushwalking with her family.

• Organic chemistry, including novel organic materials and pharmaceutical compositions
• Polymer chemistry including biodegradable polymers and thermoplastic elastomers, and manufacturing of articles from polymer materials, polymer-derived ceramics, self-assembled polymers, polymerisation processes including radical polymerisation and RAFT polymers;
• Energy storage devices – batteries, capacitors, fuel cells, and components thereof, including electrolyte compositions, electrode chemistry and construction, ionic liquids, and electroconductive polymers;
• Food chemistry, including confectionery products (including chocolate) and snack food production, sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in food and beverages, preservation and treatment of food, modification of organoleptic properties of foods, fats and oils (including microbial production of PUFAs), dairy products, food formulations (e.g. for low GI or other health benefits), and extraction process for the extraction of nutritional components from foods such as dairy streams;
• Fuel compositions;
• Minerals processing including concentration processes, leach compositions and solvent systems, extraction processes;
• Chemical analysis and electrochemical processes, including electrophoretic separation processes and associated apparatus,
• General chemical products including ink compositions for 3D printing, detergents, cosmetic compositions, geopolymers.