Sophie Thoreau, special counsel in Buddle Findlay's intellectual property team, has been recognised in this year's Australasian Lawyer's Elite Women report. Those recognised have over the past 12 months, made contributions to, and influenced the legal industry, in a way that demonstrated a passion for the law.
Sophie has spent over two decades devoted to intellectual property law, a discipline she has pursued with genuine enthusiasm and a continually sharpened expertise. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of IP: contentious matters, copyright, brand protection strategy, registered designs, certification marks, geographical indications and provenance as well as IP commercialisation and IP considerations in mergers and acquisitions. Sophie's deep understanding of IP law has enabled her to serve clients across New Zealand, Australia, Asia-Pacific, the USA and internationally; and in a diverse range of sectors including FMCG, technology, building and construction, and primary industries, notably in honey production. She is widely regarded as New Zealand's leading practitioner in geographical indications (GI) law, a field that has taken on new national significance since the EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement entered into force in May 2024.
Appointed President of the New Zealand Group of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA) in April 2025, she has a meaningful platform to represent New Zealand's IP community internationally and sits at the centre of regional IP engagement. In September 2025, she was also appointed as a Councillor on the Council of the New Zealand Intellectual Property Attorneys (NZIPA), where she contributes to the governance and future direction of the profession. Sophie is a longstanding contributor to the New Zealand Intellectual Property Journal and holds active memberships in INTA, APAA and IPSANZ. These commitments speak to something important: Sophie does not just practise in the IP community, she invests in it. She is widely recognised for the warmth and generosity she brings to every professional interaction, and for her genuine belief that a strong, collegial profession is something worth working for.
Sophie is a passionate and consistent advocate for the advancement of women in the legal profession, not as a cause she supports from a distance, but as a personal commitment she shows up for, week after week. Sophie served as Secretary of the Auckland Women Lawyers' Association (AWLA) for many years, stepping down at the close of 2025 to devote greater time to her work with the APAA and her role as an NZIPA Councillor. She remains a member and advocate of the AWLA, and more broadly is a steadfast supporter of the advancement of women across the New Zealand legal profession. She is a committed mentor to colleagues and those across the wider New Zealand legal community, with a particular focus on supporting women earlier in their careers. Sophie firmly believes in embracing the next generation coming up behind us and in actively helping them succeed.
We would like to congratulate Sophie on this well-deserved recognition.