About

Provided by Chapman Tripp

World leading IP owners trust our team with their most pressing local issues. Our clients include some of the world’s largest brands, from Microsoft to Starbucks through to the Motion Picture Association of America and global industrial firms who regularly give us their most important work here in New Zealand.

Our lawyers know what it takes to protect a great idea or research breakthrough, and have developed sound strategies to license and commercialise clients’ IP. We have a senior team of three partners with market leading expertise as well as Consultant Paul Sumpter, a judge on the New Zealand Copyright Tribunal and the country’s leading academic commentator on IP issues.

Along with considerable expertise in the design and execution of IP commercialisation, our team has a strong copyright, trade marks and patent practice. We help clients fend off attempts to copy their inventions and we're skilled at implementing effective anti-piracy and border protection campaigns.

We have a standout contentious IP practice. For instance, we are counsel to the US film industry on some of its most significant international matters with a New Zealand dimension. We take patent cases to trial, we sue trade mark imitators and we ring fence confidential information for local and off-shore clients.

As the most experienced intellectual property team of all New Zealand’s full service law firms, we work for the most significant investors and IP owners across New Zealand’s economy.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Intellectual Property - New Zealand

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Chapman Tripp acts for global brands on patents and trade mark litigation, with notable expertise in infringement and internet piracy. It also advises corporate clients on transactional matters including the sale of IP rights, IP sharing and joint ownership arrangements, and trade mark licensing negotiations. The practice has a strong track record in patent infringement and trade mark opposition proceedings.

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

2
Matt Sumpter
2
Band 2
Matt Sumpter is a highly respected practitioner with particularly noteworthy litigation experience who advises clients on both contentious and non-contentious IP matters. He is regularly instructed on a range of trade mark, copyright and patent matters, including infringement, opposition, internet piracy and site-blocking, and also advises extensively on regulatory and commercialisation issues.
Tom Cleary
Associates to watch
Tom Cleary is a senior associate at the firm and represents clients in patent infringement proceedings and trade mark protection mandates. His clients operate in sectors such as healthcare, media and design.

Ranked Lawyers at
Chapman Tripp

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

New Zealand

Intellectual Property

2
Matt Sumpter
2
Band 2
Tom Cleary
Associates to watch

Members

Provided by Chapman Tripp