AJ Park

Highly-recommended - Firms: prosecution

Recommended - Firms: litigation

With a storied history of more than 130 years, attorney outfit AJ Park enjoys a stellar reputation as New Zealand’s foremost IP establishment. Commended by its patrons as “a top-tier firm for IP-related services in the Asia-Pacific”, the IPH-affiliated set has earned the loyalty of both national and global industry leaders in diverse sectors. Currently home to 100-plus IP professionals split between its Auckland and Wellington offices, it is unmatched by its peers in terms of both the depth and breadth of its practice. At the forefront of the disputes group is Helen Bellchambers. After obtaining a degree in genetics and practising as a barrister and a solicitor, the versatile Bellchambers is a member of both the life sciences patent team and the dispute resolution team. Working alongside her in the chemical and life sciences sphere are principals Anton Gibson and Duncan de Geest. Practising in the IP field since the 1990s, Gibson is a highly regarded biotech and life sciences IP strategist. Meanwhile, de Geest specialises in nanotechnology, material science, medical devices, small-molecule pharmaceuticals and process technology. He cultivates longstanding relationships with an illustrious array of clientele, ranging from multinationals and research institutes to universities in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. Engineering and ICT maven Michael Brown spearheads the group in Wellington with his compelling mix of technical, legal and business acumen. Over his 25 years of fruitful practice, he has made vital contribution to the development of the IP industry in Australasia. Qualified as a patent attorney in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australasia, Chris Way draws judiciously on his experience in Europe to defend the interests of his domestic and overseas service users to the hilt. The similarly experienced Andy Locke brings invaluable EU experience from his stint at a UK IP attorney outfit. He always prioritises the commercial objectives of businesses and approaches IP difficulties with the utmost pragmatism. An electrical and electronic engineer by trade, Hadleigh Brown successfully branches his practice into developing patenting and trade secrecy IP protection and risk-mitigation strategies for IP infringement. Meanwhile, mechanical engineer Anton Blijlevens is a trusted adviser for patrons looking to protect and commercialise their innovations. Similarly active in this sphere is mechanical engineering PhD David Simunic, “a highly skilled practitioner, with deep expertise and breadth of experience, and a tenacity for IP and intellect that are well beyond his peers. His foresight and abilities to forecast likely outcomes or issues is to be highly sought after when establishing IP and overall strategies. His attention to detail is well beyond simply excellent – it is second to none. Anyone who can add David to their IP and strategy team will benefit immensely.” “He is easy to work with and has not misunderstood any instructions or details. When discussing new concepts, he picks up on ideas quickly and can give some reasonable input without any research.” Universities and tech companies would seek out Wes Jones for crisp, finely drafted contracts that effectively commercialise their patents and designs. Arriving in the IAM Patent 1000 this year is organic chemistry PhD James Robinson, who comes highly recommended by clients: “James is genuinely brilliant and is in a class beyond mere mortal patent attorneys. His approach is thorough, and he takes the time to truly delve into the issues, many of which are highly complex in this specialist field.”