Adding to its other offices in Adelaide and Brisbane, the 90-year-old firm's east-coast expansion is a result of its growing expertise in patent litigation, according to Wrays chief executive officer Frank Hurley.

"We have developed and are continuing to develop a very strong expertise in patent litigation and particularly for some big multinationals. For a Perth-based firm, we're punching above our weight because it's quite a success to be able to do that," said Hurley.

He believes opening an office in Sydney would expose the firm to a "much bigger talent pool to recruit from" and would allow the firm to tackle the Sydney market.

"We're clearly chasing Sydney clients and east coast clients. We have quite a few east coast clients," he said.

The new Sydney office will be headed by the firm's chairman of partners and head of its patent litigation group Gary Cox, along with senior associate Joe Seisdedos and IP consultant Vicky Longshaw.

"We're currently in the market for a couple of other people," said Hurley. "I would hope within 12 months we'd have probably six senior professionals in the office and within two to three years, we'd be doubling that."

Briana Everett