Rachel is a specialist intellectual property lawyer, with over twenty years of experience helping clients with their trade mark, copyright and design needs.  Her experience includes founding a boutique IP firm operating in Australasia, leading the IPONZ trade marks team as Assistant Commissioner of Trade Marks, and inhouse and private practice experience in leading firms in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Her particular area of interest is helping start-ups and small businesses identify and own the intangible assets in their business. Rachel’s previous experience can help you to:

  • Identify the IP assets in your business and ensure you have the right protection;
  • Create a strategy for ensuring you own your IP assets and are capturing their value within your business;
  • Choose a new name for your product or service that can be easily defended, and does not infringe others’ rights;
  • Register your trade marks and designs;
  • Commercialise, purchase and transfer IP rights; and
  • Enforce and defend your IP rights, including by preparing or responding to Cease and Desist letters.

Recent highlights

  • Successfully resolving trademark, design and copyright disputes for local and overseas clients.
  • Creating novel solutions to help small businesses obtain the right legal support within their budget.
  • Assisting well-known, global brands with the protection of their trademarks in both Australia and New Zealand and overseas.
  • Overseeing the protection and enforcement of global trademark portfolios.
  • Providing educational support and mentoring services in relation to intellectual property to various institutions and their members including the New Zealand Law Society, University of Canterbury, Te Ōhaka, Young Enterprise and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
  • Preparing legal decisions, and developing practices and protocols within the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand as Assistant Commissioner of Trade Marks.

Rachel's insights

Court of Appeal confirms manufacturer's duty of care in leaky building cases

29 October 2024

Are we there yet? Probably not: Supreme Court extends limitation period for contribution claims

19 September 2024

Modernising the Companies Act - what changes should we expect?

26 August 2024

We're driven by our values

They drive our client relationships and connections with our community, and underpin our achievements.

He tāngata

  • Her driving goal is to make law accessible for every person, at a price they can afford and in a way that is simple to understand.

  • In addition to changing the way she delivers services, Rachel also provides educational and mentoring support to students and start-ups at the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Canterbury, Te Ōhaka Centre for Growth & Innovation, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and to high school students going through the Young Enterprise Scheme.

Excellence

  • As a leader in the field of intellectual property law, Rachel always endeavours to stay at the top of her game and to operate at a high standard. 

  • She is frequently asked to speak at conferences on a local and national level in relation to intellectual property. Rachel is a member of IPSANZ, INTA and Associate Member of the NZIPA and the New Zealand Society of Authors.

Enterprising

  • One of Rachel’s reasons for specialising in intellectual property is the innovative nature of IP clients which matches her desire for creative legal solutions. 
  • When operating her own boutique IP firm she therefore developed a number of tools and approaches that are changing the way traditional legal services are provided and are now being further developed and scaled within Duncan Cotterill.

Authenticity

  • As a former business owner, Rachel’s clients appreciate her understanding of where they’re coming from, and her ability to provide pragmatic advice rather than convoluted legal jargon.

Testimonial

  • “Rachel is highly skilled & knowledgeable in this area of the law and committed to ensuring your IP is protected. Above all, it’s Rachel’s overarching care for your brand, her fairness and enthusiasm to work with you to get the best results.”
    Deborah Bush MNZM QSM Founding Principal World Endometriosis Organisations.

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