Enter Pearce IP. A New Zealand Practice with IP in its DNA.

There are ways to enter a new market quietly.  And then there is the Pearce IP way.

New to New Zealand. Well Established in IP.

Pearce IP’s New Zealand practice may be recent, but its expertise isn’t.  The team brings decades of collective experience across patent and trade mark prosecution, IP litigation, life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, technology and commercial IP strategy.

That distinction matters.

Building an IP practice is not as simple as opening an office and putting a sign on the door.  Deep knowledge of the law is important.  Even more important is understanding the technical, commercial and regulatory environments in which our clients’ IP operates.

That is particularly true in life sciences, where a patent is rarely just a patent.

A single matter can involve scientific research, patent strategy, regulatory pathways, freedom to operate, commercialisation, competitors, litigation risk and, ultimately, the timing of bringing a product to market.Pearce IP’s specialist focus on life sciences provides its New Zealand practice with a distinctive foundation: an established specialist model brought to the New Zealand market, backed by decades of experience across Australia and New Zealand.

But specialisation is only part of the story.  The client is at the centre of the practice.

For Pearce IP, specialist expertise is not an end in itself.  It is about using that expertise to understand each client’s science, technology, commercial objectives and risk – and working collaboratively with clients as a trusted adviser and partner.

And the market has noticed.

In 2025, Pearce IP took home New Zealand Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year at the Asia IP Awards in Kuala Lumpur – a significant recognition for a practice that had entered the New Zealand market less than two years earlier.

The recognition continued into 2026, with a New Zealand Law Firm Ranking from Asia IP for Patent Prosecution – Tier 1.

In May 2026, the New Zealand firm was ranked for Patent Prosecution by IAM Patent 1000, making this recognition every year since the office opened.

The next month, Pearce IP New Zealand was ranked for Trade Mark Prosecution by Managing IP in the 2026 Asia-Pacific IP Stars.

In July, Pearce IP was named a Top Specialist Firm by Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer in Intellectual Property for the second consecutive year.  It was one of only six firms ranked in intellectual property, and the only IP firm operating across both Australia and New Zealand.As Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer put it, specialist firms like Pearce IP offer:

“deeper expertise, more targeted advice and greater experience in high-stakes or complex matters within their niche than generalist practices.”

Pearce IP’s New Zealand office is putting that proposition into practice.

Recognition that follows the people.

The firm’s recognition has been matched by recognition of the people behind it.  In Doyle’s Guide 2026, every Pearce IP New Zealand Executive was recognised: Paul Johns as a Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer; and Sally Paterson as a Recommended Intellectual Property Lawyer, with recently retired Julie Ballance also recognised for work completed at Pearce IP.  These results place Pearce IP alongside established New Zealand IP practices, with Pearce IP holding the equal second-highest number of rankings among firms in the guide.

For a practice with a relatively new footprint, that is a substantial recognition record in a short time.  But awards alone do not explain what is happening in New Zealand. 

WTR 1000 in 2026 was glowing in its commentary of Pearce IP:

“Despite its youth, the team at Pearce IP comprises of a “reputable and fast-growing set of expert practitioners” shaking the Trans-Tasman market. The depth and breadth of expertise across the spectrum of trademark matters have attracted some of the most eminent industrial heavyweights and blue-chip companies to the outfit…

 

Pearce IP, founded by Naomi Pearce, is a boutique firm renowned for delivering exceptional trademark services across all sectors, but with a strong focus on life sciences. The firm proudly boasts an extensive and distinguished client list that consists of domestic and overseas businesses.”

Specialist expertise in action.

At the centre of the New Zealand practice’s contentious work is Paul Johns, Lawyer, Trade Mark Attorney, and Head of Litigation – New Zealand.  Paul brings more than 24 years’ experience across New Zealand and the UK, with a background in molecular genetics and experience spanning patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, confidential information and consumer law.  His practice crosses industries from pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to animal health, med-tech, ag-tech, food and beverage technology, engineering, hospitality and entertainment.

His recognition is equally broad, including making the World IP Review (WIPR) Leaders list, Chambers Asia-Pacific, IAM Patent 1000, WTR 1000, Managing IP – IP Stars, and Doyle’s Guide.

In 2026, Asia IP recognised Paul across an extraordinary six categories in its New Zealand IP Experts list, the highest number of categories achieved by any individual in the list:

WTR 1000 in 2026 says of Paul Johns;

“In the arena of disputes, executive and head of litigation Paul Johns enjoys a fantastic reputation in the market for his extensive experience in trademark disputes across various industries, handling infringement, opposition, revocation and invalidity cases, including appeals. Known for his strategic management of IP disputes, he has appeared as lead counsel in the New Zealand Court of Appeal and the High Court, and before Assistant Commissioners of Trademarks, and is a sought-after commentator on IP matters in the media.”

 

“Paul is a very experienced IP litigator. He has a pragmatic and considered business head – making sound decisions in litigation based on the best commercial outcomes for his clients.”

That breadth says something about the practice itself.  Pearce IP’s New Zealand offering is not built around a single type of IP problem.  It is built around understanding the problem from the client’s perspective – bringing together specialist expertise, strategic thinking and a focus on the commercial outcome.

The life sciences connection.

Alongside the litigation practice is Sally Paterson, a senior Trans-Tasman Patent and Trade Mark Attorney and New Zealand lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience in IP.

With a background in biological sciences, Sally brings particular depth in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and scientific and technology-driven businesses, alongside experience in patents, trade marks, designs, infringement, validity, enforceability and contentious matters.

In Doyle’s Guide 2026, Sally was recognised as a Recommended Intellectual Property Lawyer in New Zealand, one of 21 lawyers recognised in that category.

Together, Paul and Sally illustrate something fundamental about Pearce IP’s approach: technical knowledge and legal expertise are not separate pieces of the puzzle.

A lot of recognition. In a short time.

The recognition has accumulated quickly for the firm and its people – a striking result for a practice with a relatively recent New Zealand footprint.

But perhaps the more interesting question is: where did the winning model come from?

Meet the older sister. A different kind of IP firm.

If Pearce IP New Zealand is the new arrival making an impression, its older sister in Australia has been building the foundations for almost a decade.

Founded by Naomi Pearce in 2017, Pearce IP began with a deliberately specialist proposition: build an intellectual property practice around industries where scientific, technical and commercial complexity collide, whilst providing unmatched client service.

Nine years later, that proposition remains remarkably clear.

Pearce IP is not a generalist law firm that happens to do IP.  It is an independent, specialist, life sciences-focussed IP firm, working across pharmaceuticals, biopharma, biotechnology, med-tech, ag-tech and food-tech, with expertise spanning patent prosecution, litigation, trade marks, regulatory matters, freedom to operate, commercialisation, and global IP strategy.

And its specialisation is built into the firm’s DNA.

Naomi Pearce came to IP with a scientific background in molecular genetics and biochemistry, alongside qualifications in law and industrial property.  She is a registered Australian and New Zealand patent attorney and an Australian trade mark attorney, with more than 25 years’ experience in the profession.

That combination of scientific and legal expertise has shaped Pearce IP from the beginning – and provides the foundation on which the New Zealand practice has been built.

The next chapter.

The awards will continue to accrue, but the more enduring measure of Pearce IP’s New Zealand practice will be what happens between those annual announcements: the cases won, the patents secured, the brands protected, the businesses advised, the products brought to market, the disputes resolved and, ultimately, the clients whose business needs are addressed.

As IAM 1000 commented:

“Pearce IP has established itself as a go‑to outfit for life sciences mandates across Australia and New Zealand.  Combining technical depth with seasoned legal insight, the firm delivers integrated prosecution and advisory services for innovators and companies operating in pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, ag‑tech, food‑tech and med‑tech.  Its practitioners bring substantial scientific grounding, enabling the group to navigate complex portfolios, product lifecycles and cross‑border patent strategies with ease.  The team is also recognised for its strong collaborative culture and for fielding one of the region’s most experienced concentrations of life sciences specialists.”

For Pearce IP, the New Zealand chapter may have started with an office, but it is beginning to look like something much bigger – a specialist IP practice with its own place in the New Zealand market, backed by deep expertise, a growing track record and plenty more pages still to write.

About Pearce IP

Pearce IP is a privately owned/independent, specialist, life-sciences focussed, intellectual property/law firm offering lawyers and attorneys in Australia and New Zealand.

Our lawyers and attorneys specialise in pharma, biopharma, biotech, ag-tech, food-tech, med-tech, although our work is broader than these industries.

Pearce IP and its leaders are ranked in every notable legal directory including: Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, IAM Patent 1000, IAM Strategy 300, MIP IP Stars, Doyles Guide, WTR 1000, Best Lawyers, WIPR Leaders, Best Law Firms, among others. In 2025, Pearce IP was honoured by Australasian Lawyer and New Zealand Lawyer as a Top Specialist Firm, 5 Star Employer of Choice, and the “Standout Winner” for Inclusion and Culture (<100 employees).  

Pearce IP is the only leading IP firm in Australia and New Zealand with a female founder, and is certified by WEConnect International as women owned.