Experience and legal services
General intellectual property advice
- Identifying intellectual property assets and ownership of those assets.
- Advising on options and methods for protecting intellectual property, including patents.
- Advising on appropriate structures to hold and manage intellectual property.
- Advising in relation to commercialisation of intellectual property.
- Drafting and reviewing assignments of intellectual property.
- Drafting and reviewing licences of intellectual property.
- Checking specific clauses in agreements from an intellectual property perspective.
- Checking designs, plans, advertisements and other promotional material for possible infringement of third party rights, the Fair Trading Act or other legislation.
Licensing
- Advising on methods and options for commercialising intellectual property.
- Drafting appropriate agreements including licences
Trade mark advice
- Trade mark selection, availability (New Zealand and overseas) and use advice, including trade mark searches.
- Filing trade mark applications and completing to registration.
- Drafting and reviewing trade mark licences.
- Drafting trade mark assignments and recording assignments with the relevant trade mark office.
- Managing national and international trade mark portfolios.
- Advising on branding strategies.
- Bringing and defending Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand trade mark opposition and rectification proceedings.
Technology advice
- Drafting and reviewing software and technology licences
- Drafting distribution agreements
- Drafting associated agreements
Disputes
- Advising on potential infringements by third parties
- Advising on claims from third parties of infringement of rights
- Advising on disputes over ownership of intellectual property rights, including domain name disputes
- Bringing and defending proceedings, including interim injunction applications
Food and beverage
- Product standards
- Recipe and method protection
- Labelling
- Health claims
- Advertising and marketing campaigns
- Brand protection and enforcement
Publishing
- Publishing agreements
- Publishing and rights negotiations
Professional history
2003-present: Sole practice as a barrister
1998-2003: Buddle Findlay (Christchurch) Senior Associate, specialising in intellectual property and technology
1992-1998: Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co (Auckland) Senior Solicitor, Intellectual Property & Technology Group
Recognised for intellectual property expertise by inclusion in the Best Lawyers in New Zealand guide published by Bestlawyers.com over several years including in the current 11th edition.