Intellectual Property
Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 : New Zealand
Band 2
Contact number
+64 9 379 4196About
Provided by Dentons New Zealand
Dentons Kensington Swan has one of NZ's leading IP teams. We are the team of choice for clients facing business-critical IP and innovation issues and opportunities. We help businesses create global brands, navigate new technologies, resolve disputes and leverage IP assets. Our decades of expertise and absolute commitment to our clients’ success means they trust us with their most important IP challenges. Brand protection and enforcement is in our DNA. This year we advised our clients on several of New Zealand’s highest profile IP disputes, including making new law on the use of nicknames as trade marks (for a former NZ Prime Minister) and succeeding in the first High Court passing off trial in several years (for Merisant Company). We have deep expertise in our clients’ business sectors, and are one of very few IP teams with true expertise in Plant Variety Rights protection in NZ and internationally. We also operate one of the largest trade mark filing and prosecution practices of any full-service NZ law firm. We specialise in practical and skillful commercialisation of IP that maximises the value of our clients’ assets. We regularly advise and negotiate IP contracts, and assist businesses with the sale, purchase, licensing and financing of IP assets and technologies.
Chambers Review
Dentons offers expertise in copyright and domain names, as well as acting for domestic and international businesses in IP disputes. The practice counts major players in the food and beverage industry as well as government agencies among its clients, and acts on the full range of contentious and non-contentious IP matters. It additionally advises on international trade mark portfolio and brand management, including multi-jurisdictional filings and enforcement proceedings.
Work Highlights
- Dentons New Zealand acted for the Italian pasta company Barilla on an opposition to a trade mark application for Barilla Dumpling.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The team led by Jenni Rutter has years of experience. This makes a big difference when you have challenges."
"Dentons is always willing to act very quickly in this very competitive space and goes the extra mile when working to secure trade marks in different markets."
"The team led by Jenni Rutter has years of experience. This makes a big difference when you have challenges."
"Dentons is always willing to act very quickly in this very competitive space and goes the extra mile when working to secure trade marks in different markets."
Notable Practitioners
Jenni Rutter co-leads the practice from Dentons' office in Auckland and acts prominently on contentious and often strategic trade mark and copyright matters.
"Jenni is a perfect beacon. She's everything we need to protect our brand."
"Jenni is at the top of her game. She is smart, quick, no-nonsense and understands the tactics of those that try to breach our trade mark or register trade marks in our space."