Strong growth in client demand for IP legal services have intensified competition for IP talent, and the past few months have seen many firms broaden their IP expertise through lateral hires. Dacheng, DeHeng (Beijing), Run Ming and LexField, among some others, have all added new lawyers and partners to their IP teams.
Beijing-headquartered Lifang is the latest firm to have expanded its IP practice, and it has done so on a large scale. The firm recently recruited a 30-member IP team, including five partners. Part of the team joined from DeHeng‘s (Beijing) IP division.
The five new partners are Ma Tieliang, Song Hecheng, Ma Youping, Huang Dehai and Han Linghu. All have extensive experience in handling patent filings and prosecutions for foreign and domestic clients from their previous practice in patent agencies such as China Patent Agent (HK), CCPIT Patent & Trademark and China Science Patent & Trademark Agent.
Ma Tieliang (pictured) has now been appointed as Lifang's director of IP. He also serves as the chairman of Beijing Intellectual Property Agency Association. Prior to joining DeHeng (Beijing), he worked at China Patent Agent (HK), where he managed the Beijing office.
Lifang's senior partner Xie Guanbin expects the en masse hiring to bring in a new revenue source in patent filings and strengthen practices in patent litigation, patent consulting, corporate patent strategy structuring and analysis, evaluation and management of patent portfolio.
"A patent drafting and filing practice is of strategic importance to any modern IP law firm. It not only contributes significantly to a firm's revenue but also provides the firm with an opportunity to forge strong, long-term relationships with new clients," said Xie. "When facing IP-related issues, particularly patent matters, corporate clients will, in the first instance, turn to the law firm who helped them obtain their IP rights for advice and solutions."
Lifang's traditional strength lies in patent litigation, having been involved in hundreds of cases. In 2008, it obtained a license from the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) allowing it to handle patent applications for both foreign and domestic clients - a status that only a limited number of law firms have been granted. Since then, the firm has handled approximately 3,000 new patent applications.
"Our next goal is to leverage these new partners' international experience to help more domestic companies with patent filings and IP strategies overseas," said Xie.
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