IP Expert

Overview

Zhilian Su is a senior partner at Zhifan IP Attorneys and a member of the firm’s management committee. As the head of the international team, she specializes in intellectual property law, with a concentration on international prosecution, patent litigation and consulting. Her expertise spans nearly two decades, particularly in electrical engineering and telecommunications.

With a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in communication engineering from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Su is among the select Chinese patent attorneys who have gained comprehensive knowledge and practical experience in U.S. and European intellectual property law.

She has acted as a strategic advisor for both international and domestic Chinese enterprises, including Midea, OPPO/Vivo, BYD and Tencent, with a focus on the field of standard-essential patents (SEPs). Su possesses a robust understanding of Chinese patent legal practices and has played pivotal roles in high-profile patent invalidation cases, such as Ericsson v. Huawei and OPPO v. Sharp. Her team, under Su’s leadership, has secured victories that resulted in damages exceeding US$5 million for clients in patent disputes in China.

Su also provides counsel on intellectual property rights and competition issues, offering expert opinions on freedom-to-operate, infringement, validity, and patentability assessments. Her team is currently engaged in complex patent prosecution and dispute resolution across multiple jurisdictions.

Actively involved in the intellectual property community, Su is a member of the executive council of the Capital Intellectual Property Services Association in Beijing, further demonstrating her commitment to the field and its development.