Philip was a well-known leader of the Intellectual Property profession in New Zealand.
 
He graduated in law from Victoria University of Wellington and in comparative legal studies from Strasbourg and Amsterdam.  In 1975 he was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and registered as a Patent Attorney and till 1995 was a partner in the patent attorney firm West-Walker McCabe.  He founded its associated general law firm McCabes Law Office, which became McCabe and Company, Lawyers and Patent Attorneys.
 
He was President of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys 1986/1986, was an examiner for the Institute and the editor of its newsletter “The Patent Letter”.  Philip was also a member of the Council of the Wellington District Law Society and was for two years a member of the Council of the New Zealand Law Society. 
 
He was the editor of Sim's Court Manual on the High Court Rules (Patent Cases) and the author of the chapter on Registered Designs in the encyclopaedia Laws of New Zealand. 
 
He was a member of LawAsia, the Asian Patent Attorneys Association, the International Trademark Association, The Association of European Advocates, FICPI, the Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia and various other law and intellectual property organisations in New Zealand and overseas.  For some years he was a member of the Board of the New Zealand Futures Trust (Futures Thinking Aotearoa) and President of the Victoria University of Wellington Alumni Association. 
 
His good humour, canny insights and love of people will be sorely missed.
 
We extend our condolences to Eugenie and their children - Chantelle, Amber and Christian and their families in this time of great personal loss.