Tim Mahood

Practice Areas

Tim is a prominent commercial litigator with more than two decades of experience advising clients on Tech, Media, and IP disputes. He navigates issues crucial to their business strategies, operations, and transformative projects with expertise and insight.

In addition to being a highly sought-after litigator, Tim's clients frequently turn to him for counsel on a range of Tech, Media, and IP matters. These include privacy and confidentiality issues, data advisory, media law (covering defamation and broadcasting standards complaints), passing off, and consumer law (especially under the Fair Trading Act and Australian Commercial Law).

Career

Hudson Gavin Martin | 2015

Griffith Hack (Aus) | 2012 - 2015

NIWA | 2005 - 2012

James and Wells | 1999 - 2005

Professional Memberships

Tim is a member of the INTA Enforcement committee; Chair of the New Zealand, and a member of the Trans-Tasman, committees for IPSANZ; NZ Law Society mentor; a judge of, mentor and presenter to the University of Auckland’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship ‘Velocity’ incubator programme; and Chair of Aotearoa NZ for UNHCR (the New Zealand national partner of the UN’s High Commission for Refugees).

Personal

Chambers recognises Tim as a Band 3 lawyer for Intellectual Property. Legal 500 recognises Tim as a ‘Leading Partner’ in IP, and Tim’s clients say “Tim Mahood is an outstanding litigator. Pragmatic, solution-focused and highly skilled. Top of his field.” and “He strikes an excellent balance between commercial viability and legal robustness. He thinks through all the angles, but isn't afraid to land on an opinion or think outside the square to get to the outcome we're seeking”. Tim is ranked as Silver in WTR 1000 for litigation and enforcement. Doyle’s Guide recommends Tim as a TMT lawyer, and ranks Tim as a leading lawyer for Intellectual Property, he is also recognised in Best Lawyers.

Industry Sector Expertise

Tim possesses significant experience in Trans-Tasman commercial litigation and Tech, Media, and IP sectors, mainly within senior courts and arbitral bodies. He is a qualified practitioner in both New Zealand and Australia. Tim previously attained a ranking in Chambers during his tenure as a partner at Griffith Hack in Sydney, achieving a Band 3 status in IP within two years of relocating from New Zealand to Australia.

Atypically for a litigator, Tim brings substantial practical commercial expertise, having served as General Counsel of NIWA for six years, a prominent environmental research organisation in Australasia. This background underscores his focus on aligning clients' commercial strategies, considering dispute resolution tactics merely as one means to achieve favourable commercial results. Tim is one of the rare lawyers in the field who has technical qualifications, holding an undergraduate science degree and being a registered patent attorney.

Clients

Key clients include: Delta Insurance; Tesla; Auckland Transport; Woolworths; One NZ; Xero; Vector New Zealand; Disney Company; Fonterra; South Pacific Pictures; Pokémon; Foodstuffs North Island; Centre for Climate Action JV (AgriZero), Iliza Shlesinger and Keune.