Ceri Wells
BACK TO people
Partner
Ceri is a partner based in James & Wells' Hamilton office.
His practice is focused on trade mark and copyright issues
(including intellectual property aspects of electronic commerce)
and technology licensing and transfer.
Expertise
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Auckland (1983 )
- Bachelor of Arts - English and French, University of James Cook
Uni of Nth Queens (1978)
- Master of Arts - English, University of Waikato
(1980)
- Registered Patent Attorney - New Zealand & Australia
(1986)
- Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
(1984)
Ceri is an outspoken champion of innovative New Zealand
companies, and personally led James & Wells IP's pro bono work
for the Society of Beer Advocates in its case against DB Breweries'
trade mark registration for the generic term 'radler' in order to
stop others importing and marketing radlers.
He has particular interest in working with tertiary education
institutions, research organisations, venture capitalists and seed
funding organisations in an effort to see New Zealand innovation
encouraged and effectively commercialised.
Ceri is a Fellow and past president of New Zealand Institute of
Patent Attorneys (NZIPA). He is currently a member of the NZIPA
examinations board, and represents New Zealand on the Trade Marks
committee of the Asian Patent Attorney Association. He has
presented submissions to government select committees, lectured at
universities and polytechnics, presented conference papers and has
written numerous articles on his specialist topics.
Ceri is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, Asian Patent
Attorneys Association (APAA), International Trade Mark Association
(ITMA), and the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada.
Ceri is married with two daughters - both now at university. His
interests outside of work are snow skiing, golf, fishing,
scuba-diving , boating and water sports. Combine any of these
with good food, great wine or a cold beer, and Ceri is a happy
man.