FB Rice & Co has appointed Sylvan Browne as leader of the firm’s Melbourne engineering practice. He will become a partner of the firm on September 1. Browne specializes in patents and designs, with an emphasis on drafting and prosecution in a range of electrical, software, medical, bioinformatics and mechanical technologies. He also advises clients on developing patent strategies to suit their commercial objectives, with a specific focus on patent protection in the North American, European and Asian markets. He previously worked in Canada as a patent agent before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and the US Patent and Trademark Office.