Richard Watts

Richard heads the firm's intellectual property group, advising a number of the world's leading companies in the FMCG, pharmaceutical, IT, and sports industries. His practice covers both non-contentious and contentious IP.

Richard works with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, particularly in international licensing and enforcement. This work includes the development and implementation of IP commercialisation strategies for leading local and international businesses. He has been involved in a number of New Zealand's most significant patent disputes, in the pharmaceutical and construction industries.

Acting for a number of leading brands in the FMCG area, Richard has coordinated trademark protection, enforcement and border protection measures for numerous household names, both in New Zealand and abroad.

Richard is also highly regarded in copyright law, particularly in relation to IT and new technologies, having advised a number of the world's favorite brands in relation to the launch of their new electronic and web products in New Zealand. Richard is frequently chosen for complex IP disputes, having appeared in leading Supreme Court and Court of Appeal IP cases, as well as in the High Court, Copyright Tribunal and Intellectual Property Office in New Zealand and Australia.