Author

Teresa O'Connor

Director

Teresa is a doyenne in the field of intellectual property. In a career spanning over 40 years, Teresa has acted for clients in all aspects of IP commercialisation, from enforcement of copyright infringement against music piracy to novel and challenging trade mark oppositions, invalidations and revocations. Her diverse portfolio of clients come from a broad cross-section of industries including technology, automotive, gaming, beauty and cosmetics, apparel, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, entertainment and food and beverage. Notable clients range from large multinational companies such as BMW, Alibaba, Nintendo, Biologique Recherche and LVMH; to startups and prominent Singapore-based businesses. The latter includes specialty coffee brand Alchemist, the Zilliqa blockchain, Japanese sporting goods distributor Sunrise & Co. and luxury leather goods brand Kwanpen.

Teresa is known for her creative, personal and practical approach to practice, tailoring her advice and strategies for each client based on their commercial goals, market conditions and business climate. She has significant and noteworthy experience in prosecuting borderline trade marks. Her accomplishments are globally recognised by the Legal 500, World Trade Mark Review and Chambers & Partners.

Prior to joining Ghows LLC, Teresa founded and helmed a prominent local intellectual property practice for over 30 years.

Accolades:

Legal 500: Leading individual
Chambers: Ranked for IP Non-contentious
WTR: Leading individual (Gold tier)
IP Stars: Trade mark star 2023 – 2026

Articles by Teresa O'Connor

8 October 2026

No Confusion About What’s NEXT: NEXTEVO Survives Invalidation

How much weight should be given to an earlier mark that appears at the beginning of a longer, invented word?

2 October 2026

SG Trade Marks Fast is Back: Accelerated Trade Mark Examination Resumes from 1 September 2026

Businesses looking to secure earlier feedback on their Singapore trade mark applications can once again make use of the SG Trade Marks Fast acceleration programme.

21 August 2026

When Fame Cuts Both Ways: IPOS Rejects Olympic Committee’s Opposition to OLIMP SPORT NUTRITION

In Comité International Olympique v Olimp Laboratories Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia [2026] SGIPOS 10, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) dismissed an opposition brought by the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) against the registration of the mark.

14 May 2026

Silence Speaks Loudest: IPOS Rejects Opportunistic “ASWINS” Filing

The decision in Aswins Home Special v Aswins Sweets & Snacks Pte Ltd [2026] SGIPOS 5 is a clear illustration of how the Singapore trade mark regime deals with opportunistic filings, and what happens when an applicant has no credible explanation for its conduct.

4 March 2026

No Monopoly Over "Blue": "vivo BlueOS" Dissimilar to "BluOS"

We recently succeeded in defending an opposition before IPOS in Lenbrook Industries Limited v Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. [2026] SGIPOS 2. The opposition failed on all grounds including similarity of marks, well-known mark, and passing off.

10 February 2026

19,000 Adult Diapers Seized — Then Donated

In December 2025, Ghows LLC supported an initiative that transformed what is typically a standard enforcement endpoint into an outcome with tangible community benefit.

28 August 2025

Singapore – Advisory on Increase of IPOS Fees Effective 1 September 2025

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) announced on 21 July 2025 that it will be increasing its official fees for certain transactions from 1 September 2025 where some other fee revisions will take effect on 1 April 2026. The last fee revision took place in 2022.