Leighton is a globally ranked international intellectual property and commercial lawyer who helps clients manage their intellectual property and resolve their disputes.

About Leighton

Leighton is an intellectual property lawyer and has over 25 year experience working in the fields of intellectual property and commercial law.

Prior to joining MoranLaw, Leighton was a partner in international law firm Fieldfisher LLP based in London, England. Leighton spent 20 years in the UK and was co-head of the intellectual property team from 2013. He has recently returned to live in New Zealand with his family. 

Leighton is admitted in New Zealand (1997) England & Wales (2006) and Ireland (2017). Leighton advises clients in relation to their intellectual property and commercial requirements. This includes worldwide trade mark and design clearance, filing and prosecution; contentious registry proceedings including bringing and defending trade mark opposition, invalidity and revocation actions throughout the world; appeals to the Appointed Person and High Court, appeals to the Boards of Appeal and General Court, trade mark licensing, exploitation and commercialisation; settlement, co-existence agreements and dispute resolution; managing IP litigation internationally. 

Leighton is internationally recognised in the legal directories including the Legal 500, Who’s Who, Managing IP, World Trademark Review. Leighton and his team won Managing IP's Firm of the Year, Trade Mark (Law Firms) in 2019. 

Leighton is  a committee member of The University of Otago Trust (UK), a UK based charitable trust since 2014 and current Chair of the Otago University Rugby Football Club. 

He also sits on a committee of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and regularly attends their annual and leadership meetings.