Claire is a senior associate in the firm's intellectual property group. Her work experience includes several years at Ashurst, in one of London's leading commercial IP practices. She has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial and contentious intellectual property law, including trade marks, passing off, copyright, confidential information, trade secrets, and patents.
Claire has a strong interest in the food, wine, and fashion industries, and particular expertise in branding and trade mark law.
Examples of Work
- Mars Group - protection, exploitation, and enforcement of its well known petcare, chocolate and food brands
- Guru Denim - advising on case involving importation and sale of counterfeit TRUE RELIGION branded jeans that led to the first significant criminal prosecution relating to counterfeit clothing in New Zealand
- A2 Corporation - commercialisation of its intellectual property via a joint venture with Australian company So Natural Foods and licensing its technology to entities in South Korea
- Acting for clients in IP disputes, including appearances in the Intellectual Property Office and Court of Appeal
- Strategic advice to clients in the food and fashion industries for dealing with counterfeits, lookalike products, and parallel imports
- Intellectual property contracts including licences for BP, Fletcher Building, and Toll Holdings
- Intellectual property advice on corporate transactions including to BOC on its acquisition of the Shell LPG business, Old Fashioned Foods on its acquisition of the Hansells business, and Methven on its initial public offering and listing on NZX
- Trade mark portfolio management for a number of clients including Mars, The Radio Network, Briscoes, Eden Park Trust Board, and Wet & Forget
Other Credentials
- International Trademark Association (INTA) - Member
- Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ) - Member
- Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand (LESANZ) - Member
