We are delighted to be recognised by prestigious international directories as the leading choice for intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement in New Zealand. We are particularly proud that so many of our staff are continuing to receive accolades for their leadership and contribution to the IP industry in New Zealand, Australia and abroad.
Here’s a wrap-up of some of the recent accolades AJ Park has received.
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IAM Patent 1000 2020AJ Park has again been listed as a leading firm for New Zealand patent prosecution and litigation in Intellectual Asset Magazine’s annual IAM Patent 1000. Quoting independent referees, the IAM Patent 1000 2020 includes the following commentary about AJ Park: ‘Offering the full suite of patent services in a multitude of technology fields, New Zealand’s largest IP firm is also “the best in New Zealand owing to its unparalleled professionalism and high levels of personal engagement” on the part of its attorneys. Exhibiting “genuine interest in people’s innovation and commercialisation journeys”, the Auckland-based Anton Blijlevens comes highly recommended not only for his “excellent drafting and ability in demystifying how patents work”, but also for successfully maintaining a supportive and responsive team. He is always plugged into the international patent world, “maintaining a great network of suitable top-notch foreign associates and always abreast of global trends and case laws”. Like Blijlevens, Michael Brown read mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury; he captains the Wellington engineering and information, communications and technology (ICT) team together with Matt Adams. In the same bureau, Mark Hargreaves helms the commercial team, which makes light work of bringing the inventions of start-ups and listed companies, as well as government departments and research institutes, to market. A fount of knowledge for all things high tech, Hadleigh Brown is a versatile operator comfortable handling a wide range of technology from sensors to smartphone apps. Traversing the electrical and mechanical engineering spaces, Greg West-Walker is as adept a drafter as he is an enforcer of patents. When it comes to life sciences briefs, Anton Gibson fronts the Auckland office, while Wellington-based litigator Kate McHaffie rounds off the squad with her special ability to tackle contentious conundrums involving pharmaceutical inventions. About IAM Patent 1000The IAM Patent 1000 is commonly regarded as the definitive ‘go-to’ resource for those seeking to identify world-class, private practice patent expertise. Each year, IAM undertakes exhaustive qualitative research to identify outstanding firms and individuals across multiple jurisdictions. When identifying the leading firms, factors such as depth of knowledge, market presence and the level of work on which they are typically instructed are all taken into account, as well as positive peer and client feedback. |
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IP Stars 2020For the fifth consecutive year, AJ Park remains at the top of both the patent and trade mark tables in Managing IP’s 2020 edition of IP Stars and is the only tier 1 firm for New Zealand in the patent contentious and trade mark contentious categories. We are also listed as a ‘recommended’ firm for copyright and related rights. Seven of our principals make this year’s IP Stars list: Anton Blijlevens, Anton Gibson, Damian Broadley, Greg West-Walker, Kate McHaffie, Lynell Tuffery Huria and Matt Adams. About IP StarsIP Stars is a leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide. The research for the guide covers a variety of IP practice areas and more than 70 jurisdictions. The rankings are based on a weighted evaluation of information from different sources, including work data submitted by firms, independent research findings, and market feedback. |
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Top 250 Women in IP 2020We are thrilled to announce that AJ Park principal Lynell Tuffery Huria has been named by Managing IP as one of the Top 250 Women in IP 2020. This special list recognises the leading female IP practitioners in private practice who have performed exceptionally for their clients and firms in the past year. The practitioners were selected from the general IP Stars list mentioned above. Lynell is one of only two New Zealand women recognised in this year’s Top 250 Women in IP list, which is a testament to her outstanding work and global reputation. (She was also recently selected by World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) for inclusion in the WIPR Influential Women in IP 2020 publication.) We congratulate Lynell on this incredible achievement. |
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WIPR Leaders 2020 handbookFour of our principals have been named in World Intellectual Property Review’s WIPR Leaders 2020 handbook. Congratulations to Anton Blijlevens, Damian Broadley, Colleen Cavanagh and Anton Gibson, who have been recognised by their peers as being amongst the world’s best and brightest IP practitioners. About WIPR LeadersWIPR Leaders is a one-stop guide to the leading IP practitioners in the world. Over a four-month nomination period, WIPR sought peer nominations from 12,000 IP professionals and vetted every nominated lawyer for suitability by exploring their work. In their evaluation, the WIPR research team took into account the nominees’ practice history, industry expertise and notable cases, as well as any additional activities, such as speaking engagements and published articles. |
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Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020AJ Park has once again earned a band 1 rating as the top New Zealand firm for IP in the Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020 rankings. The Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2020 guide highlights that AJ Park is known for ‘having a superb offering, giving solid advice on patents, trade marks and copyright, covering both advisory and contentious work across a broad range of sectors’. One of Chambers’ sources said ‘Their approach and the way they have engaged with us has been consistent across the board," and highlighted the team’s ‘understanding of our business’ and ‘ability to anticipate things.’ The Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020 guide also highlights notable practitioners, and singled out Matt Adams for his well-respected patents practice, particularly within the technology and software industries, and Colleen Cavanagh for her ‘long standing experience in the IP space’. About Chambers & PartnersOften referred to as ‘the gold-standard’, Chambers & Partners conducts extensive research on law firms and lawyers in 200 jurisdictions. Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked in bands from 1-6, with 1 being the best. The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, value for money, depth of team, commitment, and other qualities most valued by clients. |
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The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2020Earlier this year, The Legal 500 launched its 2020 Asia Pacific guide, and we are proud to again feature as a top-tier firm for IP in New Zealand. In its review of the firm, The Legal 500 said: ‘AJ Park has a long history as one of Australasia's leading IP firms, having been founded 127 years ago, and it continues to focus exclusively on trade mark and IP matters for solo inventors, entrepreneurs, SMEs, government institutions, multinationals and major listed companies. It employs 30% of the total number of patent attorneys in New Zealand. In Auckland, Anton Blijlevens is a key player in the firm's large engineering & ICT patents group, in which David Simunic is also recommended. The firm has a deep bench of life sciences patents specialists including Anton Gibson, and a large roster of trade mark specialists including Amanda Griffiths. In Wellington, Damian Broadley is the key contact for trade marks and Kate McHaffie is the key litigation principal. Mark Hargreaves leads the firm's commercial and strategy practice. In addition, the following AJ Park principals are listed in The Legal 500’s elite ‘leading lawyers’ list:
About The Legal 500For 33 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms in 150 jurisdictions across the world. The Legal 500’s comprehensive research programme is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms, and interviews with leading lawyers. When reviewing the performance of a firm, The Legal 500 researchers focus on the bench strength of the team, and the consistency of quality of the individuals within the team. The areas that are considered include technical ability, in-depth capability, market share, track record, reputation, and perception in the market. Simply put, The Legal 500 highlights firms and individuals who are providing the most cutting-edge and innovative advice. |
