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Gus Hazel

Partner

Auckland • Brisbane
+64 9 914 6740
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Gus is one of Australasia’s most experienced intellectual property lawyers. His experience includes litigation at all levels of the Australian and New Zealand systems, alternative dispute resolution procedures (mediation and arbitration), commercialisation, regulatory issues and administrative law.

In addition to traditional intellectual property and associated areas of law he has particular experience with litigation and regulatory matters concerning hazardous substances, agricultural chemicals, and veterinary medicines.

Gus is ranked in Intellectual Asset Management’s IAM Patent 1000, recommended for patent litigation and transactions, and is also featured in NZ Lawyer's 2016 Hot List (a guide detailing the who's who of New Zealand law).

In his down time, Gus can be found in the wilderness mountaineering. He also enjoys a well-rounded whisky and has an interest in photography.

Service Areas

Experience

Gus has acted in many New Zealand High Court copyright matters, from a wide array of industrial copyright disputes to successful urgent proceedings on allegations of copyright infringement, breach of confidence and breach of contract in connection with software development and outsourcing. Gus has recently been involved in a series of landmark cases concerning copyright infringement in relation to furniture: his work in the Plantation Grown Timbers v ESR case in particular has been watched with worldwide interest.

Gus has also been involved in the first cases before IP Australia and the Federal Court of Australia under the “Raising The Bar” Amendments to the Australian Patents Act, acting for United States Gypsum (USG).

Prior to joining James & Wells, Gus was an Associate to the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, a lecturer at Monash University Law School in Melbourne, and worked with other leading law firms.

He has represented clients at all levels of the New Zealand and Australian Court systems and before various tribunals and non-judicial authorities, from the District, High, Court of Appeal and Supreme Courts in New Zealand, to the Federal, Supreme and High Court in Australia, as well as before the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), IP Australia, and the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) / Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Qualifications & Memberships

  • Bachelor of Science (Molecular biology, genetics, immunology)
  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
  • Registered Patent Attorney - Australia and New Zealand
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the High and Federal Courts of Australia
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Courts of Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
  • Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA)
  • Member - New Zealand Law Society
  • Member - Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ)

Recently published by Gus

  • In-house counsel deal with a broad range of legal issues that must be addressed within limited budget, time and resource constraints. Knowing how and when to escalate is essential to getting the result you need as efficiently as possible – from business-to-business ‘soft’ communications to formal cease and desist letters, sharp threats of litigation, or formally instituting legal proceedings – and when and how to use alternative dispute resolution procedures such as mediation.

    16 June, 2021 Read more

  • James & Wells Partner, Gus Hazel, and other leading voices in the industry speak to Australasian Lawyer Magazine about what they see as the key issues at the forefront of IP legislation.

    24 March, 2021 Read more

  • Gus Hazel always thought he would go into the sciences or the medical field. However, a holiday job at a hospital when he was a teenager reoriented his path. Outraged by the outcome of a case he heard about that was driven by a judge’s inability to understand science, he proceeded to study science and law on graduating from high school—a road that eventually led him to IP law.

    5 November, 2020 Read more

  • The legislation around intellectual property, trade marks and patents plays a critical role in the modern business landscape – but it's not always well understood by the wider public. We speak to NZ Lawyer about what legal professionals can do to bring greater awareness to the importance of these matters.

    27 May, 2020 Read more

  • On Wednesday, 25 March 2020 the New Zealand Government enacted its national response to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving to Alert Level 4 in a bid to eliminate the virus. This has effectively shut down all but the provision of essential services in New Zealand.

    16 April, 2020 Read more