FICPI // Focus 45 // Women working in IP

Ronelle Geldenhuys is Partner at JMSD LLP in Australia and FICPI Australia Secretary.

Ronelle is a registered patent attorney with more than 15 years’ experience spanning large law firms, specialist boutiques, and in-house roles. Her technical focus includes electronics, software-based inventions, telecommunications, automation systems, and optical technologies. 

Through roles at firms such as Freehills (now FPA), FB Rice, and Foundry IP, as well as her time as in-house counsel at Breville, Ronelle has developed a strong appreciation for the commercial context in which IP strategy operates.  

Ronelle is an advocate for inclusive and sustainable practice development. She has led initiatives to improve internal processes, client onboarding, and cross-functional collaboration, with an emphasis on practical guidance and long-term value creation. She frequently works with startups and SMEs on commercialisation strategies, IP-backed funding readiness, and international growth planning. 

In addition to her client-facing work, Ronelle lectures in Patent Systems at the University of Technology Sydney and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications in both electronics and diversity in law. She is a Fellow of IPTA, and the founding Chair of the ChIPs Australia & New Zealand chapter, where she was instrumental in growing membership from inception to over 300 professionals. She also contributes to ongoing industry discussions around software patentability in Australia. 

He is listed in the IAM Patents 1000, and has been since 2012. Louis-Pierre is often called upon to speak on a variety of IP-related topics, at local and international conferences and events.