Nicky Garnett

Nicky is a well-known respected figure within the African IP Community having started her career in 1998 at a leading firm in Zimbabwe dealing solely with IP issues. She moved to South Africa in 2008 and took up the position of Head of the Africa Patent Section at Adams & Adams, a position which she still holds.

Nicky is responsible for the running and daily operations of the Africa Patent Section which services the firms foreign clients who wish to file patent or design applications in any African countries outside of South Africa.

The demands of this position are high often requiring a unique approach to navigate the challenges encountered operating in territories which have limited resources and often unsophisticated IP ecosystems. Nicky is an engaged leader and has developed a team of 19 well-trained professionals and support staff many of whom have been with the firm for many years. Their years of long service and the team ethos within her Team contribute significantly to the success of the Team and the firm as a whole.

In the past 17 years, Nicky has travelled widely across Africa engaging with IP offices and officials to understand the challenges of their environment and provide practical and useful solutions for them in effecting the demands of the firms’ clients, many of whom are amongst the most prolific filers of patent applications worldwide. The clients that she services have high expectations in an often challenging jurisdictions.

The scope of Nicky’s work is varied requiring an intricate knowledge of the operations of the IP offices in all African countries. Nicky is an excellent communicator and understands the importance of building relationships with stakeholders and role players across the continent in order to advance the interests of the firm and build capacity within the IP ecosystem in Africa.

Nicky sits on various committees within the firm which provide strategic advice to the partnership and professionals on Africa related IP issues. She is a member is the ARIPO Working Group and is well respected by the ARIPO secretariat often providing high level inputs when discussions regarding amendments to the Harare Protocol and Regulations are under discussion.

Nicky is very involved in marketing activities within the Africa Practice and in generating articles, publications and new initiatives for the firm as a whole.

Nicky is the founder of several notable initiatives including the firms’ flagship Africa event, the Africa Network Meeting, now in its 11th year. Nicky has been involved in several sponsorship activities including the Johnson & Johnson Africa Innovation Awards and also led our recent collaboration with one of our valued clients, Qualcomm in their Learn 2 Protect (L2Pro) online learning program and Make in Africa (QMIA) Start UP initiatives. This is a groundbreaking initiative and one of the first of its kind on the continent which we hope will increase awareness of the importance of IP and assist start-ups in using the IP systems of their countries to develop sustainable businesses.

Nicky is an influential figure and manages an impressive portfolio including patents emanating from the most innovative companies in the world. Nicky prides herself on hard work and excellence in all aspects of her life and career and is an integral member of the Firm.