Shona Foster

Senior Associate

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Shona is a commercial lawyer who specialises in IP commercialisation and licensing. She has particular expertise in life sciences and deep tech ventures, and a deep knowledge of the research, pastoral, and tertiary education sectors.

More generally, Shona helps clients to establish new initiatives and strategic relationships by preparing and reviewing contracts across the entire value chain. Her expertise includes R&D agreements, IP licences, procurement, supply and distribution agreements, data-sharing agreements, privacy policies, and software licences.

Helping clients to play within the rules is also a big part of Shona’s practice. She regularly advises local and overseas clients on privacy, electronic marketing, data protection and retention, consumer law, fair trading laws, product claims, and label claims.

Shona is known her clear communication and straightforward approach, and her ability to deliver complex advice simply.

Prior to studying law, Shona held management roles in the research and IP commercialisation sector. After graduating from law school, she spent several years in a national IP firm before moving in-house where she spent a number of years before joining MinterEllisonRuddWatts in 2019.

Shona is a former Trustee and New Zealand Regional Chair of the Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Career highlights

As senior legal lead, co-ordinating a team of subject-matter experts advising one of New Zealand’s major banks on compliance with the requirements of the Fair Trading Amendment Act 2019 across its business.

Co-ordinating the technology, privacy, and intellectual property due-diligence workstream for the acquisition of online booking technology firm Timely by US-based Evercommerce, a deal in excess of $100 million.

Advising an iconic New Zealand company on marketing and label claims for a suite of new products, including for compliance with the Fair Trading Act and New Zealand’s therapeutic products regulatory regime.

Advising a number of Australasia’s life sciences venture capital firms on the IP aspects of investments in new ventures in New Zealand, including preparing intellectual property licenses and research agreements.

Assisting a variety of companies, including start-ups, with their terms and conditions, software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements, end-user licences (EULAs), data-sharing agreements, privacy policies, and related compliance.

Affiliations
  • Member, Licensing Executives Society Australia and New Zealand (LESANZ)
  • Member, The Intellectual Property Society of Australia & New Zealand Inc (IPSANZ)
Achievements and recognition
  • Band 1 team, Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), Chambers Asia-Pacific
  • Tier 1 team, Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific