AJPark

Karl joined A J Park in 1999 and specialises in patent matters, particularly in patenting of chemical and biotechnological inventions in New Zealand and overseas. He also has expertise in the field of plant variety rights.

Karl is part of the chemical and biotechnology patents team and his work covers a range of industries including the biochemistry and molecular biology industry, chemistry, plant breeding, dairy, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Karl acts for large local and international dairy, agricultural and pharmaceutical companies.

Karl has been involved with drafting a licensed pharmaceutical patent, obtaining the grant of plant variety rights for commercial apple and kiwifruit varieties and drafting a number of patent applications for biotechnological inventions.

Karl worked in scientific research from 1974 to 1988 in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. He was involved with research in Biochemistry Departments at universities in Cardiff, Melbourne and Auckland, at the Wellington Cancer and Medical Research Institute and at the Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, New Zealand.

In 1988, Karl joined the New Zealand Patent Office as a patent examiner. In 1993 he moved to a New Zealand patent attorney firm and subsequently joined A J Park early in 1999. He was promoted to senior associate of the firm on 1 April 2003.

Karl's work involves:

• patentability and freedom to operate searches
• drafting patent specifications
• filing and prosecuting New Zealand and overseas patent applications to grant
• advice on infringement and validity of patents
• drafting, filing, prosecuting and assigning plant variety rights applications in New Zealand and overseas.

Karl supervises junior patent executives and attorneys and tutors A J Park's in house patent law tutorials. Karl is a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA).