Law for innovators and founders.
Direct advice.
Legal counsel for research institutes, IP owners, and emerging companies - from a lawyer who has worked inside one.
Legal counsel for research institutes, IP owners, and emerging companies - from a lawyer who has worked inside one.
Deep experience across IP and commercialisation - from the institutions generating innovation to the companies and founders taking it to market.
For IP owners and businesses that need legal support across the full life of their IP - from securing it, to licensing it, to defending it.
For founders building something - practical support at each stage, from getting the structure right early and beyond.
For institutions that need experienced legal support without the overhead - whether that's covering capacity, handling a specific matter, or working alongside an existing team.
IP, startup, licensing, and commercialisation are the core of this practice - not a department within a larger firm, but the entire focus. That means genuine depth in the areas that matter most to clients operating in the innovation space. Where matters extend into adjacent commercial territory, that work is covered too, but the practice doesn't stray far from where the expertise sits.
Established IP owners and early-stage companies are our clients. That means real familiarity with how they think - and time spent advising them on matters with genuine stakes. Whether it's negotiating a spinout with a parent institution or setting up corporate governance and entities, that experience carries through to every engagement.
Daniel has experience as an in-house lawyer at a medical research institute and is available to other institutions and universities through secondment arrangements or overflow support. He can immediately assist your team with MTAs, commercial agreements, governance advice, and IP licensing.
Some companies aren't ready to hire a lawyer. Others aren't sure they need one full-time. Either way, the answer isn't always a law firm on call - it's someone embedded in the business. As fractional counsel, Daniel works as part of your team on an ongoing basis: in your meetings, across your deals, available when something comes up. You get a lawyer who already knows your business, your risk appetite, and your commercial goals - without the overhead of a full-time hire.
No juniors. No handovers mid-matter. Daniel will handle your matter from start to finish, attend the meetings, and is directly available when something comes up.
Fixed fees for standard work. Hourly rates for complex or bespoke matters. Retainer arrangements available for clients who want ongoing access and predictable costs.
Principal - McIntosh Innovation Practitioners
Daniel is a specialist IP and commercial lawyer whose practice sits at the intersection of research, innovation, and commercial law. He works with medical research institutes, universities, IP owners, SMEs, and early-stage companies - particularly where those worlds meet, whether that's a spinout commercialising research IP, an institution entering its first major licensing arrangement, or a founder navigating the legal side of building something new.
His work covers IP strategy, commercial contracts, licensing and technology transfer, and startup law. Daniel has held an in-house role at a medical research institute and also worked as a research scientist at an ASX-listed Melbourne biotech - which means he understands how research organisations actually operate, how their commercial decisions get made, and what they genuinely need from a lawyer.
Daniel holds a doctorate in AI and legal regulation. That background informs how he approaches emerging technology, IP ownership questions involving AI, and the regulatory dimensions of innovation - areas that are increasingly relevant to clients in the research and commercialisation space. He communicates directly and keeps the focus on commercial outcomes.
Work with DanielWhether you have an immediate matter or want to understand if McIntosh Innovation Practitioners is the right fit - reach out directly. You'll speak with Daniel.