Partner

Ian Finch

Areas of Expertise

Patents, Trade Marks, Enforcement & Dispute Resolution, Copyright, Licensing & Commercialisation, Design Registrations, Anti-counterfeiting, Trade Secrets & Non-Disclosure, Domain Names, Fair Trade
Qualifications & Memberships
  • Master of Commercial Law
  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
  • Registered Patent Attorney - Australia and New Zealand
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
  • Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

About Ian

Ian is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most influential leaders in intellectual property. He has extensive experience advising clients in the filing, prosecution, and enforcement of their innovation at all levels and across a range of industries, particularly in construction, manufacturing, electrical engineering, animal health, and medical devices.

Experience

Ian represents multi-national corporations in cross-border patent litigation and in pre-grant patent opposition proceedings in Australia and New Zealand. He led the New Zealand team that acted for ResMed Pty Ltd in its recent global dispute with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd. This was one of the most complex pieces of patent litigation in New Zealand to date. Ian has also worked extensively with Bayer Australia and Bayer New Zealand running numerous parallel patent oppositions in those countries for those companies.

Ian’s commercial law qualifications have been called on by his clients throughout his lengthy career in IP. He holds and has held a number of executive positions in commercial and administrative roles. These include sitting on the AUT’s TechPark Innovation Board, sitting on an Advisory Board to a prominent exporter of heavy industrial machinery, sitting on the NZIPA’s Examination Board and its Council (including as President), and immediate past member of the TTIPAB.

With an extensive practice in a broad range of IP, Ian has been recognised as a leader by many influential publications and has received accolades for expertise in enforcement, litigation and licensing by: Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) world’s top 1000 Patent Attorneys (Gold ranking), IAM’s Global Leaders (2021/2022), Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2022, World Trade Mark Review 1000, World Intellectual Property Review Leaders 2021, Legal 500 (Tier 1), Managing IP stars 2021/2022, Managing Intellectual Property Asia IP Experts 2018. In 2022 Ian was named as one of New Zealand’s most Influential Lawyer’s by NZ Lawyer in the Changemaker category.

Insights by Ian Finch