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Pearce IP adds 3, including former Allens principal
Boutique intellectual property firm Pearce IP has continued to grow with the addition of three senior lawyers to its ranks after hiring six other staff since the onset of 2024.
Lauren Croft
Pearce IP has bolstered its ranks with the addition of nine staff since the start of the year, and most recently includes the appointments of a head of legal, head of trademarks, and special counsel.
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Executive lawyer and trademark attorney Kim Evans has been appointed to lead the Pearce IP trademark team and joins from Allens Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, where she was principal.
Ms Evans has more than 18 years of experience developing successful IP and legal strategies and has worked in-house, in private practice, and in academia.
Pearce IP has also appointed executive lawyer and head of legal Helen Macpherson and special counsel Chantal Savage to its legal team. The pair both joined from Baker McKenzie, where they were partner and special counsel, respectively.
Ms Macpherson has more than 25 years of experience in developing and implementing successful patent litigation strategies for life sciences companies and has a background in biochemistry and molecular genetics, spearheading the Australian counterpart litigation of significant global patent disputes.
Ms Savage is an IP disputes lawyer with more than 20 years of experience advising across the spectrum of IP rights, including patents, trademarks, copyright, plant breeder’s rights and trade secrets and confidential information. With a science degree specialising in molecular biology and biochemistry, her practice focuses particularly on complex, high-value, multi-jurisdictional patent infringement and revocation proceedings for clients in the life sciences sectors.
Pearce IP’s founder and chief executive, Naomi Pearce, congratulated Ms Evans, Ms Macpherson, and Ms Savage on their appointments.
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Kim Evans to the growing Pearce IP team and excited to increase our trademark offering. Kim is renowned for her trademark expertise, her business acumen, and her elegance in resolving complex legal challenges. I congratulate Kim and am excited to work with her as she embarks on her new role as head of the Pearce IP trade marks team,” Ms Pearce said.
“I am thrilled to welcome Helen and Chantal to the Pearce IP legal team. Both Helen and Chantal are brilliant, hardworking and have a sixth sense for successful legal arguments. They were a powerful combination at Baker McKenzie, and I am excited to introduce them to Pearce IP’s team and clients. Helen is both a safe pair of hands and a seasoned leader, and I am excited to equip and support her as she embarks on her new role as head of the Pearce IP legal team.”
These appointments follow the addition of New Zealand lawyer Faran Shazhad, formerly of AJ Pietras, and Australian lawyer James Downie, formerly at the ACCC, to Pearce IP’s Sydney team in January this year, the same month that Wellington-based seasoned US patent lawyer and prosecutor Carol Johns PhD (formerly of AJ Park) joined the firm. Special counsel lawyer and patent attorney Julie Ballance (also NZ-based) joined Pearce IP in October 2023. The firm has also appointed three other non-legal staff this year and said that further growth is ahead.
