The firm also welcomed a senior associate and an associate
AJ Park has rewarded four lawyers with new positions in its latest cycle of promotions, reported the New Zealand Law Society.
Natalie Harre and Thomas Huthwaite have ascended to the role of principal, while Sharon Zhu and Lucette Kuhn have been elevated to senior associate and associate, respectively.
Harre regularly advises clients on a broad range of IP matters, including trademark, copyright, border protection, parallel importing, fair trade, consumer protection, advertising clearance and social media.
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She also has experience prosecuting trademarks, managing IP portfolios, and resolving IP disputes through mediation, arbitration, and settlement negotiations. She has made appearances before the District Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), and IP Australia.
Huthwaite is part of the litigation team in Wellington. He specialises in all aspects of IP, ranging from protection and maintenance to enforcement. Moreover, he has broad expertise in dispute resolution processes, such as negotiation and mediation.
He has represented clients before the High Court, the Supreme Court, IPONZ, and IP Australia. He has also appeared before the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and and the New Zealand Dispute Resolution Service.
Zhu is a member of the engineering and IT team in Auckland. Her practice focuses on patents, registered designs, and other IP-related matters.
She helps clients develop IP portfolios and manage potential infringement risks. Her practice also includes assisting on the patentability of new ideas, drafting patent specifications, prosecuting patent applications globally, and advising on freedom to operate.
Kuhn is a member of the litigation and dispute resolution team in Wellington. She assists clients with contentious IP matters. She deals mostly with international clients from across the US, Europe and Asia.
Before joining AJ Park, she worked as a prosecutor for the New Zealand Police and the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa.