• Our People

• Adyasree Sivakumar
• Belinda McGuigan
• Charlene Lo
• David Moore
• David Nowak
• Elena Szentiványi
• Erin Monckton
• Frank Callus
• Helen Lyon
• Jayne Woolley
• Jesse Strafford
• Julie Andrews
• Mark Eftimov
• Pamela Scantlebury
• Tanya Carter
• Tracey Monckton
• Zoe Dewhurst

Tanya Carter

Qualifications

BCom (Economics)
Trade Marks Paper B

Expertise

Trade marks
IP audits
Assignments and transfers of IP

Tanya joined the trade marks team in 2024 in a dual role assisting David Moore, Mark Eftimov and Elena Szentiványi with all aspects of trade mark work, and leading business development activities for Henry Hughes IP. 

Having studied economics, marketing and business law Tanya began her career working in event management in Wellington, and audio marketing and publishing in Perth, Western Australia. In these roles she managed portfolios of thousands of clients and excelled in customising CRMs and digital tools to provide innovative customer experiences.

She brought her skills and experiences home in 2007 determined to improve the Government’s understanding of small businesses, later joining the Intellectual Property Office of NZ (IPONZ) as a trade mark examiner in 2008 and completing Patent Attorney Paper B (Trade Marks) in 2011. She advised the Ministry of Economic Development on implementing the Major Events Act 2007 and ambush marketing ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup having worked closely with notable Ambush Marketers while in Australia.

Responsible for designing, testing and embedding the new AI-assisted trade mark search tool, and later the IPONZ case management system – the first in the world for 100% online filing with an IP Office – she improved almost every aspect of trade mark examination in her time roles as Senior Trade Mark Examiner and Examinations Lead prior to moving to the IPONZ Stakeholder Engagement team in 2017. Tanya was New Zealand’s first Madrid System Fellow based at WIPO Headquarters in Geneva in 2013/14, and became a sought-after speaker and trainer on implementing the Madrid System for international trade mark protection and the Singapore Treaty as a national office, and tips and tricks for businesses and attorneys using the Madrid System.

She markedly improved IPONZ stakeholder engagement especially with the Technical Focus Groups and New Zealand Law Society, and NZIPA, organised many successful diplomatic meetings and IP events with industry partners, and led the Stakeholder team throughout 2020/21. She developed knowledge and industry connections across all areas of IP, and improved engagement and representation in IP consultations - helping more people understand and be heard in designing the IP System for New Zealand. Tanya was integral in the design and testing of client services for many of her 15 years at IPONZ including OneCheck, Trade Mark Check, TM Specification Builder. She now brings the totality of her experience to the fore in supporting Henry Hughes IP experts in trade mark prosecution, branding and business development.