The country's heightening awareness of IPR issues has pushed Grandall Legal Group to expand its IP agency more rapidly: The firm recently gained six more IP lawyers including Zhang Xuequn and Yuan Hongli, by merging with another IP agency, Beijing Xinzheng Zhitong. On top of handling IP disputes and closing IP-related deals, the agency hopes to specifically boost its patent application department via the merger.

Grandall’s IP branch was established last year, and has since grown to a headcount of 18 IP practitioners. Using Grandall’s existing market status, the agency aims to become the country’s one-stop service centre for its clients’ IP matters.

“We have progressed quite rapidly over the past few months and we are hoping to expand. In 2010, we are looking at expansions via strategic cooperations and mergers with other IP teams because these teams inject new blood into our operations and can offer new capabilities,” said Ma Dongxiao, lead partner of Grandall’s IP agency.

With the increased demand for IP-related legal services, especially after the financial slowdown has prompted many companies to pay more attention to their IP rights, Ma foresees increased supply in the area. “Bigger firms with IP practices will start to strengthen their IP capabilities and those without IP teams will start building one,” he said.

This merger is the third major expansion of Grandall’s IP practice. In 2006, the firm first acquired a group of experienced IP lawyers, including Ma Dongxiao, from Beijing firm Youshilian and then launched its agency in Beijing.

ALB’s leading IP law firms: China

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