Partners

Ruby Tham

Director, Intellectual Property

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • LL.B. (Hons), National University of Singapore (2005)
  • Admitted to the Singapore Bar (2006)
  • Solicitor, England and Wales (2009)

Ruby has more than 15 years of experience in contentious and non-contentious Intellectual Property (IP) practice.

Ruby actively handles IP (trade marks, passing off, copyright, registered designs and domain name recovery) contentious and enforcement matters.

Through more than a decade of practice, Ruby has built up considerable experience in having conduct of trade mark opposition, invalidation, and revocation matters and appearing before the Registry and High Court.

Ruby regularly advises on global brand strategy, trade mark clearance and prosecution, active portfolio management and best practices relating to the use and protection of IP. On the transactional front, Ruby’s work includes advising, negotiating and drafting agreements relating to IP transfers, mergers and acquisition, IP-backed financing and licensing and conducting IP due diligence.

Ruby also has experience in advising on corporate IP ownership structures and advises on available government funding and tax schemes relating to IP.

Ruby has a keen interest in technology and enjoys exploring the interface between technology and law.   

Ruby’s clients hail from a broad range of industries, including telecommunications, entertainment media, technology, engineering, financial services, chemicals, food and beverage, fashion, business management, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), cosmetics, education, medical and pharmaceuticals.

Ruby is Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

Here is a sampling of matters that Ruby has worked on:

  • Sociedad Anonima Damm v Hijos de Rivera, S.A. [2022] SGIPOS 6, in which Ruby successfully acted for Hijos de Riviera, in defending an opposition by Sociedad Anonima Damm to the registration of its primary “Estrella Galicia” trade mark logo. This matter is one of several matters in a multi-jurisdiction dispute between parties.
  • Combe International Ltd v Dr. August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel [2021] SGIPOS 10; Combe International Ltd v Dr. August Wolff GmbH & Co. KG Arzneimittel [2022] SGHC 78, in which Ruby successfully defended Dr August Wolff in an opposition brought by Combe International to the registration of the mark, “" at the Trade Marks Registry and the High Court.
  • Teraoka Seiko Co., Ltd v Digi International Inc. [2020] SGIPOS 1; Digi International Inc. v Teraoka Seiko Co., Ltd [2021] SGHC 165 in which Ruby assisted in the successful opposition by Teraoka Seiko to Digi’s application for a similar mark in respect of goods and services related to the Internet of Things (IoT), at the Trade Marks Registry and on appeal to the High Court.
  • Advised a leading energy and petroleum company on various IP ownership models and the impact of each model on its global IP strategy.  
  • Advised on the IP aspects of cross-border IP-backed financing activities.

World Trade Mark Review 1000

Prosecution and Strategy 2023 – Bronze band for 4 consecutive years

Enforcement and Litigation 2023 – Bronze band for 2 consecutive years

“Ruby Tham has a lot of irons in the fire and meaningfully supports her patrons in many ways; she has been on a fine run of form in oppositions recently.”

“Ruby Tham is a stalwart in the prosecution practice and a force to be reckoned with in opposition and invalidation proceedings.”

Who’s Who Legal

Global Guide: IP - Copyright 2022 – Recommended Lawyer for 2 consecutive years

Ruby Tham provides “very timely and well-thought-out advice” to multinational corporations in high-stakes IP enforcement proceedings.

Managing Intellectual Property

IP Star 2022 – Rising Star

Singapore Business Review

Singapore’s 18 most influential lawyers under 40 in 2021 – Listed lawyer

  • Fellow, Singapore Institute of Arbitrators
  • Assessor, Panel of Assessors for COVID-19 Temporary Relief, Ministry of Law
  • Member, Law Society of Singapore
  • Member, Singapore Academy of Law
  • Member, Law Society of England and Wales
  • Member, Licensing Executives Society (LES)
  • Member, Institute of Singapore Trade Mark Agents