FPA Patent Attorneys is delighted to announce the promotion of Emma van Embden to Principal, effective from 1 July 2026.
“Emma’s promotion to Principal is thoroughly deserved. Her strategic approach to patent portfolio management, combined with her exceptional technical expertise in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology, makes her an outstanding asset to our clients and to the firm,” says FPA’s Managing Principal, John Dower.
Prior to joining FPA, Emma completed her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Melbourne and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, specialising in nanotechnology and biochemistry.
Since joining FPA, Emma has built a distinguished practice spanning biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials science, and medical technology, working with clients ranging from venture-backed start-ups and ASX-listed companies to multinational corporations, universities and research institutes. She is recognised for helping clients develop patent portfolios that support investment, partnering, public market readiness and long-term value creation.
Emma advises on patent strategy, portfolio development, IP due diligence, freedom to operate, patentability and validity, and regularly conducts both investor-side and company-side diligence. Her practice is particularly focused on delivering commercially meaningful protection and strategic advice that supports transactions, capital raising, partnering opportunities and business growth. Clients value her ability to combine deep technical expertise with commercial judgement and to act as a trusted strategic partner.
Reflecting on her appointment, Emma said, “Every attorney has this milestone in their sights from day one, so it’s incredibly rewarding to reach it. I have been so fortunate to have outstanding mentors (past and present) and to work alongside an exceptional team who are at the top of their field and, most importantly, are wonderful people to work with.
I am also very grateful to my clients who trust me to guide their IP strategy – it is a real privilege to work with such talented people on cutting edge technology and contribute to their success. I love what I do and look forward to continuing to build on this in the years ahead!”
Emma’s practice spans a broad range of life sciences technologies, including small molecule therapeutics, pharmaceutical formulations, oligonucleotides, peptides, medical devices, biomaterials, exosomes, diagnostics and agricultural technologies. She was recognised as a Rising Star by IP Stars, Managing Intellectual Property, from 2019 to 2021.
