Hong Kong

Global law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is notable in Hong Kong for its work in litigation and arbitration and in international trade. With a strong presence in Hong Kong, the firm excels in handling cross-border disputes, particularly those involving parties in greater China. Their team offers experience in international arbitration, commercial litigation, shareholder and joint venture disputes, technology and licensing issues, commercial criminal defense, and regulatory compliance.  

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.  

Baker McKenzie has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and maintains an impressive team of IP specialists backed up by an international network. Isabella Liu is head of the firm’s Asia-Pacific IP and technology group, with an expertise in IP matters in the pharmaceuticals sector and advises on a wide range of intellectual property issues. Senior partner Loke-Khoon Tan’s practice on IP law in China, with particular emphasis on the structuring of intellectual property rights and anti-counterfeiting planning. He is currently on the firm’s Steering Committee for the Consumer Goods & Retail (including Luxury and Fashion) Industry Practice. He is also the author of various IP publications including the Pirates in the Middle Kingdom: the Art of Trademark War trilogy. The firm was named Asia Pacific patents firm of the year at the 2023 Asia IP Awards. 

Barron & Young is an IP specialist located in the Hong Kong Science Park known best for its work in patent and trademark filing and registration, patent specification preparation and for facilitating PCT National Entry to China. The firm is also recommended by the Hong Kong Productivity Council for implementing the HKSAR government’s funding plans, including the Patent Application Grant. 

Bird & Bird’s intellectual property group is led by partner Matthew Laight, who is noted for his expertise in both contentious and non-contentious matters in sectors including electronics, pharmaceuticals, communications, IT media, broadcasting and F&B. The firm counts Hank Leung and Christine Yiu among its leading trademark practitioners, partner Ted Chwu for patent work, and partner Rieko Michishita for copyright-related matters. The firm was named Asia Pacific copyright firm of the year at the 2023 Asia IP Awards. 

China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd. 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 Yanfeng Xiong and Yuhe Wu, who together oversee more than 500 staff across its network, including 230 patent attorneys, 34 trademark attorneys and 85 attorneys-at-law.  

Chloe Lee & Co is an IP boutique providing a full range of IP services covering China, Hong Kong and Macau from the initial identification, protection and registration of IP, through its exploitation and enforcement. It helps both domestic and international clients manage their trademark portfolios by conducting trademark clearance searches and filing or registering their marks in Hong Kong as well as China, Macau and Taiwan. It has also offered advice on IP rights protection and contract needs for clients embarking on NFT and metaverse projects. 

CMS in Hong Kong operates through both a registered foreign law firm (CMS Hasche Sigle, Hong Kong) and a local law firm (Lau, Horton & Wise) to provide a wide spectrum of Hong Kong and international law advice, including corporate and commercial law, dispute resolution, finance, intellectual property, and technology and digital law. Jonathan Chu is a partner who heads the firm’s Beijing office, splitting his time between Beijing and Hong Kong. He is an experienced individual in patent, copyright and trademark law and IP litigation. The Hong Kong office has nearly 40 lawyers who are well-versed in both local and international laws.  

Davies Collison Cave (DCC) has opened an office in Hong Kong, where managing principal Owen Gee has taken the reigns. Gee co-founded inCompass IP and was a principal of a boutique IP firm in Hong Kong for more than 10 years before joining DCC. He has nearly two decades of experience as a patent attorney and trademark attorney in Australia and Hong Kong, with expertise in Hong Kong, China and Asia. He has been the team leader for several enforcement and court actions in both Hong Kong and China, acted as patent expert in a landmark Hong Kong High Court patent infringement case, handled IP licensing deals and advised on IP protection and enforcement strategies. 

Deacons’ IP practice remains one of the best among the city’s firms. It has one of the largest specialist IP teams in Hong Kong, with 13 partners and more than 110 staff in total. The firm filed Hong Kong’s first-ever e-filings of patent and design applications; it has advised on inventions including baby strollers, mechanics, electronics, genetic sequencing, biotherapeutics, plant variety rights, network communication, AI, robotics and autonomous vehicles. Its team of lawyers and patent attorneys is consistently rated one of the leading regional patent protection practices and is also highly ranked for its experience in high-stakes patent litigation, including cross-border patent disputes. The firm was named Hong Kong patents firm of the year at the 2023 Asia IP Awards. 

Dentons is one of the world’s largest global law firms, offering legal services over 80 jurisdictions. The Hong Kong office provides legal advice and representation to governments and state-owned entities, financial institutions, multinational corporations, professional services firms, and high net worth individuals in relation to their business needs in Hong Kong, across the Asia-Pacific region and globally.  

DLA Piper’s intellectual property and technology group encompasses nearly 500 lawyers in over 24 countries, with DLA Beijing managing partner Horace Lam co-heading the intellectual property and technology group to provide greater China coverage across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The firm has handled all of HSBC’s trademark portfolio management and enforcement work in Hong Kong. Ed Chatterton, who handles IP work with a particular emphasis on matters in Hong Kong and China, is a key contact. 

Eagle IP is a specialized patent firm that facilitates the transfer of new technology from the research environment into the marketplace. The firm boasts a unique combination of U.S. and Chinese patent agents/attorneys who can practice directly before the USPTO and CNIPA. The team covers a full range of technologies such as physics, electronics, computer science, telecommunication, electrical, renewable energies, biomedical and mechanical engineering, material science, life science and chemistry. In addition to Hong Kong, the firm has offices in Macau and Shenzhen. 

East IP has formed through the combination of three well-known practices, including Hong Kong-based SIPS, Beijing East IP and East IP Law Firm. The new East IP is also being joined by a team of six partners from Zhong Lun led by China trademark veteran Jimmy Huang. The new East IP Group is co-chaired by SIPS founder Joe Simone and the head of the firm’s patent practice, Xiaodong Li, while Huang leads the trademark prosecution team, and Yan Zhang is lead partner in the trademark practice. The firm notes that women comprise half of its partners and 72 percent of its trademark team. The partners of East IP are Joe Simone, Dan Plane and Helen Tang, who were SIPS founding partners, and Joann Chan, Joshua Miller and Mai Lin. 

Long-time Hong Kong lawyer Ella Cheong practices her craft from 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, regulatory law, and IP strategies for the digital era. The firm boosted its entertainment and media capabilities in late 2023 with the arrival of senior consultant Kenny Wong from Hogan Lovells. The firm was named Hong Kong copyright firm of the year at the 2023 Asia IP Awards. 

The well-respected Cedric Lam runs Eversheds Sutherland’s IP practice in greater China from the firm’s Hong Kong office. Lam, a prominent IP strategist in the region, has more than two decades of experience counselling cross-border, complex, high-stakes intellectual property-related transactions and disputes. Lam is known for his work helping multinational corporations acquire, exploit and enforce their IP rights and trade secrets, as well as implement technology transfer, IP protection, licensing, litigation and anti-counterfeiting strategies. The firm also advises on legal issues affecting advertising, marketing and sponsorship campaigns, including strategy and providing fast copy clearance to ensure advertisements and packaging comply with the relevant advertising codes and regulations, and on data protection laws. It regularly advises on this area of the law, including all data privacy in Hong Kong and Asia, and in relation to cross-border data flows and direct marketing. 

The history of Hastings & Co. dates to 1885, when the firm’s founder was admitted as a solicitor in England. The firm itself was formed in 1904. Today, it is a forward-looking, full-service firm with a capable intellectual property practice noted for its registration work, opposition work and brand management work, among others. Senior partner Ching Tat Yung primarily deals with IP, banking, corporate, finance and commercial work. Partner Janine Mok heads the firm’s IP department. 

Hogan Lovells operates its IP practice out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing offices. The firm is the sole Hong Kong member of the Pacific Rim Advisory Council, a strategic alliance of 32 major independent law firms globally. Eugene Low leads the IP practice from Hong Kong and is a key contact for trademark and copyright. Andrew Cobden is a key contact for patent matters. 

Located in the Hong Kong Science Park, inCompass IP is well-positioned to draft patent specifications, handle patent and trademark searches, manage portfolios, file applications and to provide a host of other IP services. The firm is led by partners Ewan Bewley and Yannie Chan. The firm’s lawyers are registered to practice in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, mainland China and Hong Kong. Former partner Owen Gee has joined Davies Collison Cave in Hong Kong. 

Jones Day maintains strong intellectual property and life sciences practices in Hong Kong, alongside disciplines such as capital markets, dispute resolution, leveraged finance and M&A. Partner Haifeng Huang has extensive experience in courts and on arbitration panels at all levels. He also handles due diligence related to the acquisition of intellectual property assets and negotiates agreements involving the transfer, use, and license of intellectual property. Partner Peter J. Wang leads the firm’s China antitrust and litigation practices and regularly handles complex technology and IP litigation.  

While global law firm Kennedys is perhaps best-known for its insurance work, it is also strong in dispute resolution and advisory services. Partner Joanie Ko heads the firm’s APAC cyber and data privacy practice; she also has extensive experience in providing cyber incident response services, advising on data privacy and notification requirements, and the recovery of funds transferred as a result of cyber fraud. She also advises on coverage under cyber policies and cyber policies drafting and enhancement, and she leads the financial lines team in Kennedys’ Hong Kong office. In May 2022, Nicholas Blackmore was promoted to partner in the firm’s Melbourne office, where his practice covers data privacy, cyber insurance, general commercial and corporate, and technology. He is also the practice group leader of the firm’s IT, privacy and intellectual property in Hong Kong.  

Kwok Yih & Chan is a dynamic Hong Kong-based corporate law firm. Consultant Vivian Poon is key contact for trademark matters; with more than 25 years of experience in advising multi-national and local clients in brand protection strategies around the world, she is specialized in trademark advisory portfolio work, including auditing and due diligence in commercial transactions. Another key contact for IP is leading practitioner Peggy Cheung, who has more than 30 years of experience on brand protection strategies, complex IP litigation, licensing, franchising, technology transfer, advertising and data privacy laws. She also advises clients on mergers and acquisitions and corporate and commercial disputes. 

Lau, Horton & Wise is the local office of international firm CMS Hasche Sigle. and a local law firm (Lau, Horton & Wise) to provide a wide spectrum of Hong Kong and international law advice, including corporate and commercial law, dispute resolution, finance, intellectual property, and technology and digital law. Mengyi Chen is a senior associate in the Hong Kong IP group who has passed the GBA Legal Examination; she advises clients on a wide range of IP matters, including litigation, local and cross-border IP rights enforcement strategies and commercializing IP rights. 

Liu, Shen (Hong Kong) works closely with its Beijing counterpart Liu, Shen & Associates to help clients in obtaining and enforcing their intellectual property rights including patents, trademarks, designs, copyright in China and Asia. Bessie Wong is a key contact focusing on trademarks. 

As one of the oldest specialist IP practices in Hong Kong, Marks & Clerk continues to be a market leader in the region. The firm is on the go-to list for local and multinationals when it comes to prosecution work. Partner Eric Lam is a key contact for patent issues, and Simon Speeks is the firm’s trademark expert. 

Mayer Brown was established in 1863 in Hong Kong and has since expanded across Asia with offices in Shanghai and Beijing. 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. Kennedy is recognized as a leading lawyer in her field and is involved in high-profile media transactions and litigation, including signal piracy litigation and disputes under the Copyright Ordinance.  

Nixon Peabody CWL was formed from the October 2015 combination between Nixon Peabody and CWL Partners. The firm is now home to more than 40 lawyers who advise on a full spectrum of legal issues for clients throughout the Asia-Pacific region including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The Hong Kong office is also associated with JunZeJun Law Offices and leverages JunzeJun’s 20 greater China offices and its 200 partners and 1,000 professionals. Veteran IP specialist Henry Wheare is a well-recommended partner at the firm. 

Partner Justin Davidson heads the IP team at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright in Asia. The firm is particularly noted for its expertise in commercial litigation, intellectual property, and data privacy. The firm also handles complex transactions, regulatory compliance, and high-stakes disputes, often involving Chinese manufacturers and international clients. 

Oldham, Li & Nie has more than 43 lawyers in its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices, providing a full range of legal services including commercial and intellectual property practices. The firm has a small but qualified IP team that deals with Hong Kong and China intellectual property law. Vera Sung heads the firm’s IP practice for Hong Kong and China, and senior associate Evelyne Yeung is among its leading practitioners.  

Ownership, the Dubai-based law firm formerly known as Deans IP (after its founder, Rob Deans), has opened an office in Hong Kong, which will be run by former Spruson & Ferguson lawyer Cedric Yip. The firm has also opened offices in Singapore and Beijing. Coral Toh, another former Sprusons lawyer in Hong Kong, has moved to Singapore to work with Ownership there. 

General practice firm P.C. Woo & Co. handles patents and designs, trademarks, IP commercialization and management work. The firm has a strong litigation team which assists clients on enforcement. It is one of the law firms on the panel list of the Fast Action Scheme for trade fair enforcement in cooperation with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. Senior associates Sandra Wong and Lewis Luk are key contacts.  

With over four decades in Hong Kong, Reed Smith Richards Butler is one of the largest and most experienced law firms in the region. The firm has significant experience devising global IP strategies, with clients from key industry sectors including entertainment and media, energy and natural resources, financial services, life sciences, and transportation. Associate Dora Chan is a key contact for IP matters, especially patents.  

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) was known as Smyth & Co in association with RPC until May 1, 2017, when the firm received approval from the Hong Kong Law Society to operate as a partnership under the RPC name. The firm is a commercial-oriented business law firm with a broad range of expertise across many industry sectors. Partner Ivan Chang is a disputes resolution lawyer who specializes in commercial litigation, arbitration, regulatory investigation and data privacy. 

Local specialist Robin Bridge & John Liu acted for HYX China before the Trade Mark Register and secured the client’s trademarks against a bad faith application. The firm was appointed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong, under the Legal Assistance Scheme. The team is headed by managing partner Anthony Tong, who has a substantial IP litigation practice in both Hong Kong and China; Tong also manages local clients’ worldwide trademark portfolios and international clients’ trademark portfolios in greater China. Partner Anthea Loo is also a key contact for IP practice; she specializes in trademark-related matters.  

Rouse Legal is the Hong Kong office of global IP specialist Rouse. It provides a full range of intellectual property legal services in Hong Kong, including clearance, filing and prosecution, patent agency, civil and criminal litigation and commercial IP services. Director Chris Vale oversees the firm’s offices in Vietnam and Cambodia, in addition to Hong Kong. 

Simmons & Simmons has a robust trademark practice that counts high-caliber U.S. corporations amongst its clients. Partners John Slater and Jingyuan Shi are key IP contacts who have significant experience practicing IP in both Hong Kong and China. Slater is known for his work in prosecution and maintenance of the global trademark portfolios of Cathay Pacific Airlines, together with brand strategy advice and guidance. 

SIPS, also known as Simone Intellectual Property Services, has joined forces with three well-established Chinese firms to form East IP. The first two are Beijing East IP Limited and East IP Law Firm, while the third is a team of six partners from Zhong Lun led by China trademark veteran Jimmy Huang. SIPS was established in 2012 in Hong Kong with a primary focus on trademark prosecution, IP investigations and enforcement. Since then, the team has grown to more than 90 professionals and staff operating in four cities in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The new East IP Group is co-chaired by SIPS founder Joe Simone and the head of the firm’s patent practice, Xiaodong Li, while Huang will lead the trademark prosecution team. The firm notes that women comprise half of its partners and 72 percent of its trademark team. The partners of East IP are Joe Simone, Dan Plane and Helen Tang, who were SIPS founding partners, and Joann Chan, Joshua Miller and Mai Lin. The firm was named Hong Kong trademarks firm of the year at the 2023 Asia IP Awards. 

Local commercial firm Sit, Fung, Kwong & Shum offers integrated intellectual property services from drafting, filing, prosecution and registration to commercial exploitation and enforcement. Apart from dealing with China IP work, the firm also acts for local and international companies in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe.  

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 Robert Jackson is a go-to lawyer for chemicals and life sciences matters. The firm provides services for over 3,000 clients. Coral Toh has left Hong Kong – and Sprusons – for Singapore, where she is a principal at Ownership, the Dubai-based firm formerly known as Deans IP; Cedric Yip has joined Ownership in Hong Kong. Spruson & Ferguson is part of the publicly-listed IPH Limited, the holding company for intellectual property professional services and adjacent businesses operating under different brands across the Asia-Pacific region.  

Squire Patton Boggs has had a presence in Hong Kong for more than 15 years. Los Angeles-based consultant Paolo Beconcini heads the firm’s China intellectual property team. He manages the trademark, copyright and design portfolios of European and US clients, conceives and implements IP litigation strategies, regularly appears in Chinese courts and attends IPR administrative and police raids on counterfeiters. 

Tiang & Partners is an independent Hong Kong law firm which collaborates closely with PwC. Leading IP lawyer Chiang Ling Li heads its IP practice. Li has more than 25 years’ experience in the fields of China IP and pharmaceutical law. The firm’s IP practice complements its digital and technology, international trade and supply chain and other business-focused legal services. Finance lawyer and partner Michelle Taylor is a member of PwC’s global legal leadership team. 

Vivien Chan & Co. is an important player in China. Operating from offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, the firm has done work for clients such as G-Star Raw and Yves Saint Laurent. Senior partner Vivien Chan oversees the firm from Hong Kong and has extensive experience in IP and corporate finance matters.  

With a history of more than 130 years, Wilkinson & Grist is one of the oldest law firms and a leading independent law firm in Hong Kong. Its IP practice group has a headcount of about 100, with over 26 professionals including Hong Kong and PRC legal counsel, PRC patent agents and PRC trademark agents. Since early 2004, the firm has set up its own IP agency in Beijing under the first license ever approved by the State authorities to a foreign party, and has since been directly filing and handling trademark and copyright matters. For many years it has been a top e-filer in Hong Kong for trademarks, with more than 1,000 trademark application filed per year.