Jane Glover

As a barrister in Intellectual Property (IP) law, Jane finds her work “often involves a heady cocktail of interesting subject matter plus the intense psychology and strategy of the courtroom,” and she strives to bring this enthusiasm for her craft into her teaching.

She and the other lecturers really bring the course content to life. “We relate the material to real-world problems and examples, including from our own practices. We try to achieve both a comprehensive coverage of the substantive material and a sense of vibrancy – why we love what we do, why it matters to society.”

In her practice at Sangro Chambers, Jane deals with all types of IP disputes, such as breach of confidence, Fair Trading Act and passing off claims, trade mark disputes, patents, designs and geographical indications. “One of the great things about being a litigator in New Zealand is that you don’t get pigeon-holed into one area, as is the case in bigger markets.”

She has also been able to practise “law as an act of service” in her career, taking on a variety of adjudicative and inquiry-type roles. These have included stints as an Assistant Commissioner with IPONZ (the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand), Deputy Chair of the Copyright Tribunal, and an appointment assisting the 19 bereaved families in the coronial inquiry into Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Floods. She is currently one of a panel of ‘Experts’ appointed to determine disputes about New Zealand domain names and is also an adjudicator for the Ministry of Health in relation to a WHO (World Health Organization) Code.

Asked what she enjoys most about working in IP, Jane says: “The chance to rub shoulders with some really smart people, who know about interesting things. I love original thinkers and fresh ideas. Practitioners often get deeply involved in exciting, cutting-edge ideas and technologies that span many different fields.”

For students considering a career in IP, Jane encourages curiosity. “It is a diverse field, and many practitioners have expertise or contacts from other areas of their lives that bring value.” She also recommends students think about the different pathways within IP. “Most IP practitioners are not litigators, but if that is the path you would like to take, think about ways to get Court experience, even if it is not in IP at first. If, like most IP practitioners, you want to work on the non-litigious side, IPONZ can be a fantastic training ground that gives you credibility in the marketplace later on. A specialist IP firm would also be an obvious choice.”