China

Local Law Firms

Established in 1999, Advance China IP Law Office has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Silicon Valley. The 800-strong firm is led by founder and managing partner Jie Hu, supported by over 15 partners including Minhui Zeng, Shelley Zheng and Kevin Zhou. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including trademark and Guangzhou firm of the year.

AFD China is a full-service IP firm providing one-stop service, including filing/registration, strategy, transactions, asset management, litigation and other related concerns. The firm is ranked a top tier firm by the Beijing IP Office filing about 6,000 patent applications annually with a growth rate of eight each year. It has been a Top 10 PCT filer in China since 2009 and become top 20 in the world since 2011. It also helps multinational corporations in complex trademark situations rather than plain filing cases. Founder and president Xia Zheng is a key contact. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including patent and pharma, biotech & life sciences firm of the year.

Named Pharma, Biotech & Life Sciences Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, An, Tian, Zhang & Partners works closely with foreign law firms and counts multinational companies amongst its loyal client base. From its head office in Beijing and a branch office in Guangzhou, it has set up a multilingual and multidisciplinary patent translation network and an investigation network for collecting and finding evidence.

With offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, AnJie Law Firm’s IP team advises clients on all aspects of IP, with a strong focus on litigation, advisory and portfolio development. The firm has worked with clients in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, energy, construction, media, retail, food, finance, tourism and real estate industries. Senior consultant Wu Li is a key contact.

Founded by Dr. Lulin Gao, the founding Commissioner of China National Intellectual Property Administration along with an experienced team, Beijing East IP Ltd. and Beijing East IP Law Firm provide patent prosecution and other IP services for clients from startups to Fortune 500 corporations to domestic multinational companies. The firm has offices in London, Tokyo and California’s Silicon Valley.

Beijing Gaowo International IP Agency specializes in international intellectual property work, including litigation, prosecution and enforcement work, from its base in Beijing. The firm, which was established in 2004, has more than 130 patent and trademark attorneys as well as a group of specialized lawyers. It handles more than 2,000 patents and 10,000 trademarks each year, and has clients including CCTV, Moutai Group, Gamewave, Hydron, Uni-President and Lenovo. The firm says it has cooperated with IP agencies from 168 countries and districts around the world.

Founded in 1986, Beijing Sanyou Intellectual Property Agency Ltd. has since expanded into Beijing Sanyou Intellectual Property Group to include four agencies that provide a “one-stop IP service chain” including IP agency, IP legal service, IP consultancy and international IP affairs. Sanyou is led by founder and president Qiang Li.

Beshining Law Office is a full-service law firm based in Shanghai. The firm, which was founded in 2013, has more than 150 lawyers, patent attorneys and other legal and technical professionals. The firm is noted for its business-friendly approach to legal work; a client calls the advice it received from the firm’s lawyers “timely, innovative and practical.” The firm’s IP practice boasts lawyers with scientific backgrounds in fields including mechanical engineering, electronics, physics, biology and chemistry. 

Beyond Attorneys At Law has been growing steadily since it was established in 2004. With more than 700 employees, the firm provides work on the full range of IP services, including patent, trademark, copyright, domain name and others. Founder Larry Min is a key contact of the firm.

Named Shenzhen Firm of the Year, Borsam Intellectual Property is headquartered in Shenzhen with offices in Hong Kong, Xiamen and Fuzhou. Including founding partners Zhizheng Lin, Ming Zhang and Dong Lin, the team comprises about 60 staff members with patent and trademark attorneys serving both domestic and international clients across fields of biological, electronic, mechanical, chemical, arts and telecommunications.

Based in Beijing, Boss & Young IP Services Law Office provides law services in the full field of IP. Since its formal establishment in 1999, it has provided services to many multinational corporations as well as Chinese companies for their IP needs including trademark, patent and copyright. The firm is a sister entity of Boss & Young Attorneys at Law based in Shanghai, and has branch offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou and other cities across China.

CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office is the oldest and one of the largest full-service IP law firms in China. The firm has 294 patent and trademark attorneys, with 87 qualified attorneys-at-law. They provide consultation, prosecution, mediation, administrative enforcement and litigation services relating to patents, trademarks, copyright, domain names, trade secrets, trade dress, unfair competition and related matters. Headquartered in Beijing, it has branch offices in New York, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Madrid, Munich, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including trademark and IP firm of the year.

Chang Tsi & Partners has been providing full-service IP support to companies in China for close to two decades, priding itself as representing more US Fortune 500 companies than any other Chinese firms. Clients who testify to the firm’s role in their Asia strategy include Twitter and Campbell Soup. Founding partner Spring Chang and managing partner Simon Tsi lead a team of 350 staff from the firm’s Beijing headquarters, with offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanning, Hong Kong and Seoul. The firm was named Enforcement Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

China Patent Agent (H.K.) has a full-service offering incorporating both prosecution and litigation strengths. The firm advises both domestic and overseas clients from its main office in Hong Kong, supported by a network of offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, New York, Tokyo and Munich. Top management includes Xiangling Zeng, Jingchao Wang, Shaohui Yuan and Yuhe Wu, who oversee 570 staff members, including 230 patent attorneys, 30 trademark attorneys and 80 attorneys-at-law.

Specializing in the science and technology sector, China Science Patent & Trademark Agent emerged from being the exclusive agent working under the state funded national research institute Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1990s to become a private firm. The firm now has approximately 300 professionals in offices of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo and Washington. Each professional in the highly-technical firm holds at least one science or engineering degree, and over a third has research background prior to practicing patent law. The firm is led by senior partner Liyan Zhang, who also serves as the chairman of the board.

China Sinda Intellectual Property is known for its work on a wide spectrum of IP matters; it has offices in Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Munich. More than 300 experienced team members serve clients worldwide with leverage of digitization which made it one of the first “paperless offices” among IP law firms in China. Senior partner Sherrie An is a key contact.

Beijing-based Chofn IP provides a range of IP services as well as legal technology solutions. The firm is led by managing partner Tingxi Huo and Xiangyun Jin. Recent notable cases include representing Richemont, owner of prestigious luxury brands Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in trademark infringement proceedings, and defeating a Dutch infringer in 15 European jurisdictions for a Hong Kong-listed, global fashion retailer in trademark disputes.

Co-effort Law Firm has provided litigation support to many of the world’s leading companies in the areas of online game, computer software, chemical, pharmaceutical, IT, coating, media and e-commerce. The team also provides extensive non-litigation support to government agencies, trade associations, cultural organizations and initiatives. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including copyright and Shanghai firm of the year.

In November 2015, Dentons became the largest law firm in the world through a merger with Chinese law firm Dacheng, and through separate merger deals with Australian law firm Gadens and Singapore’s Rodyk & Davidson. The firm operates 45 offices in China alone. Senior partner Mingyue Dun is the key contact for Dentons’ IP and technology practice, having represented clients such as ExxonMobil, Nike and Hennessy & Co.

After becoming private in 2001 from its roots as the Patent Service Center of the state-owned Ministry of Information Industry, DEQI Intellectual Property is now a block away from CNIPA, with its own patent and trademark attorneys providing a range of IP support including patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright recordation, customs action, negotiation and litigation. Patent attorney Shihua Chen is a key contact.

Beijing-based Dragon IP represents leading foreign companies through its offices in Suzhou, Hebei and Hunan, and overseas branches in Japan, the US and Europe. The integrated IP firm has over 300 staff providing services in patent, trademark, copyright, domain name and other related matters. Partner Xianying Jin is a key contact.

Full-service law firm Duan and Duan’s IP practice is led by partners Y. Tony Song and Spring Liu from its Shanghai headquarters. Song is noted for his work dealing with complex disputes both inside and outside China, representing clients such as Microsoft, Lucent, Monsanto, Rohm, ContiGroup, 3M and Tetra Pak.

Intellectual property is a major practice area of East & Concord Partners. The firm has a legal team with extensive experience that has successfully rendered legal services to domestic and foreign clients. It has aided numerous enterprises in acquiring their copyright, trademarks, logos, and patents for effective protection. Partner Charles Feng is a key contact; the firm was named Copyright Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Fangda Partners has a standout team in the market representing clients on a range of IP registration and protection matters, as well as handling technology transfer, licensing and protection of confidential information in China. It has commendable technical skills in relation to trademarks, copyright and antitrust work. Its leading practitioners include Gordon Gao, Daniel Huang and James Hu, who have represented global clients such as Watson Pharmaceutical, Rolex and New Balance. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including IP litigation and licensing & franchising firm of the year. 

Fieldfisher merged with the former Beijing-based JS Partners in November 2016 under a Swiss verein, giving the UK-based firm access to the China market. JS Partners has adopted the Fieldfisher brand and will remain a licensed Chinese law firm with the ability to practice all aspects of Chinese law, a setup similar to the one used in the 2012 King & Wood merger with Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jacques and the 2015 merger between Dentons and Dacheng Law Offices. IP partner Laura Feng is a key contact.

The Shanghai-based corporate and commercial law firm FuJae Partners is an alliance firm of the US-based McGuireWoods, with 20 years of experience in China and the US. Guangming Liu heads the firm’s IP practice, whose lawyers have an excellent track record in trademark practice cases related to application for registration, opposition, assignment, dispute and infringement, as well as other brand protection measures through copyright and anti-unfair competition suits.

Ge Cheng & Co is a Beijing-based intellectual property specialist. Its clients include small enterprises, multinational corporations, universities and research institutions and Chinese companies in fields including electronics, biochemistry, engineering, publications, entertainment and education. The firm has five partners and 40 associates and senior associates. Partner David Cheng has an LL.M. from the Peking University law school and an M.D. from China Medical University and has a past career as a medical researcher. He is a former vice president of NTD Patent & Trademark Agency and a former senior partner at Jeekai & Partners; he undertook many prosecutions and litigations relating to biochemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical matters. 

GoldenGate was founded in 2007 by Tim Meng. The boutique firm began with six lawyers and is now having 20 professionals, who are able to work on the most comprehensive disputes and IP related matters. They have represented a wide range of clients worldwide such as Cambridge University and Samsung. The Ritz-Carlton trademark infringement case was recognized by the Supreme Court as one of the Top 10 IP court cases.

HFG Law & Intellectual Property provides services in contentious and non-contentious matters in conjunction with commercial and corporate law services from Shanghai and Beijing offices. In particular, the firm has strong expertise in oil and chemicals, food and beverage, luxury and fashion, internet, gaming, retail, cosmetics, automotive, pharmaceuticals and machinery accessories. Partner Fabio Giacopello and Reinout van Malenstein are among the firm’s IP experts.

With offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing, Hong Fang Law Legal & IP Practice was named Enforcement Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards under the leadership of managing partner Xu Zhang. The firm’s services include trademark, patent, copyright, court proceeding, licensing, legal risk assessment, contracts, customs and due diligence.

Named Licensing & Franchising Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, Hylands Law Firm is a full-service law firm with its IP practice led by Xiaogang Ma, a founding partner and renowned Chinese IP expert. Besides traditional IP services such as copyright, trademark and patent registration and administrative services including dispute resolution, Hylands also offers consultancy services in corporate, investment and financial affairs with respect to IP, ranging from commercial market development and franchising to corporate training. The firm has multiple offices across China, with Beijing being the headquarters. 

Formerly named Co-Talent Intellectual Property Firm, IP March was established in March 2016 and provides comprehensive legal services for patents (inventions, utility models and designs), trademarks, copyright and anti-unfair competition. The patent attorneys can serve clients in Chinese, English, Japanese, German and French, and were named Rising Stars of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

IPO Pang Xingpu is known as one of the oldest joint venture law firms and operates as a leading international boutique firm out of Shanghai with affiliate offices in the US. IPO’s IP practice boasts a team of seasoned IP lawyers, litigators, advisory counsel, agents and investigators who handle all aspects of IP law with a focus on infringement protection and enforcement. The firm is led by founder and chairman Peter C. Pang, who himself focuses on intellectual property, foreign direct investment and labour law after serving as IP counsel at major companies such as Shell Oil.

Based in Beijing, Yunze Lian is the founder and head of Jadong IP Law Firm (former Aaison IP Law Firm). This young and boutique firm is dedicated to provide full services of IP. To achieve the level of quality while still offering a wide range of services, there are six specialized teams, namely: trademark, patent, copyright, anti-counterfeiting, litigation and domain name. The firm was named Rising Star of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Based in Beijing with 11 other offices across China and one in Tokyo, Jincheng Tongda & Neal’s IP practice services international and domestic clients in a broad array of areas including IP and trade secret protection, technology transfer, technical service, trademark licensing and lawsuits related to patents, trademarks and software. Clients are predominantly companies involved with high technology, extending from startups to MNCs in a variety of industrial sectors including chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, IT, semiconductors, telecommunications, materials, electronics, software, multimedia, manufacturing and finance. Senior partner Linyan Ma is a key contact.

Named Pharma, Biotech & Life Sciences Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, JunHe is a full-service firm that is home to over 880 professionals, including more than 240 partners and legal counsels and 640 associates and legal translators. Its Beijing head office is supported by nine Chinese branches and fully-licensed offices in Hong Kong, New York and Silicon Valley. The firm has represented the Chinese affiliate of iRobot Corporate in patent infringement litigation and supported BMW Group in its entire trademark process in China.

Headquartered in Beijing with offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Jun Ze Jun Law Offices’ IP practice covers matters of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and domain name in the telecommunications, electronics, software, semiconductor, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, e-commerce, media and other traditional sectors. Partner Jingjing Cao is a key contact; the firm was named Copyright and Enforcement Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Since its establishment in 1994, Kangxin Partners has grown into one of the leading IP firms in China; its head office is in Beijing, and affiliate offices are in Xi’an, Germany, the United States and Japan. The group is structured as four entities providing IP support, litigation, consulting and training services, respectively. Managing partner Samson Yu ranks as one of the top patent attorneys in the country. Gloria Wu, Shirley Dong, James Chen and Gary Wu are other key IP practitioners. 

The IP team at global law firm King & Wood Mallesons advises on all areas of IP including copyright, domain name, dispute and enforcement, licensing and exploitation, trademark as well as patent. The firm’s clients include some of the most famous household brands in the world such as Nestlé and Colgate-Palmolive, and recent works including patent filing and prosecution for IBM and patent litigation efforts for ABB. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including trademark and patent firm of the year.

LexField Law Offices is a Beijing-based IP firm, where the trademark and dispute resolution group is led by senior partner Jan Liu, who is widely recognized as one of China’s foremost trademark attorneys. David Huang leads the patent and dispute resolution group, and senior partner Hongyi Jiang oversees copyright and other IP-related offerings.

Lifang & Partners is headquartered in Beijing with regional offices in Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Seoul. Operating mainly in the spaces of IP, antitrust, commercial and dispute resolution, some of Lifang’s most notable IP cases include representing Samsung in patent disputes with Huawei. Partner Guanbin Xie is a key contact. The firm was named Copyright and Technology, Media & Telecoms Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Noted for its work in patent prosecution, Liu, Shen & Associates is recommended by clients for smooth interactions in terms of workflow management and expertise. Perry Yang, one of the firm’s founders, specializes in patent filing, prosecution and invalidation proceedings in the field of mechanical engineering. Yang has over 30 years of experience and comes highly recommended; past work includes representing a major international toy manufacturer and successfully having two of the client’s trademarks recognized by the court as well-known trademarks. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including patent and IP litigation firm of the year.

Established in 1994 in Hong Kong, Lung Tin is one of the first private Chinese IP firms approved by the government to represent international clients in China. These days, the firm is a prominent full-service IP firm led by founding partner and president Tai Keung Cheng, who trained and worked as a scientist at the Research Institute of the China Aviation Department, focusing on patent and trademark management and technology transfer. The firm has 438 staff members spread over nine offices, including its headquarters in Beijing, plus Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Xi’an, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Osaka and New York.

NTD Intellectual Property Attorneys was established in 1987 and has main offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and liaison offices in Munich, Silicon Valley and Tokyo. With over 500 staff including 64 partners, 162 patent attorneys and 38 trademark attorneys, NTD provides IP services to all major industrials including mechanics and electrical engineering to high-growth technologies such as communications, computer network and bio-technology. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including patent and licensing & franchising firm of the year.

Founded in 2003, Peksung IP aims to provide agile and efficient legal solutions for multinational and Fortune 500 companies, boasting clients such as Bayer, BASF, Allergan and Porsche. Managing partner Jiancheng Jiang is a key contact and under his leadership, the firm was named IP Boutique of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

R&P China Lawyers is a Shanghai-based, China-licensed boutique law firm that supports international business in the country through a variety of practice areas, including IP. Managing director and founder Maarten Roos leads the firm to represent major European and American companies with business interests in China, and is himself an expert to the China IPR SME Helpdesk and the EU initiative to educate small businesses on IP protection in China.

Shanghai Patent & Trademark Law Office is one of the oldest and largest IP firms in China. Many of its attorneys are members of INTA, AIPPI, LESI and other organizations. It has offices in Beijing as well as Hong Kong and is headquartered in Shanghai. Patent attorney Jia Lu is a key contact. 

Founded in 1995, Tee & Howe Intellectual Property Attorneys is a comprehensive firm licensed by the China Patent Office primarily focusing on foreign IP service. Its practice covers all aspects of IP including patent, trademark and copyright, and encompasses all phases of administrative and judicial services such as pursuing, maintaining and licensing. The expert areas include biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemistry, computer hardware and software. It has over 200 employees, including about 80 patent attorneys and 30 patent engineers, 10 trademark attorneys, five attorneys-at-law, 28 administrative and civil agents ad litem approved by the Supreme People’ s Court, three foreign patent attorneys and several foreign experts. The firm was named Copyright Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Unitalen Attorneys at Law houses over 700 attorneys, paralegals and clerks to serve clients from its Beijing headquarters and 21 other offices in China including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. With additional offices in Tokyo, Munich and San Francisco, Unitalen prides itself in representing a diverse range of clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies such as Tencent. President Bradley Yu is a key contact. The firm won multiple awards at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards, including trademark and enforcement firm of the year. 

Beijing-based Wanhuida is now home for some 450 employees working exclusively for IP. There are about 100 IP lawyers specialized in litigation and enforcement; 90 in trademark, 70 in patent and more as investigators and supporting staff across 10 major Chinese cities. Partner Johnson Li is a key contact. The firm was named Trademark Firm of the Year at the 2020 Asia IP China Awards.

Watson & Band’s IP team consists of professionals including lawyers, agents, engineers, professors, scientific researchers and senior consultants. Fields served include chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, machinery, electronics, telecommunications, data, optical physics, automatic control, metallic materials and semiconductors. Their services include agency and consulting, enforcement and litigation as well as commercial. Director Yiwen Huang is a key contact.

Yingke International is a global commercial law firm based in Beijing that has a network of affiliated offices across 104 international cities. Positioning itself at the heart of China’s Belt and Road initiative, Yingke has signed a cooperation agreement with DFDL Legal and Tax, a full-service law firm that specializes in emerging markets in the ASEAN region.

Headquartered in Beijing with offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Haikou, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Almaty, the IP department of Zhong Lun Law Firm has lawyers as well as trademark and patent agents providing a full range of services including litigation, due diligence, licensing, application, strategizing and portfolio management. Equity partner Luping Yu is a key contact. 

Zhongzi Law Office is a leading full-service firm with over 300 professionals in China. Its IP practice encompasses patents, trademarks, copyright, unfair competition, trade secret, franchising, licensing, IP management and transactions; and extend to other IP support services such as advertising, technical document search and translation. The IP group’s primary contacts are partners Bonan Lin, Chengen Duan and Gesheng Huang.

Established in 1998, ZY Partners has a prominent IP litigation practice with experience in conducting trials and appellate work in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark, unfair competition and trade secrets. All partners are experienced litigators, each with about 20 years of experience; some have even worked in courts or at CNIPA, and a few of their cases have been published as guiding precedents. The firm also has a strong patent prosecution team specialized in electronics, telecom, semiconductor, IT, mechanical engineering, solar/nuclear energies, bio-tech, pharmaceuticals and chemical engineering. The firm manages trademark portfolios for MNCs in a wide range of industries as well. Partner Richard Huang is a key contact.

International Law Firms

Swedish law firm Awapatent operates its Asia units out of AWA Asia in Hong Kong and AWA Asia’s wholly-owned Chinese IP consultancy, AWA IP (Beijing). Ai-Leen Lim serves as the chief executive officer and principal counsel of AWA Asia, and serves mainland Chinese, Hong Kong and international clients with a focus on brand management and social media matters. AWA IP (Beijing) is a licensed PRC trademark agency that is able to file and enforce trademarks directly in China before the Trademark Office and the administrative authorities. 

Named Asia IP Trademark Firm of the year for China and Asia Pacific in 2019, Baker McKenzie has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and maintains an impressive team of IP specialists backed by an international network. China and Hong Kong IP practice head Loke-Khoon Tan also co-leads the firm’s luxury and fashion industry practice, working extensively with global brands in major jurisdictions.

Named Asia IP Patent Firm of the year for China and Asia Pacific in 2019, Bird & Bird established its Hong Kong office in 1995, followed by Beijing in 2004 and Shanghai in 2008. The international firm entered into an association with local firm Lawjay Partners in 2009 to increase coverage in contentious IP matters in Chinese courts. The China and Hong Kong team is led by partner Matthew Laight, who has represented some of the world’s leading companies in a broad range of sectors including electronics, pharmaceuticals, communications, information technology, media, broadcasting, and food and beverage.

Elliot Papageorgiou and his team at Clyde & Co in Shanghai advise international clients on contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters, with a focus on strategic protection, exploitation, and enforcement of patents, trademarks, copyright as well as trade secrets. They provide strategies for optimizing IP portfolios across the Asia Pacific region and cross-border patent, trademark and copyright disputes as well. 

Deacons combines one of the most established teams in Hong Kong with a solid presence in China. Assisting global brands including 50 of the world’s top 100 brands as identified by Interbrand, the IP practice operates out of the firm’s Hong Kong main office. Key contacts are partners Annie Tsoi, Charmaine Koo and Catherine Zheng.

In November 2015, Dentons became the largest law firm in the world through a merger with Chinese law firm Dacheng, and through separate merger deals with Australian law firm Gadens and Singapore’s Rodyk & Davidson. The firm operates 45 offices in China alone. Senior partner Mingyue Dun is the key contact for Dentons’ IP and technology practice, having represented clients such as ExxonMobil, Nike and Hennessy & Co.

DLA Piper’s intellectual property and technology practice encompasses nearly 500 lawyers in over 24 countries, with DLA Beijing managing partner Horace Lam co-heading IPT to provide Greater China coverage across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Edward Chatterton and Scott Thiel are key contacts.

Ella Cheong (Hong Kong) and its subsidiary Ella Cheong Intellectual Property Agency (Beijing) were acquired by Spruson & Ferguson on October 31, 2016, and most former Ella Cheong personnel have taken on positions with Spruson. Since the acquisition, lawyer Ella Cheong is no longer involved in the Hong Kong or Beijing businesses and no longer practices in the areas of patent, design and trademark prosecution in China, Hong Kong or Macau. She has, however, formed Hong Kong-based ELLALAN along with managing partner Alan Chiu. The firm, which until June 2020 had been known as Ella Cheong & Alan Chiu, advises on IP enforcement, transactional and commercial IP and internet-related issues, as well as matters concerning entertainment and media, dispute resolution, commercial law and regulatory law. 

Fieldfisher merged with the former Beijing-based JS Partners in November 2016 under a Swiss verein, giving the UK-based firm access to the China market. JS Partners has adopted the Fieldfisher brand and will remain a licensed Chinese law firm with the ability to practice all aspects of Chinese law, a setup similar to the one used in the 2012 King & Wood merger with Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jacques and the 2015 merger between Dentons and Dacheng Law Offices. IP partner Laura Feng is a key contact.

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner’s foreign representative office in Shanghai handles a wide range of intellectual property assignments for clients with interests in China. Ningling Wang leads the firm’s China efforts from Shanghai as its managing partner, with a special focus in patent prosecution, opinions, due diligence, client counseling, licensing, and patent litigation.

Hong Kong-based Richard Bird heads Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s intellectual property and commercial practice in Asia. Bird’s experience is wide ranging, extending from R&D collaborations, licensing and distribution/supply arrangements to a special focus in the TMT space, including e-commerce, media data privacy and cyber security, in addition to his core practice in intellectual property.

Named Asia IP Copyright Firm of the year for Asia Pacific in 2019, Hogan Lovells operates its China IP practice out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing offices. Eugene Low now leads the IP practice from Hong Kong, joined by Beijing partner Helen Xia and Shanghai partner Katie Feng. Feng led the 2016 association with Fujian Fidelity Law Firm in the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone that emphasized growing the firm’s IP litigation offering. Fidelity was established in 1989 and is one of the largest law firms in the Fujian province. 

Jones Day’s offices in Beijing and Shanghai work closely with its Hong Kong and other Asian offices. Its mainland IP agency, Jones Day Intellectual Property Agency (Beijing), is licensed to handle a wide range of copyright, trademark, and other non-patent intellectual property matters. Partner Haifeng Huang is the key contact with a broad industry coverage including software and systems, semiconductors, telecommunications, textiles, chemicals, optics, consumer products, heavy machinery, medical devices, and biotechnology.

Marks & Clerk is noted for its patent work in the mechanical, chemical/life sciences and electrical/software fields. The firm has 18 offices worldwide in seven jurisdictions. For further expansion, the Beijing office has recently moved. It handles both patent and trademark filings for a variety of clients. Partner Michael Lin is a key contact.

Mayer Brown was established in 1863 in Hong Kong and has since expanded across Asia, including two offices in Shanghai and Beijing. It maintains an association with the Beijing-based Jingtian & Gongcheng. Partner and head of the firm’s Asia IP & TMT group Gabriela Kennedy is also co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global IP practice and has extensive experience in technology and data protection issues in China and beyond.

US-based McGuireWoods works in China through a strategic alliance with FuJae Partners, a Shanghai-based corporate and commercial law firm with an in-depth knowledge of Chinese law and practice. Guangming Liu heads FuJae’s IP practice, whose lawyers have an excellent track record in trademark practice cases related to application for registration, opposition, assignment, dispute and infringement, as well as other brand protection measures through copyright and anti-unfair competition suits.

Full-service global law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius established the firm’s sixth Asia office in Shanghai back in 2016. Partner Shaobin Zhu is a key IP contact who focuses on cross-border intellectual property litigation and counselling. 

Xiang Wang, managing partner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Beijing, leads Orrick’s China IP and data privacy practices and serves as the co-chair of the firm’s global advisory board; he also spends significant time in the firm’s Shanghai and New York offices. Recognized for its success in patent litigation and arbitration involving foreign companies in China, the Orrick China IP team was exclusively featured in the China Central Television’s documentary Patent Wars. The team’s notable clients include Sinopec, Microsoft, Baidu and Haiser.

Global commercial law firm Ropes & Gray has offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, with Shanghai managing partner Geoffrey Lin being a key lead in its China IP practice. With a focus on helping global companies monetize and protect their IP rights, Lin is experienced in structuring technology transfers and enforcing IP rights in the life sciences and high-tech industries.

Rouse has been operating in China since 1993, and now has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen as well as its sister firm Rouse Legal in Hong Kong. The firm handles all activities reserved to PRC-admitted lawyers through its network firm, Lusheng Law Firm, and provides a full range of IP services including patent and trademark agency services. China country manager Linda Chang oversees Rouse’s operations in the jurisdiction and was herself one of the first trademark agents to become qualified under China’s IP regulatory system.

Simmons & Simmons has opened a new office in Shenzhen, strengthening its existing presence in greater China. The Shenzhen office opening reinforces the firm’s growth and commitment to Asia and follows the Greater Bay Area plan announcement by the Chinese government. Jingyuan Shi, TMT partner at the firm, will focus on serving the Shenzhen market.

Named Asia IP copyright firm of the year for China in 2019, SIPS helps clients in managing their IP portfolios, including registration, enforcement and licensing of trademark, copyright and patent. The firm also assists clients with investigations management, advice on supply chain integrity, trade secret protection, data privacy, retail and wholesale distribution, ecommerce, distribution and sourcing agreements, and regulatory matters relating to IT and other high-tech sectors. The firm’s expertise is mainly in the Greater China region, but members also assist clients with IP matters throughout Asia. Partner Helen Tang is a key contact.

Spruson & Ferguson established a significant presence in Hong Kong and China in 2016 by acquiring Ella Cheong (Hong Kong) and its subsidiary Ella Cheong Intellectual Property Agency (Beijing). Principal Oliver Lutze is the country manager for China and is based in Beijing. Spruson & Ferguson is part of the publicly-listed IPH Limited, the holding company for a number of intellectual property professional services and adjacent businesses operating under different brands across the Asia-Pacific region.

Squire Patton Boggs has had a presence in Beijing since 1980 and was one of the first foreign legal practices to receive a practicing license. Paolo Beconcini, who is noted for his work for bus manufacture Neoplan in its battle against Chinese infringers, which resulted in the largest award to date for a design patent infringement action in China, heads the firm’s China IP team from Los Angeles.

Besides its full-service law practice in Hong Kong, Vivien Chan & Co. also has an office in Beijing, which was established in 1993. Founding and senior partner Vivien Chan has expertise in many practice areas, including IP, mergers and acquisitions, China direct investment and corporate services.

Hong Kong-based Wilkinson & Grist opened its Beijing office in 2000 and a wholly-owned PRC IP agency in 2004. The group now has numerous IP professionals in Hong Kong and China including legal counsel, PRC patent and trademark agents, executives, technical specialists, translators and other support staff.