Leading independent intellectual property law firm James & Wells has announced the appointment of Mike Flint as a partner in its growing Christchurch office.

Flint joins James & Wells from the Hong Kong office of international IP firm Marks & Clerk, where he was a partner since 2005.

A statement from the firm calls Flint is “a Mainlander born and raised.” After graduating with a first-class honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Canterbury University, he worked in the local engineering sector for a few years before going on to train and become registered as a patent attorney in Christchurch.

In the early 2000s, Flint moved to Hong Kong where he assisted in building the Asian practice of Marks & Clerk, and in the years that followed acquired an in-depth knowledge of the IP system in China and nearby jurisdictions.

“Mike will be a great addition to our team and will provide great expertise in the electrical, electronics and software fields. His specialist knowledge of the Asian market and acquiring IP rights in China and Hong Kong will be greatly beneficial to the James & Wells team and our clients,” says James & Wells managing partner Tim Walden.

Not only is Flint experienced in drafting patent applications in the electrical, electronics and telecommunications field, he has also been involved in numerous significant cases involving oppositions, patent litigation and license negotiations involving IP rights in China, Europe and the United States.

Flint served as a council member for the Asian Patent Attorneys Association Hong Kong Group for numerous years, and represented the group in its submissions and feedback to the Hong Kong government in relation to the substantially revised patent law that came into force in 2019.

“I’m excited to be back in New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular, and to be joining James & Wells during this time of rapid growth for the firm. I look forward to working with the firm’s existing clients and building a new client base,” Flint said.

Flint joined James & Wells’ Christchurch-based team on September 1, 2021.