Sarah is a Senior Associate in the intellectual property team in the Commercial Department.  Sarah is experienced in all aspects of intellectual property having specialised in the area since 1996.

Sarah is experienced in advising on a wide range of intellectual property-related issues including strategies for protection, exploitation, transfer and enforcement.  Sarah specialises in trade mark law including strategic advice on trade mark portfolio management, registrability, infringement and licensing.

Sarah also has broad international experience in intellectual property having spent 4 years working in London as an intellectual property solicitor in-house, at both the BBC and Nestlé, and in the intellectual property team of a large international law firm.

Her transactional experience includes due diligence for mergers, acquisitions and IPO's, and drafting and negotiating various intellectual property-related contracts including assignments, licences, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.

Sarah also has substantial commercial experience including advising on all aspects of franchising including franchise relationships and drafting franchise related agreements and documentation.

• Advising DB Breweries on its trade mark portfolio and aspects of its brand strategy
• Advised Gullivers Travel Group on intellectual property aspects of its initial public offering and proposed listing on the New Zealand Stock Exchange
• Advised Pumpkin Patch Ltd in relation to intellectual property aspects of its initial public offering
• Advising Virgin Enterprises Ltd on its trade mark portfolio and protection and enforcement of its brands in New Zealand
• Advising RE/MAX on New Zealand law issues relevant to its franchise agreements, redrafting to update full suite of franchise documents including issues such as disclosure, territorial adjustments
• Advising Kelly Sports on New Zealand aspects of, and amending, its franchise documentation
• Advising David Forman on licensing arrangement to enable third party to assess commercial viability of franchising David Forman business

• Intellectual Property Society of Australia & New Zealand - Committee Member
• Franchise Association of New Zealand - Member