Involvement with the profession and the community
I am actively involved with continuing legal education, as a member of the committees which organise seminars for ADLS and IPSANZ. I also present seminars and lectures myself on a regular basis on a range of topics including IP, property and contract.
I have contributed to a variety of legal publications including the New Zealand Law Journal, the New Zealand Intellectual Property Law Journal, Law News, Waikato Law Review and NZ Lawyer. I am also the author of the following texts:
- Contributing author to the leading New Zealand text “Intellectual Property Law” (looseleaf/online, LexisNexis) (2010 to present). I am responsible for the Trade Marks section (with Associate Professor Rob Batty, previously by Paul Sumpter), the Designs section (previously Paul Sumpter), and some of the Copyright sections.
- Author of chapters regarding IPONZ and the Copyright Tribunal in the text “New Zealand Tribunals: Law and Practice”, published by Thomson Reuters in 2020.
I have taught postgraduate and undergraduate papers in intellectual property, as a visiting lecturer at the University of Auckland. I also regularly present seminars and conference papers to law firms and organisations such as IPSANZ, ADLS and NZLS, in New Zealand and Australia.
University courses (selected)
- Adjunct lecturer “Innovation and IP” course (University of Auckland’s Department of Commercial Law, 2017)
- Adjunct lecturer, “Copyright” intensive postgraduate paper (University of Auckland, 2011 and 2013)
- Guest lecturer, “Theatre Production” course (University of Auckland, 2016 to present)
Other seminars and conference papers (selected)
- “Interim injunctions in intellectual property cases” (IPSANZ, 2022)
- “Statutory Demands: Tricks and traps from both sides of the fence” (ADLS, 2021)
- “Enforcing Judgments” (ADLS, 2020 and NZLS, 2021)
- “Plant variety rights – lessons from Zespri v Gao” (IPSANZ, 2020)
- “Transferring property obligations: Nomination, assignment and novation” (ADLS, 2019)
- “Practical issues in assessing damages or accounts of profits in IP cases” (IPSANZ annual conference, Queenstown, 2018)
- “Originating applications made easy” workshop (ADLS, 2017 and 2018)
- “Patents – sufficiency, support and best method” (IPTA annual conference, Perth, Australia, 2017)
- “Patents: staying on the right side of the disclosure rules” (IPSANZ, 2017)
- “Dealing with the Bolt from the Blue – Managing ICT Disputes” at NZLS Cyber Law Conference (2016)
- “How to not mess up an IP case” (IPSANZ, 2016)
- Chair, “IP and Commercial Issues” conference (Legalwise, 2016)
- “When an IP Disaster Strikes: Managing Intellectual Property Disputes” (ADLS, 2015)
- Panel discussion on intellectual property and music (NZIPA, 2015)
- “Using Competitors’ Brands – An Update on AdWords and Comparative Advertising” (ADLS, 2014)
- “Musical issues in copyright law” (IPSANZ, 2012)
Various seminars/workshops presented to law firms in Australia and throughout New Zealand.
- Named as a leading barrister for intellectual property disputes in New Zealand by Doyle’s Guide (2016 onwards), World Trademark Review WTR 1000 (2017-2019, barristers no longer eligible), Best Lawyers Guide (2019 onwards) and Chambers and Partners (2020 onwards)
- Expert adjudicator on domain name disputes for the New Zealand Domain Name Commissioner since 2016
- Member of the New Zealand committee of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) since 2008 including term as Chair (2018-20)
- Member of Continuing Professional Development Committee of the Auckland District Law Society and various sub-committees organising seminars since 2015
- Member of the Board of Shortland Chambers (2018-20) and the Shortland Chambers New Members Committee (recruitment and diversity) since 2016
- Member of NZ Bar Association, Auckland District Law Society, Legal Research Foundation and NZ Law Society, and Associate Member of Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ)
- Auckland Community Law Centre pro bono bankruptcy advice service
- Patron, Auckland Writers Festival
- Former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Te Huruhi School
- Organiser and presenter of legal careers seminar at University of Waikato (2010 to present)
- Acting on a full pro bono and discounted fee basis for various clients (schools, charities, individuals in special circumstances)