I have been practising intellectual property law in China and Hong Kong since 1993. I am currently practicing as a solicitor advocate and partner with Tanner De Witt a Hong Kong law firm.. I also sit as an arbitrator and have given expert testimony in a number of international IP and commercial disputes.

From 2020 to 2022, I was Global Head of Dispute Resolution with Rouse supervising the firm’s worldwide dispute resolution practice handling and supervising litigation and arbitration cases in Mainland China, Hong Kong, South East Asia and Sweden.

From 2011 to 2019, I practiced as barrister in Hong Kong and appeared in numerous cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal involving intellectual property issues including patent infringement, trademark infringement and passing off trials, applying for and opposing interim injunctions and other interlocutory applications.

Prior to that I was Managing Partner of Lovells (now Hogan Lovells) Shanghai office and head of the Mainland China IP practice of Lovells.

Over my career, I have handled thousands of patent, trade mark, copyright and passing off/unfair competition cases in Hong Kong and China. I have handled numerous patent infringement cases relating to pharmaceutical and telecommunications patents. I have also co-ordinated numerous cross border litigation cases across Asia. My non-contentious experience includes advising on technology transfer and conducting patent and other intellectual property audits as well as freedom to operate analyses.

I have also handled numerous general litigation cases in China and arbitrations relating to investment in or licensing to China.

FELLOW OF

Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators

CEDR accredited mediator

ARBITRATION and domain name panels

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC)

Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)

South China International Arbitration Center (Hong Kong)

Asia Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre (ADNDRC) 

MEMBER OF

Asian Patent Attorney's Association (APAA)

Hong Kong Institute of Trade Marks (HKITMP)

International Trademark Association

I have been appointed as arbitrator in HKIAC and ICC cases and acted as counsel in numerous arbitration cases. As a domain name panelist I have rendered over 450 decisions including approximately 50 decisions in Chinese and a number in Japanese.

Until 2010 I was based in Shanghai as managing partner of Hogan Lovells' Shanghai office; head of the firm's Mainland China Intellectual Property practice and co-head of the worldwide patent practice.  I was with Hogan Lovells for 18 years from 1993 when I joined the Hong Kong office. I moved to Shanghai in 2000 to establish the Lovells' intellectual property practice in Mainland China and became a partner in the firm in 2001.

I was responsible for setting the Shanghai office of Lovells in 2003.  From 2003 to 2010, I was managing partner of Lovells' Shanghai office. In that time the office grew in size to have over 40 fee earners and more than 70 staff in total. In 2008 and 2009, I was an elected member of Lovells' partnership council which oversaw the internal management of the firm's partnership.

PROFESSIONAL

Solicitor Advocate, Hong Kong, 2021- present

Fellow, Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (FHKIArb), 2012 -

Barrister, Hong Kong, 2011-2020

Solicitor, Hong Kong, 1996-2011; 2020 - present

Barrister & Solicitor, Victoria, Australia, 1995 (non-practising)

Solicitor, England & Wales, 1998 (currently non-practising)

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies), Australian National University, 1992

Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Australian National University, 1992

Post Graduate Certificate (Chinese and Chinese Law), Fudan University, 1990

Post Graduate Certificate in Laws, City University of Hong Kong, 1994

LANGUAGES

English

Fluent Mandarin Chinese

Fluent Japanese

OTHERS

Japanese to English Translator

Chinese to English Translator

Accredited at professional level by National Accreditation Agency for Translators and Interpreters (Australia)