Associate - Trade Marks

We’re on the lookout for a motivated and enthusiastic Associate, to join our dynamic team of trade mark and branding experts at AJ Park.  You’ll have around 4 years PQE with solid IP experience, and will be based within our Wellington team, working well in a hybrid work setting.

Our clients span across a variety of industries and sectors, ranging from emerging innovators through to large corporates.  You’ll be working with some of the world’s largest and most exciting brands, as well as some of the most innovative New Zealand businesses.

This role encompasses end to end trade mark client portfolio management, including proactively collaborating with clients, providing strategic advice, and managing their international trade mark portfolios. You will be able to take direct responsibility for client work with minimum supervision, providing advice and expertise.

With the ability to juggle multiple priorities, you’ll be involved in anything from liaising with IPONZ and IP Australia, to devising international filing strategies, all while translating legal jargon into plain English. You will be conducting and reporting trade mark searches, filing and prosecuting applications in New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and beyond, and preparing evidence of use. You will be working with an international cohort of trade mark specialists to ensure our clients brands are protected and enforced. 

Strong communication skills are a must, with the ability to think commercially and critically when providing advice for clients. Clarity, effectiveness, and persuasiveness are essential. You will be surrounded by experienced practitioners within the immediate team and firm - this means a collaborative approach is critical, as is the ability to be flexible.

You will be comfortable self-managing meeting and managing financial targets, including day book, WIP, debtors, billable and non-billable hours.

What’s in it for you?

At AJ Park we offer rewarding careers, competitive salaries and a holistic range of benefits. 

These include:

• Access to a structured annual incentive scheme
• Medical insurance 
• Formal professional development programmes and courses at all career levels
• A wellness programme, including a paid wellness benefit, free flu vaccinations, access to free confidential counselling services and wellness experts, and access to a wellbeing portal with an extensive range of advice and resources
• Hybrid working, recognising that people have individual circumstances and preferences when it comes to where and how they work
• Flexible leave options, including the ability to purchase up to 2 weeks additional annual leave
• A progressive take on the journey to becoming a parent, including gender-neutral access to up to a total of 24 weeks primary caregiver leave. Secondary caregivers have access to 6 weeks of paid leave
• Paid professional association memberships
• An invitation to join the local social club and enjoy events aimed at bringing people together 
• Paid time off for volunteering 
• Fruit, snacks and weekly office morning teas
• Beautiful new offices in the heart of the CBD

Who are we?

We are not your typical law firm.  We dress for our day, have a flat structure and a collegial environment, where bringing your whole self to work is at the heart of who we are.

AJ Park is the IP Firm of choice in New Zealand.  We support our clients with intelligent action and are well respected both within the patent profession and the clients we work with.

Our goal is to be recognised as an employer of choice for all, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, generation, flexible work status, family circumstances, sexual orientation or disability.