Theodore is an intellectual property lawyer and former Assistant Commissioner of Patents, Trade Marks, and Designs at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand.

He is also a Trade Marks Attorney (NZ) and a Fellow of the New Zealand Intellectual Property Attorneys Inc (NZIPA). Theodore has a strong commercial background owning and running successful businesses and is a lawyer for Zone Law and a consultant for Zone IP, the sister IP consultancy.

His area of expertise is Trade Marks prosecution and disputes, and he also is a member of IPSANZ, INTA, ECTA, FICPI, INTA, MARQUES and AIPPI.

“There are two main influencers in the world: those who build and those who destroy. Intellectual property is all about building and creating. It’s about being excited by the possibilities of what your business can create.

Our clients are innovative, passionate business builders and leaders who back themselves, who stake a claim to new ways of doing things, new innovations, and creations. They are not afraid to hitch their wagon to a star that no one else has yet discovered. It’s our job to take them there.

At Zone, we look beyond the traditional view to a cooperative and commercial approach to business, to meet the changing demands of the new globalised market.

I’m passionate about leading an IP law firm that is motivated to achieve successful outcomes for your business.”

Jeremy is a lawyer and a Patent Attorney having run his own successful commercial practice for 12 years. He started his career in intellectual property law firms where he gained experience in trademark, licensing and franchise law. He then pursued his interest in commercial and property law advising a broad range of organisations in connection with governance, constitutional arrangements and has acted in connection with the establishment and sale of successful businesses. He brings a wealth of broad business law expertise to Zone Law. Since then he has expanded his interest in business, e-commerce, contract and commercial law. He advises high net worth individuals, business and charitable organisations in connection with not only intellectual property and commercial matters but also constitutional, trust and other structural arrangements together with compliance and governance obligations.

Jeremy’s experience is across an extensive range of intellectual property, commercial, business and charity law (including property, trusts, and alternative dispute resolution) with a particular interest in negotiating solutions to problems. Jeremy is also a member of NZIPA, IPSANZ and the NZLS Property Law section.

“At Zone Law we’re actually creating something unique because we can look for intellectual property solutions across a broader range of expertise, for example in the areas of marketing, contract, company, trust, copyright, employment and even property law. By this I mean that clients may come to us thinking that intellectual property is the issue, but our broad experience means we can identify opportunities and solutions in other areas of the law. The answer may in fact be in the Companies Act instead of the Trademarks Act, it might even be a commercial rather than a legal answer. It might be that a different business or organisational structure is the best way forward. We like to find practical solutions rather than simply looking at what the law can do for someone.  We get real satisfaction from our work assisting organisations, both business and charitable, to deal with an increasingly complex world.”

Karen is the Chief Operating Officer at Zone Law. Karen started her career in Australia working as Operations Manager for a large pharmaceutical company gaining strong marketing and operations experience in the Australian market. She has also worked in the New Zealand government and has spent the last 10 years working in the New Zealand charity sector helping to raise millions of dollars for local charities.

Karen is a member of the Auckland Rotary Club, BNI and the International Trademark Owners Association (INTA).

Karen’s focus at Zone Law is on overall operational direction of the firm.

Trans-Tasman Patent Attorney | Australian Trade Mark Attorney | Trade Mark Attorney (NZ) | Enrolled Barrister & Solicitor | Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (Marketing)

Corinne has more than three decades of experience in intellectual property, working with businesses of all sizes – from start-ups to multinational companies – providing trusted advice on trade mark protection, portfolio management, and enforcement both locally and internationally. She has supported clients across diverse industries in New Zealand and overseas, giving her a broad and practical understanding of the challenges businesses face when protecting their trade marks.

A former President of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA), Corinne remains an active member of the New Zealand Group of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA), NZIPA, and IPTA. With qualifications spanning law, patents, trade marks, and a postgraduate diploma in business administration (marketing), she is uniquely positioned to help clients align their IP strategies with wider business goals. Her strong commercial insight ensures intellectual property is not just protected, but used as a tool for business success.

What Corinne enjoys most is working closely with clients from the very beginning, helping them shape the right IP strategy from the outset. She takes care to explain how different intellectual property rights fit together, so clients can make confident, informed decisions. Her focus is always on securing outcomes that serve both immediate needs and long-term ambitions.

Clients know Corinne for her practical, strategic approach and her commitment to building lasting relationships based on trust.

Outside of work, she keeps life well-balanced with regular Pilates, a passion for art collecting, and sharing good food and wine with friends and family. Travel is another constant, alongside her strong commitment to governance, where she contributes her expertise through several board positions in the not-for-profit and arts sectors.

Christopher joined the Wellington office of Zone Law as a lawyer in 2015.

After completing his LLB with honours at Victoria University Wellington in 2011, Chris worked at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand as a Trade Mark Examiner. Chris excelled in his role and in 2014 received the highest mark in the national trade marks exam.

Chris works in the trade marks team as a senior lawyer, assisting with trade mark availability, infringement issues, copyright, passing off and the Fair Trading Act. Chris also assists with filing and prosecuting trade mark applications, managing trade mark oppositions and disputes and drafting intellectual property agreements.

Chris is passionate about IP law, and is keen to help clients achieve the best commercial outcomes in New Zealand and around the world.

In his spare time Chris enjoys, travelling, cooking and dining, playing games, and spending time with his friends, family and young daughter.

Ana is a senior trade marks lawyer in our Wellington office.

Ana began her legal career in 1987 as a commercial lawyer. After specialising in trade marks,  branding, copyright, and consumer law issues, she qualified as a registered patent attorney under the pre–Trans Tasman registration regime. Ana took a break from the legal profession in 1997 and later went on to qualify and work as a communications and engagement specialist in various roles across the private and public sectors for nearly 15 years.

Bringing a breadth of experience with her when returning to legal practice in 2021, Ana is once again enjoying working closely with her clients to protect and strengthen their intellectual property rights locally and internationally. Ana is a member of the New Zealand Law Society and associated member of the New Zealand Institute of Intellectual Property Attorneys.

Away from work, Ana is an active member of the local Wellington Greek community, a keen pool (and occasional ocean) swimmer, an avid reader and enthusiastic home cook.

Christine graduated from the University of Waikato in 2005 and spent three years at the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office before going to Australia and working in boutique intellectual property firms. 

She attained her Australian Trade Mark Attorney qualification in 2011, gained experience in media litigation at a mid-sized Queensland firm and returned to New Zealand in 2017.

Christine enjoys needle arts, reading, and spending time with her children.

Matthew is a junior lawyer in our Wellington office and works in the commercial team. He graduated from UOA with an LLB in 2023 and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2024.

Matthew grew up in Auckland and recently moved to Wellington. In his spare time, he enjoys participating in offline gaming tournaments with friends and exploring everything that Wellington has to offer.

Kylie is a senior paralegal assisting clients with filing, prosecuting, managing, and maintaining their IP rights. She has 17 years’ experience in intellectual property having worked for another IP firm both in their trade mark team, and their change management and training teams.

Kylie is a registered Australian Trade Marks Attorney and has a Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property, and a Legal Executive Diploma.

In her spare time, Kylie enjoys travelling and catching up on the latest mystery or thriller.

Fiona is a paralegal in the Patent and Trade Marks team helping clients with registering their patent and trade marks. Fiona has considerable experience having worked in IP over 14 years. Fiona has experience in all aspect of trade mark law, as well as trade mark portfolio management.

When Fiona is not at work, she finds joy in reading, cherishing family time, and enthusiastically supporting her kids at their sports events.

Jae Rwen is a Paralegal Administrator at Zone Law. He is qualified as a barrister in England, Wales, and Malaysia, and supports the team with a range of legal and administrative work.

Jae takes a practical and straightforward approach, with a focus on keeping things clear and efficient. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, staying active, and trying out new food spots.

Deeviya is an Accounts and Firm Administrator at the Auckland office of Zone Law. She has a background in administration with a master’s degree in economics from South Africa. She manages the smooth running of the day-to-day matters of the firm.

Deeviya has a background in Indian classical dancing. She enjoys doing yoga, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.