Earl heads Simpson Grierson's Intellectual Property Group, and is regarded as one of New Zealand's leading intellectual property lawyers.  He advises on all aspects of intellectual property, including protection, portfolio structuring and management, exploitation, transfer and enforcement.

Earl treats intellectual property assets as core to any modern enterprise.  One of his strengths is tailoring branding, licensing, technology transfer and other IP advice to clients' commercial objectives and issues, including complex structuring.  He is proactive in raising and addressing IP issues arising from clients' businesses and the markets in which they operate.

In Chambers Global Guide Earl ranked as leading in intellectual property and was described as "technically gifted", "a strong leader" and "proactive; good at anticipating the issues". 

• Bunnings' successful defence of copyright, moral rights and trade mark infringement proceedings by Mitre 10 in relation to comparative advertisements
• Intellectual property aspects of The Lord of the Rings trilogy for New Line Cinema
• NZRU's protection of its brands and player images, including against Saint Publishing and Canterbury International
• Intellectual property aspects of Constellation Brands' purchase of the BRL Hardy/Nobilo Group
• Mars Group's NZ IP strategy, including successful strategy to gain exclusivity for the colour purple for cat food
• Novartis' substantial patent infringement litigation with Astra Zeneca, and intellectual property issues relating to PHARMAC arrangements
• George Weston Foods' and Eden Park Trust Board's successful defended revocations of rival trade mark registrations
• Franchise arrangments for RE/MAX
• DB Breweries' trade mark portfolio and brand strategy

• Asia-Pacific Subcommittee of the International Amicus Committee of the International Trademark Association (INTA) - Chair 2006/07
• Non-Traditional Trademarks committee - INTA
• Lex Mundi, Intellectual Property Practice Group - Past Chair
• Auckland CBD Advisory Board - Deputy Chair
• Committee for Auckalnd Ltd - Director
• Lexis Nexis loose leaf Copyright & Design - Co-author
• Lexis Nexis Laws of New Zealand, Trade Marks title - Author
• Brookers' An Introduction to E-commerce Law in New Zealand (2002) - Co-author
• Franchise Association of New Zealand - Member
• Licensing Executives Society - Member
• PLC Which Lawyer?; Asia Pacific Legal 500; Chambers Global, Who's Who Legal, Managing Intellectual Property - Leading Individual