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Julie Ballance

Julie Ballance

Special Counsel (NZ), Patent Attorney, Lawyer & Notary

LLB BSc (hons, 1st class, chemistry)
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Science (Chemistry Hons, 1st class)
Registered Patent Attorney (AU, NZ)
Registered Lawyer (NZ)
Notary Public (NZ)

Julie is a senior Trans-Tasman patent attorney, and a New Zealand registered lawyer and notary public with more than 30 years’ experience across a range of technology areas and a first class honours degree in chemistry. Julie is internationally renowned for her considerable patent/trade mark/designs/legal prowess, including being ranked in IAM Patent 1000.

Her practice includes contentious and non-contentious patent, trade mark and designs IP/legal services in Australia and New Zealand.

Her clients include global and local companies and institutes focussed on small molecule pharmaceuticals, industrial chemistry, chemical engineering, organic chemistry, medical technology (including medical devices), food technology, agricultural technology, mechanical devices and processes, biopharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

Julie drafts and prosecutes patents in Australia and New Zealand and manages all aspects of Patent Office actions including oppositions.

Julie has a significant trade marks practice and works with clients across a broad industry base to ensure their branding enforcement strategies are aligned with their commercial goals.

She is adept at conducting regional freedom to operate clearance work and building regional IP strategies with impact. She has considerable experience managing Federal Court litigation in Australia and implementing NZ focussed IP enforcement/challenges.

Julie also has considerable experience in design registration and disputes, including in 2016 Julie successfully managed New Zealand’s only recent registered design infringement proceedings in the High Court of New Zealand [Watkins Manufacturing Corporation v Prestige Pools Limited, [2018] NZHC 709].

Julie has been extensively involved with the patent attorney profession throughout her career, having served as President of the New Zealand Intellectual Property Attorneys Inc. and as a member of the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys (now the Trans-Tasman Intellectual Property Attorneys Board), which administers the regulatory and disciplinary regimes for patent attorneys in Australia and New Zealand. She was also an examiner for candidates seeking registration as a patent attorney in New Zealand.

As a Notary Public, Julie assists both local and overseas clients by notarising documents and arranging authentication and legalisation of notarised documents for use in other countries where needed.

Earlier in her career, Julie spent over 20 years as a partner of Baldwins, now part of AJ Park.

Julie Ballance Awards

Best Lawyers

Biotechnology Law (2024)

World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR)

WIPR World's Leading IP Practitioners (2024)

Managing IP Stars

Notable Practitioner (2024)

IAM Patent 1000

Recommended – Prosecution (2016 - 2024)

Pearce IP Awards

Chambers and Partners

Intellectual Property (2024)

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

Market Leading Intellectual Property Firm (2024)
Market Leading Intellectual Property Firm (2023)

IAM Patent 1000

Bronze for litigation (20232022, 2021)
Bronze for prosecution (2024, 20232022, 2021)

Australian Law Awards (Lawyers Weekly)

Finalist – Women in Law Awards – Boutique Diversity Firm of the Year (2022)
Finalist – Intellectual Property Team of the Year (2022)
Winner – Intellectual Property Team of the Year (2021)

Managing IP Stars

Patent Prosecution (2024, 2023, 2022)
The Only Leading Female Owned Life Sciences focussed IP Firm (2023)
Pearce IP ranked firm (2021)

Women in Business Law Awards - APAC

Shortlisted – Australian Firm of the Year (2022)

Lexology Legal Influencer

Australasia – Healthcare and Life Sciences (Q2 2024, Q1 2024, Q4 2023, Q3 2023, Q2 2023, Q3 2022, Q2 2022, Q1 2021, Q4 2020)

Cross-border – Healthcare and Life Sciences (Q2 2024, Q1 2024, Q4 2023, Q3 2023, Q2 2023, Q1 2023)

Australasian Lawyer

Top Boutique Firm (2024)
5-Star Intellectual Property Law Firm (2021)

Doyles Intellectual Property

Doyles Leading Intellectual Property (2021, 2020)
Doyles Recommended Intellectual Property (2021)

Recommended, prosecution - IAM Patent 1000, 2024

“ Julie Ballance has an illustrious list of patrons that includes global corporations in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.”

"Winner - Intellectual Property Team of the Year 2021"

Australian Law Awards (Lawyers Weekly)

"Finalist - Intellectual Property Team of the Year 2022"

Australian Law Awards (Lawyers Weekly)

"Pearce IP bronze ranking for litigation and recommended for prosecution"

IAM Patent 1000 2021

"Pearce IP ranked bronze for litigation and prosecution"

IAM Patent 1000 2022

"5-Star Intellectual Property Law Firm"

Australasian Lawyer 5-Star Awards 2021

"Pearce IP Ranked Tier 3 - Prosecution"

MIP IP Stars 2022

"Lexology Legal Influencer"

Healthcare and Life Sciences (Australasia): Pearce IP (Q2 2022, Q1 2021, Q4 2020)

Healthcare and Life Sciences (Cross-border): Pearce IP (2021)

"Women in Business Law Awards - APAC"

Shortlisted – Australian Firm of the Year (2022)

The Legal 500, 2023, Intellectual Property, Australia

The Pearce IP team has an in depth understanding of the science and the pharmaceutical regulatory industry driving many of their client’s businesses.  They are passionate about achieving their client’s commercial objectives – and they are extremely hard-working and dedicated lawyers.

OUR VISION

By 2027, be the premier life sciences IP practice in
Australia and New Zealand.